Howell Harmonious Voice Teenage girl group steps to bigger stage

By Christopher Behnan Livingston County Daily Press & Argus HOWELL, Mich. (AP) -- The Supremes, The Ronettes, Martha and the Vandellas, the Fetching Rubies. Those names of female Motown and pop groups flow together seamlessly, with one exception: The Fetching Rubies came along almost 50 years after the others. But the teenage Rubies continue that musical tradition -- bold female vocal ensembles, with each singer stepping out in turn to take the lead, with all singers in synchronized dance step. If you haven't seen the Howell-based quartet perform -- it sang the national anthem at the Feb. 4 Detroit Pistons game -- chances are you will soon. If asked, the energetic, bubbly Fetching Rubies will tell you it was their harmonious presence that led the struggling Pistons to a two-point victory over the New Orleans Hornets. "We won that game. It was like the second game they won this season," said Ruby Madison Deadman, 15. The quartet is also made up of fellow Howell High School students Tori Poloski, 15, and Alison Wiercioch, 16, as well as Lakeland High School student Megan Casey, 16. The singers recently released their debut CD, an untitled six-song collection. The Rubies also have auditioned for the seventh season of "America's Got Talent," the NBC-TV talent show that airs this summer. The audition, if successful, will earn them a spot on the show, where they would perform before comedian Howie Mandel, rock music mogul Sharon Osbourne and radio legend Howard Stern. The quartet, all friends directly or through one another, formed last summer. The teens perform primarily blues and jazz covers, and their originals would be best classified as pop tunes. They perform a cappella with a backing track. One Ruby does not take more credit than another for the quartet's young, yet solid, vocal sound. "We pretty much combine our talents together," Casey said. Their covers include an arrangement of The Temptations' "I Wish it Would Rain," ratcheted up to a higher octave than the Motown male group used. The Fetching Rubies' original songs include "Stop Right Now" and "Inside Out," both of which appear on the CD. Infighting is often the norm in bands and vocal ensembles, but not in the Rubies. They said the experiences they've shared -- at least so far -- have brought them closer. "We're sisters," Poloski said. The Fetching Rubies hired Brian E. Buckner as their musical director. Buckner, who also works with The Encore Musical Theatre Co. in Dexter, works with the Rubies on vocal technique and, occasionally, songwriting. Buckner said he got involved with the quartet when he learned the Rubies were serious about becoming a "true pop group." "I heard potential in the group, and as we started to meet on a regular basis, their sound and energy and all of that just increased by leaps and bounds," he said. "I love the notion that they're so serious about it. They've really become a little bit of a family, and it's been nice to kind of be the older stepbrother myself and be an honorary Ruby." The singers rehearse up to twice weekly, which can be a stretch considering the multitude of after-school endeavors each is involved in. Wiercioch recently appeared in Howell High's production of "Brigadoon." She starred as Jean MacLaren. Casey starred in Lakeland High School's production of "Footloose" in White Lake Township as Ariel Moore. She also performs with Lakeland's varsity pom team. Deadman starred in The Encore Musical Theatre Co.'s production of "Nunsense" as Sister Mary Leo. Poloski, when not singing, can often be found in the woods hunting. Published: Wed, May 23, 2012