A cappella group performing on stage
The A Cappella Blog

A New Group Taking Shape

200 Reasons To Love A Cappella

Reason #34: A New Group Taking Shape

Lots of groups have distinctive identities. The USC SoCal VoCals are theatrical. Oregon’s Divisi is about estrogen-fueled intensity and drive. The Midnight Ramblers from Rochester are all about combining high-octane fun with musical precision.

It’s easy to dismiss groups that lack these sorts of identities. When they jump from one style to another they may seem like imitators, or, worse yet, like amateurs. But where this can be exciting is when a group really is made up of amateurs—not amateurs for lack of effort, but amateurs for lack of experience.

When a group is just starting up, it doesn’t have a reputation or a legacy to live up to—all it has is potential. This is where there’s opportunity for truly creative things to happen. Not every all-male group is going to be a powerhouse like Rutgers’ Casual Harmony, and not every all-female group is going to tackle musical precision with the tenacity of Syracuse’s Mandarins. There are group formations that have not yet been conceptualized, just waiting to be uncovered when a new group hits its stride, identifies its own style and starts rolling. Collegiate a cappella has a vast and ever-growing tradition, but each year new groups are taking form and bringing with them the promise of even more exciting times ahead. Like any healthy art form or branch of media, a cappella is growing and evolving. It’s the new groups that pave the way to the future.

I love it!

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