Watch out Vocal Point. These ladies are ready to rock.

Noteworthy, an off-campus, nine-member female a capella group is ready for the new year. With coming events ranging from a new CD release to local and campus concerts, the group is geared up and ready to sing, said Megan Schmidt, 20, a junior majoring in audiology and speech language pathology from Michigan.

"It's different from male groups because we don't have the low range or resonance, but we have a lot more fun," she said.

Schmidt saw Noteworthy perform on campus her freshman year and admired the vocal percussionist Ester Yoder.

"We got together and she taught me everything she knew. Then she went on a mission and I got in the group," Schmidt said.

Over 50 ladies auditioned for Noteworthy, which was originally founded as a female version of Vocal Point by Yoder, currently serving in the Tucson, Ariz., Mission. One of the group's first gigs is singing for the A Capella Club's opening social Friday, Sept. 22, 2006, at 7:30 p.m. in the Wilkinson Center Terrace.

Camille Hancock, 20, a junior majoring in family and consumer science education from Ohio, has been part of Noteworthy for two years.

"A capella music is so fun and entertaining and takes a lot of effort," Hancock said.

On average, the group practices 10 hours a week arranging, practicing and working on the music in addition to their college coursework.

"Creating the songs is a group effort and usually the best stuff comes when we are playing around and it ends up sounding good," Hancock said. "My parts range from singing solos to Bulgarian, from trumpet parts to singing 'ooo-gow-gow-ooo' over and over again in the background."

Noteworthy also has a long history with Vocal Point. Originally, members of Vocal Point would direct the ladies.

"The joke of Noteworthy is that the director [from Vocal Point] would always marry one of us," Hancock said. "But now we have our own female director."

Now under the direction of a former singer, the group still has a few male visitors.

"Some of the Vocal Point guys still come to watch us practice. I think they might still have a crush on one of the girls," Hancock said.

Catherine Papworth, 21, a senior majoring in media music studies from Mesa, Ariz., said she enjoys being able to encourage the new female singers. In helping the new members become comfortable with the choreography, Papworth said, "You have to get into the music. If everyone else is having a good time and you're holding back, chances are everyone in the audience will be looking at you."

Performances depend on every member of the group having a specific job from being the seamstress to treasurer. If one of them misses a performance or even has a cold, the performance lacks.

"The parts are so unique that we rarely double. So if someone is missing, a whole part of the substance of the music is missing," Papworth said.

But what makes Noteworthy noteable is the ladies' dedication and friendship to each other.

"We are lifelong friends who love being together," Papworth said. "It is the connection to each other and our love of music that makes Noteworthy a great group."

Event: A Capella Club opening social

Performing: Noteworthy

When: Tonight, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Wilkinson Terrace