From the typical college student perspective, a cappella groups are a bunch of awkward kids bopping around trying to find their way in this world through the unrealistic adaptation of "Pitch Perfect." While a cappella groups have some similarities to the infamous Barden Bellas, it is a lot more than Fat Amy juking on the dance floor with her buds Becca and Chloe. While we do dance around a stage in coordinating outfits, the significance of a cappella music is carried much more heavily in the modern world. For those who don’t know, a cappella music is the act of creating a musical composition with only the human mouth, meaning no instruments are involved. It is a symphony of “doos” and “bas” that somehow form a beautiful orchestration. A standard co-ed a cappella group, unlike the all-female group in "Pitch Perfect," is made up of sopranos, altos, tenors, basses, and a vocal percussionist. While there are all-female groups, like AcaBelles, and all male groups, like Reverb, Florida State has three co-ed groups including All Night Yahtzee, The Acaphiliacs, and my group, Coda A Cappella.
Although a lot of a cappella groups perform just for fun, the "Pitch Perfect" competition ICCA is totally a real thing. A cappella competitions are totally a real thing. Imagine a bunch of college age kids all harmonizing to "Don’t Stop Believin’" and attempting to create a bass drop with their mouths and there you’ve got it. Coda will actually be competing at ICCA this spring for the third consecutive year! From the competitive aspect, a cappella is a lot more like Pentatonix and the Sing-Off, if you’ve ever heard of those. (Peep Florida State a cappella groups on the Sing-Off on Netflix if you haven’t). In fact, this weekend I had the great opportunity of attending SoJam a Cappella Festival in Atlanta, Georgia with Coda. It was such a pleasure to support our fellow Noles, All Night Yahtzee, as they competed against four other groups from across the country. However, the SoJam festivities did not end with the competition.
All day on Saturday, November 19, there were private and public masterclasses where groups get one-on-one professional advice from the singing experts, including famous a cappella groups such as The Exchange. Additionally, there are “Acabombs” where groups can publicly perform a brief seven-minute set for other attendees of the conference. Lastly, there are classes in which group members can learn more about the art of a cappella. These classes range from the scientific methodology of singing, to learning how to beatbox, to music composition, and so on.
A Cappella music, if you’ve never invested a listening ear, can be absolutely breathtaking. The human body’s musical capabilities are far more than most could even imagine. If you’re a part of a group, enjoy it, you have a gift many would kill for. If you have never a cappella music, oh my, you’re in for a treat. Check out the SoJam A Cappella Festival website for more pictures and details from this weekend and be on the lookout for your university’s a cappella groups! Spread the music; spread the joy.
