Most of my generation has seen the movie, "Pitch Perfect", and therefore assume they know what being a part of an acappella group entails. They're wrong. I'm here to give you a little insight as to what happens in an acappella group.
At the University of South Florida, there are four acappella groups, two of which are competitive. The first a cappella group is Tones of Gold, which consists of a group of people who share the love of singing. Anyone can join this group because it is a class.
The next group is The Stepping Tones. They perform all around the Tampa area, including here at the USF. You do have to try out for this group, and they are co-ed.
The third group on campus is EnsemBULL. They are also co-ed and you do have to try out for them. However, they are a competitive group that is hoping to perform at ICCAs this year. That is, International Collegiate A Cappella, a competition that takes place every year to crown an a cappella group #1 in the world.
The final group, the group I have the most knowledge on, is Rocky's Angels. They are an all-female competitive a cappella group established in 2015. Everyone in the group had to go through a tryout process where the officers then chose the members.
To be in an acappella group, one has to dedicate hours to learning their music, learning choreography, and being able to blend well. It's not as easy as "Pitch Perfect" made it seem. There are also competitions outside of ICCA that many groups take part in. A major one is SoJam.
My group (Rocky's Angels) went to this conference/competition. Only five groups can actually compete. However, it was also a place of workshop where people from all over the country came together to learn how to better themselves. Astound group members from The Originals, Voicebox, and Sharp Attitude was there to help others grow as groups. (Go check them out, you won't regret it.)
Sometimes, being in an acappella group can be hard because it is so demanding. Singing isn't easy people, especially not when you're using your voice to make it seem as if the instruments are being played. Don't even get me started on vocal percussion.
Not only this, but someone has to arrange the music. It doesn't take 24 hours for one to miraculously create a complete song with every part. It doesn't take a week to learn a 10-minute set that is choreographed. It's a lot of hard work.
If you're interested in joining an acappella group on any campus, go digging. Search Instagram or Twitter, and I'm sure you'll find one. It's great to be a part of a group where you all have the same passion: singing.
