Fusion, Utah Tech University’s performance team, is offering students a chance to send their significant others and friends a fun song for Valentine’s Day.
For the second year, Fusion will be performing Val-O-Grams to those at Utah Tech and in the community. In 2021, during the week of Valentine’s Day, the performance team filled their schedules with singing and dancing to people on and off campus. The team was split off into smaller groups so multiple people could be serenaded at a time.
In 2022, Fusion, then known as “Raging Red,” did not perform Val-O-Grams and the personal performances were missed by many.
Because Val-O-Grams went well their first year, they decided to bring it back for the Spring semester. Instead of a full week of performing during Valentine’s Day, Fusion will only be serenading Feb. 13 and 14. Time slots are available from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. and are expected to fill up fast.
Geoffrey Reynolds, director of Entertainment Alliance, explained the benefit and importance to Fusion when people purchase Val-O-Grams. He said the Fusion performers will be traveling to Spain this spring to recruit people to attend Utah Tech University. Along with recruiting, they will be performing for different schools.
The money spent on Val-O-Grams will help offset the cost of the Spain tour, and the rest will be put toward costuming and programming for the school’s spring show. Val-O-Grams is described as an “opportunity for you to share your love in a different way” by Reynolds.
Information on the Val-O-Grams was sent through UT Announce for employees and TrailTracker for students. To purchase a Val-O-Gram, search on the University’s Marketplace, and click on the “Fusion Val-O-Grams” option. The nine song choices listed from an oldie-but-goodie, “Can’t Buy Me Love” by the Beatles, to newer songs from the Greatest Showman movie, “Rewrite The Stars,“ there is surely a song for anyone. Songs delivered in person cost $25. This includes singing, performance and travel time to the performance location.
Fusion will be performing anywhere on campus, around campus and all the way out to Washington County. If a Val-O-Gram needs to be delivered further than these premises, Fusion offers “Phone-O-Grams” for $15, so no matter near or far, everybody has the opportunity to feel the love and be serenaded.
Fusion is offering candy bars, chocolates, fancy handwritten notes and roses that can be delivered along with the Val-O-Gram for an additional charge. People purchasing the Val-O-Grams are not limited to purchasing one; they can purchase songs until the time slots are full.
The stage manager for Fusion, Zach Billings, a sophomore accounting major from Ogden, has been singing and dancing with the team for two years.
Zach Billings said: “I am so excited for Val-O-Grams. It’s something I’ve never done before, and I might embarrass myself a bit, but as long as the message of love and valentines gets out there, it’s okay.”
Billings references “The Longest Time” by Billy Joel is his favorite song to serenade people too. He described it as cute and a barbershop quartet style.
Zach Billings also really enjoys the song “Love Me More” by Sam Smith because “it’s about loving yourself and everyone needs to hear that message.”
A second-year performer in Fusion, Annie Bearden, a junior art major from Riverton, talked about the huge impact Fusion has already had on her college experience. Fusion travels frequently to recruit students to Utah Tech. Fusion also performs at different venues for entertainment and to put smiles on people’s faces.
Bearden said, “My favorite part of Fusion has been going to elementary schools and high schools.”
She said she was feeling very optimistic, and “it is a little awkward for people receiving them, but fun for us.” Bearden also said she has been “researching and learning about places in Spain” for when she is on tour. She is eager to sing for people out in the open and hopefully recruit people to attend Utah Tech.
The production manager, Tyler Quincy, a sophomore psychology major from West Jordan, talked about the serenading being “a fun opportunity to go out into the community.”
“We’re performing all the songs from Val-O-Grams in our show in Spain,” Quincy said. “I’m super excited to go to Spain; I have never been outside of the country.”
Don’t miss the chance to buy your loved one, co-workers and friends a Val-O-Gram. The link to purchase is already active on the Linktree for the University’s Marketplace.
