A strong harmony is spread through Texas A&M by a non-competing a cappella group with only 10 members: The Femmatas. 

The Femmatas are an a cappella group formed of treble voices — any voice that sings within the typically higher-range treble part. They started as an all-female ensemble, but now, anybody who sings in the treble clef is welcome to audition. 

Since 2009, The Femmatas have sung across the Bryan-College Station area, performing at several different venues. On Sunday, The Femmatas performed at OUToberfest, a Brazos County pride festival.

Bioenvironmental sciences senior Ariella Jarrett, the president of The Femmatas, leads the tight-knit group of singers. 

“We are literally just a group of friends who want to sing,” Jarrett said. “It doesn’t even feel like a chore. It’s just going to rehearsal and making music with my friends.”

That sentiment is not only shared by Jarrett. Statistics sophomore Zoeya Sardar, social chair of The Femmatas, said the competitive aspect of a capella worried her prior to joining. 

“But when I came to audition, everyone was so sweet and so welcoming,” Sardar said. “And I really felt that it was easy to become part of the group.”

When they are not rehearsing together, The Femmatas goes on community-building retreats, where they often rent out Airbnbs and record musical releases.

The Femmatas have two extended plays on Apple Music and Spotify. Those EPs feature a cappella covers of popular songs such as “Ocean Eyes” by Billie Eilish and “Put Your Records On” by Ritt Momney. 

“When you’re little, you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, I want to be a singer,’ but it’s hard to do that,” Jarrett said. “But being able to be in a recording studio and have the mic — I was like, ‘Wow, I could really do this.’” 

The group sometimes records their tracks to reflect what a concert of theirs would look like.

New member — or baby femm — ecology and conservation biology freshman Claire Gibson said she felt confident joining the dynamic group. 

“I saw their booth from the [Memorial Student Center], and I really liked the energy,” Gibson said. “And I could tell that it was gonna be a good fit. I’m really happy to have found a music group on campus that I could keep up with.” 

Gibson said she’s preparing for her and the group’s next performance at Spookappella.

Spookappella is a free a cappella event hosted by The Femmatas and Apotheosis, the all-male a cappella group on campus, on Oct. 25. Members like Gibson get to make their own musical arrangements to be voted upon by other members into consideration. The event is part of a learning experience to allow members arrange their own music for the group. 

“I opened up Bandlab, used the power of my ears and — you know, just messing around, trying different things — and then I got all the parts recorded,” Gibson said. “Then, sometimes we learned songs directly from recordings, but in the past, The Femmatas have written their own sheet music to go along that learning process.” 

Sardar said making her arrangement was one of her proudest moments in the group. 

“One was making my first arrangement for the group, [and] we’re about to start learning that right now,” Sardar said. “Then also beatboxing for the group for the first time because those were two things that I would never think about doing at the same time.”

The Femmatas have several events throughout the year to support different Aggie communities and  perform at events such as OUToberfest and Take Back The Night. 

“We like [to] spread joy among the community,” Sardar said. “Our concerts are kind of open to everyone who goes here, so it’s just a nice way for people to kind of wind down and enjoy some music.” 

The Femmatas have become a second family to their members.

“I just really found my people,” Jarrett said. “It’s just such a safe place with them.” 

Whether they are beatboxing with their brother organization Apotheosis or preparing for their next gig, The Femmatas are always learning and growing with each other. 

“I’ve grown just as a singer, a leader, a person watching my own members grow,” Jarett said. “It’s really crazy. That’s what Femmatas is about — growth.”