12 Amazing Things About Being In A Collegiate A Cappella Group

It's aca-awesome.

Feb 16, 2016

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12 Amazing Things About Being In A Collegiate A Cappella Group

Julia

I've been in The OWtsiders, a co-ed A Cappella group, for four years. We are a really close-knit organization, and I consider them to be my musical family.

I've learned so much about myself through making music with these wonderful humans. I can't imagine my college experience without A Cappella.

Here are 12 amazing things about being in an A Cappella group.

1. You get to bond and make music with a bunch of fun, talented people.

Breaking out in song is one of my favorite hobbies. I love knowing other weirdos that love to sing in public with me. Plus, sometimes all the A Cappella groups have mixers together!

2. You're in perfect harmony (not just musically).

If there's ever a problem in the group, we know we can bring it up in rehearsal, and we'll all try our best to make things better.

3. You can make super cool T-shirts.

Everyone in our group has their own nickname, and we painted them on the back of our shirts!

4. When you finally get a hard song down, you feel:

Some rehearsals can be brutal, but it's all worth it in the end.

5. You can take cheesy Christmas card photos together.

Ugly Christmas sweaters are a must.

6. You get to serenade your new members!

This is Anna, one of our musical directors. She was so excited when we surprised her in her dorm room and sang our version of "Piano Man" to her: "Sing us a song, you're in OWtsiders!"

7. You can incorporate social activism into your performances.

Click here to view our performance of "Silent Night" (filmed by Spenser Hickey Photography) where we selected news stories to read during the song.

Our performance was inspired by this Simon & Garfunkel version of "Silent Night":

8. Your A Cappella group becomes a support system.

At the end of every rehearsal we say "highs" (good things) and "lows" (bad things) from our weeks. It's great to know that there are people to lean on if things are rough.

I love having such a harmonious support system.

9. After rehearsal you can get dinner or just hang out together.

We practice right before dinner, so I get to eat with my singing friends every week. We always have the songs we just finished singing in our heads, but we just end up singing them in public together. We even did a flash mob once in a dining hall!

10. You can maybe even be in two A Cappella groups at the same time.

I used to be a part of the all-female A Cappella group on campus, Pitch Black. I got too busy to be able to stay involved, but it was such a fantastic experience and I befriended some wonderful, talented women!

11. You get to watch your group grow and evolve from semester to semester.

As a college A Cappella group, we often have people graduate or run out of free time to come to rehearsals.

But there are always new awesome singers that audition. And we love when alumni come to visit!

12. Musical improvisation!

The OWtsiders love to improvise songs as a warm-up exercise. Camille, one of my friends from the group, and I started a campus radio show called No Wrong Notes based around our love for musical improvisation.

Here's a video of our first show:

Basically, if you love to sing, you should definitely join an A Cappella group!

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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12 Amazing Things About Being In A Collegiate A Cappella Group

It's aca-awesome.

1. You get to bond and make music with a bunch of fun, talented people.

2. You're in perfect harmony (not just musically).

3. You can make super cool T-shirts.

4. When you finally get a hard song down, you feel:

5. You can take cheesy Christmas card photos together.

6. You get to serenade your new members!

7. You can incorporate social activism into your performances.

8. Your A Cappella group becomes a support system.

9. After rehearsal you can get dinner or just hang out together.

10. You can maybe even be in two A Cappella groups at the same time.

11. You get to watch your group grow and evolve from semester to semester.

12. Musical improvisation!

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You can be yourself without having to explain yourself, because she accepts you and loves you just the way you are.

The temperature may not be very Autumn-like, but these playlists sure are.

1. Southern Gothic

2. Autumn Acoustics

3. Autumn Leaves

4. Deep Dark Indie

5. Dreamy Fall

6. Halloween Hipster

7. Wanderlust

8. Your Favorite Coffeehouse

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1. Realizing there's no more toilet paper when it's already too late.

2. Making a cup of coffee in the morning and forgetting it in the car.

3. Pushing doors that say pull.

4. When you hear people chew.

5. When it's really quiet in a room and you hear that one person breathing like they just ran a marathon.

6. Grabbing a chocolate chip cookie, only to realize it's actually oatmeal raisin.

7. Getting comfortable in bed and then realizing you forgot to pee/turn off the light.

8. That one aunt/uncle that just always gives you that creepy vibe.

9. When your teacher makes you buy a textbook that you never even crack open.

10. Continuing to open and reopen the fridge until the food that you want magically makes its way in there.

11. Walking into a room and then automatically forgetting why you went in there.

12. People that drive without using their blinker.

13. When you have really slow wi-fi.

14. People who feel the need to scream into their phones as if the other person can't hear them.

15. The world's obsession with the Kardashian/Jenner families.

16. Advertisements before Youtube videos.

17. When people read over your shoulder.

18. A-holes that park in the handicapped spots when they, in fact, not handicapped.

19. People who cut in line.

20. The LIRR/MTA

21. Being stuck behind someone who is walking painfully slow.

22. When people smoke cigarettes right in front of the entrance to the building you have to walk into.

23. When boys think it's cool to treat girls like crap.

24. Guys that still go to high school parties even though they've been out of high school for years.

25. Celebrities that are obviously lip-syncing.

26. How you need a scissor to get the scissor out of its package.

27. When people text using that stupid "voice text" function.

28. Telling someone you can't hear them, so they use the same exact volume and just repeat what they said.

29. When someone gets in the shower right as you were about to get in the shower.

30. Saying "What?" for some reason, even though you heard what the person said.

31. When you're in a rush but the light is red.

32. Cashiers putting your change down on the counter instead of in your hand.

33. The people that go up to order food to the cashier but are still continuing their phone conversation.

34. That awkward time in the fall when it's freezing in the morning but stifling in the afternoon.

35. Emailing your professor a long winded paragraph about a problem you are having and they email back, "Sure."

36. Guys who put their car as their profile picture on Facebook.

37. Girls who have "X Years Young." in their Instagram bios.

38. Trying to find the beginning to a roll of tape.

39. When people drive your car and adjust your mirrors/seat.

40. People that talk during the movie.

41. People that decide to engage in conversation right in the middle of the hallway/sidewalk.

42. When someone says, "no offense," and then continues to say something offensive.

43. People that pop their significant others pimples.

44. Teacher's pets.

45. Going to the bathroom and someone goes into the stall right next to you.

46. When someone leaves your room and doesn't shut the door.

47. Political debates between two people who know nothing about politics.

48. When you get all ready to go out and your friend cancels plans.

49. People that drop their friends for their significant other.

50. People that don't like animals.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Things to do in October.

1. Going to haunted houses with friends.

2. Going to Halloween parties with friends or families or both.

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