Groups That Don’t Take Themselves Too Seriously
For the uninitiated, it can be difficult to understand why people love a cappella. Heck, even for those of us who do actively enjoy it, it can be difficult to put into words why we enjoy this art form so. While we’ll never have a truly comprehensive list of everything cool about a cappella, 200 Reasons to Love A Cappella is our best attempt at assembling a list of what makes it great.
Reason #72: Groups That Don’t Take Themselves Too Seriously
Over the years, competition seems to have become the dominant driving force in scholastic a cappella. That’s all good, but in a paradigm that celebrates singing to rubric, it’s easy to lose the fun of the form.
That’s where groups that don’t take themselves too seriously breathe fresh air into the community. Whether it’s Drexel University’s 8 to the Bar slamming home the vocals on “Whoomp! (There It Is)” in 2012, Syracuse University Main Squeeze boogeying on down to “Age of Aquarius” in 2007, or The Amherst College Zumbyes’ tradition of performing high caliber, fully-choreographed songs with one of their group members dressed in a banana costume, these acts lighten the mood and help us all remember that a cappella is about far more than winning awards and achieving perfect intonation—it’s about having a good time with good friends.
I love it!