A cappella music has become a hit for choir nerds and music lovers alike in the past few years. Phenomena such as the "Pitch Perfect" series and the television show "The Sing-Off" both celebrate the arts in the media. While music is special, creating this with solely using voices is remarkable.
"The Sing-Off" only lasted a couple of seasons, but arguably the best product of this program is the singing group Pentatonix. Pentatonix consists of 5 members, Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola and Matt Sallee, who took over for Avi Kaplan. Each utilizes their unique talent to make something beautiful. Pentatonix is a group that inspires their fans for a multitude of reasons.
Unlike the exit of many artists from their musical groups, Kaplan left the gang on a high note (no pun intended). He genuinely expressed to the public eye that he missed his friends and family when he was on tour with the band and needed to remove himself from the group even though he was devastated.
He did not betray the people who cohesively collaborated with him when he got his big break, but rather, he did what was best for him. Since Kaplan is no longer in the group, Sallee did not replace but rather fill Kaplan's spot. I saw Pentatonix live recently, and their choreography, harmony, and unity were on point. They truly know how to put on a show.
At the concert I attended, Sallee paved a path in positively influencing his fans by encouraging them to follow their dreams. He shared that he was in 12th grade 7 years ago when Pentatonix won the a cappella singing reality show, "The Sing-Off," and he and his own a cappella group placed well in their competition.
As a reward, they were permitted to have front row seats to a Pentatonix concert. Sallee always loved the group and never knew that he would be part of the magic that is Pentatonix. When Kaplan parted ways from Pentatonix in just 2017, Sallee never imagined being a school chorus kid turned superstar. However, he was accepted into the group after admiring Pentatonix from afar for so long.
Pentatonix also serves as excellent role models for their fans due to their work ethic and humility. Members Hoying, Grassi, and Maldonado all were friends from their small town in Texas and participated in musical theatre productions in their youth. Once they discovered the opportunity to audition for "The Sing-Off," they searched YouTube for other musical assets to add to their trio in order to complete their group for the show.
Thus, they stumbled upon Olusola, and he graciously accepted their offer to audition for the show. This may have been one of their best professional decisions due to their immense success. The group is living proof of hard work paying off, and they practice what they preach in exhibiting that dreams absolutely do come true and oftentimes spontaneously and when least expected. I wish the group much more uphill milestones to come!
