If given $100, most people could think of at least 100 things they would like to spend it on. It’s easy to do that when it’s With Someone Else’s Money.

But the University’s only co-ed a capella group didn’t have sponsorship to win a Ben Folds competition and the chance to play with him tonight. It had talent.

And Director Jonathan Sparks said the group used that talent to land the biggest gig it has ever had.

“I’m a big Ben Folds fan,” Sparks said. “I was randomly on his Web site and saw the announcement for it basically. And I decided we should do it.”

Not only did the group land the album recording with Folds, but it also will open with a half set for him tonight at the Tabernacle in Atlanta.

Sparks said both good writing and arrangement make Folds’ songs appropriate for the parts necessary in a capella. With Someone Else’s Money performs a repertoire of around 15 songs from memory, adding new ones to the list fairly frequently.

“At any given time, we have probably 15 or 20 songs that are ready to go,” Chris Probst, a bass singer for the group, said. “And then we are always working on five or six new ones.”

The group has performed at least two of Folds’ songs, one of which it used in the competition for the album. The proceeds from the album, which will be released April 7, will go to VH1′s Save the Music campaign.

“Over the years, [Folds] has heard just many, many covers of his songs done by a capella groups, and he wanted to basically release an album of that,” Sparks said of the album for which the group recorded alongside 18 other a capella groups from around the country.

WSEM went to Nashville to record its chosen hit with Folds. It was the only group to record in Folds’ own studio, which Sparks said was part of his incentive to do whatever it took to get on the album. The group said Folds was very laid back and seemed to enjoy every bit of producing the songs with the group.

“He was having a good time, too,” Probst said. “I think he’s having fun listening to all these groups do his music.”

“He was really nice and gave a lot of good feedback when we were trying to get a good take,” Sparks said, commenting that each song on the album will be from one take, not spliced or cut, which made the recording more of a challenge.

The subjects Folds uses, such as “Army” spouting lyrics about Chick-fil-A jobs and sleeping through classes, lend themselves well to an a capella style because of their humor.

“A lot of his songs are really fun, and everyone knows them. So everyone is going to really enjoy them or sing along,” said Steven Hutchings, the assistant director of WSEM.

When it comes to the breakdown of a song for a capella, Sparks said his process involves memorizing every part and then transcribing the instrumental elements into voice parts. He said the majority of his arranging is literal rather than adapted, allowing the voice to become an instrument.

“Usually all of his stuff has a lot of layers, and that makes it easier to arrange for,” Sparks said about arranging Folds’ songs for the group. “There’s really an infinite amount of ways you could do it.”

“It’s going to sound pretty much like you would hear it as if people were actually singing the exact instrument parts,” Hutchings added.

The guys said many groups do songs this way, especially when the songs will be recorded. Sparks said he likes to add more choral aspects to the music rather than sticking to the song too closely.

At the show, Sparks said WSEM will perform the album song “You Don’t Know Me” by Folds as well as songs from other popular artists such as Coldplay or Keane.

In 2001, WSEM was formed by two girls who decided to start an a capella group at the University that wasn’t all music majors. Giving everyday, normal people who just like to sing a chance was their goal, Sparks said.

“It’s nice to interact with people who aren’t full time musicians really,” said Probst, a graduate student in the music program.

Sparks said he sees the group really evolving and taking shape.

“It takes time to get a group to the point where it’s consistently good every year,” he said. “I think we are finally getting to that point now. Quality-wise, we’ve gotten really consistent.”