By Madison Kirpatrick
Film student Spencer Williams says he would enjoy teaching students how to sing a cappella.
Spencer Williams, who is about to graduate with a degree in Film and Media Studies, has pursued an a cappella singing career throughout his time at UC Santa Barbara—a prime example of the breadth of activities students engage in while studying in the humanities and fine arts.
At a club fair here at UCSB, Williams was immediately drawn to InterVals A Cappella, a student-run music club. “I was so drawn into the vibe. Everyone is cool,” he said.
Williams has focused on his film and media education and his a cappella group for his entire university career. “I’ve been in it for four years and it has defined my experience.”
Williams, originally from San Jose, focused his film studies mostly on the history of film rather than hands-on production.
As a child, he often watched films in the theatre and discussed them with his father, who worked at the time as a chief financial officer for games at Electronic Arts, a video game company.
Williams took film classes in high school and fell in love with the concept, deciding that he wanted to study it at UCSB. He makes a point of stressing that his father’s work at Electronic Arts did not influence his direction or education, and though it was exciting to have those connections, he was able to be his own person and pursue his own interests.
Spencer Williams sings with other members of InterVals A Cappella. This performance was in February, 2017 at an event called Valentunes, which took place at the Marjorie Luke Theater in downtown Santa Barbara.
At the same time, while in high school, Williams was asked by a friend to join the choir. He never thought he was a good singer but decided to give it a try.
The Intervals A Cappella group sings anything from pop to indie to even some original productions students have created. Williams has performed in most of its major productions o.
He is one of the bass singers and also runs its social media account, a task he freely admits is tedious but worthwhile.
Music has given him hands-on experience that has augmented his studies in film and media, which were more theoretical. He says he’s glad to have had the best of both worlds.
Williams said his a cappella group has taught him that it’s important to respect and work well with those who are not necessarily in the same social group. “Audiences can tell if performance members are not coordinated or getting along.”
With graduation nearing, Williams thinks he will go into the marketing field. “My dream job would be working for Nintendo or voice acting,” and is hopeful that he will succeed on that path,” he said.
As he leaves UCSB behind, he hopes to encourage other students—whether they be in the film major, doing something in music, or in any other walk of life—to make the most of the relationships they create in college. “Maintaining your community is crucial,” he said.
Madison Kirpatrick is a third-year transfer student at UC Santa Barbara, pursuing a major in Communication with a minor in Professional Writing. She wrote this piece for her class Journalism for Web and Social Media.
Spencer Williams and other members of his a cappella group pose for a picture in 2018.