ICCA South Quarterfinal at Elon University
The following review was written by Jill Clark, a member of the University of North Carolina-Greensboro Sapphires. Please note that the opinions expressed in this review are solely from the mind of the author, and are in no way representative of the views of the UNC-G Sapphires as a whole.
Having attended the ICCA quarter-finals at Elon University for the past three years in a row, I have never seen such a collection of talented a cappella groups. I’ll begin with the break down of the results, then delving in to what I thought of each group.
First place: The University of North Carolina-Greensboro Spartones
Second place: Appalachian State University Another Level
Third place: The James Madison University BluesTones
Outstanding Soloist: Caitlin Donaghy from The New Dominions on (Unknown Song)
Outstanding Arrangement: Chris Juengil and Lindell Carter of The Spartones for TV Theme Medley
Outstanding Vocal Percussion: Chris Maloney and Mike Alverto from Another Level
Outstanding Choreography: The Loreleis
The competition (in order of appearance):
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Achordants
The set-list:
“Here In Your Arms” by Hello Goodbye
“Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone” by Bill Withers
“Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” by Frankie Valli
The pros:
Classic men’s a cappella, packed full of the cheesy grins glued to their faces and exaggerated gestures. Playing to the crowd, these boys brought a smile to everyone’s faces. With beautiful balance and blend, the audience was able to have a good time while appreciating the musicality of each song.
The cons:
While I love a cute guy’s group just as much as the next girl, I found their stage-presence to be a little too over the top. I personally believe that the most beautiful moments of music can happen in either stillness or silence, neither of which was present in the Achordants set. The percussionist chose not to use the microphone, which turned out to be both good and bad. Impressively, the audience was able to hear him, despite the constant wall of sound produced by the rest of the group, but I feel that if we could have heard the complexities that I believe were there, he may have had a shot at the award for Outstanding VP.
My pick of the set—“Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone,” simply for the soulfulness it brought out of each member and watching the soloist truly experience the song on stage.
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Loreleis
The set-list:
“One Step At A Time” by Jordin Sparks
“Otherside (How Long)” by Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Last Name” by Carrie Underwood
The pros:
The Loreleis have always been remarkable due to their soloists. Yet again, this standard rings true, and I’m glad to see these girls hitting the competition circuit again. 16 women strong, the girls hit the stage dressed to impress. Their strong soloists and delightful choreography carried strong throughout their set.
The cons:
I’m finding it difficult to remember the performance I watched no more than three hours ago, and I have a feeling that there is a reason for that. There was so much movement going on in the twelve short minutes they had on stage, that I cannot distinguish one song from the next. The soloists out-shined the group, thus leaving the other members in the shadows. The only thing that grabbed my attention to the group was when they would change formations…again…or when they would do any sort of quick movement. After a point, I closed my eyes to block out the choreo and just listened... And all I heard was a powerful solo covering up what could have been an amazing chord held by the lovely 15 other ladies standing behind her. I also think that each song needs to have a point where the sopranos top-out and the altos bottom-out, some huge build that leads to a fantastic moment…but I heard no topping…and no bottoming… I found this to be a set full of middle ranges, but good solos, but too simple arrangements.
My pick of the set—“Otherside (How Long)” mostly due to the fact that they brought it down a notch and really focused on the music, accompanied by a beautiful soloist who knew exactly when to turn it up and turn it back down.
University of Virginia New Dominions
The set-list:
“Falling Slowly” from the motion picture Once, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
“The Way” by Dana Glover
The pros:
What a solo. Caitlin Donaghy (winner of Best Soloist) ripped the vocals during the last half of her performance. Yet again, I got the pleasure of watching the soloist experience the song on stage. Towards the end of their set, the New Dominions really began to open up and feel the music they were singing.
The cons:
I only wish that their whole set could have been like the last two minutes of it. While I do not know much about the New Dominions, and their website is not helping me out with their previous history, I’m willing to bet that they have not hit the competition scene very much. I was certainly caught off guard when they only did two songs. If this group focuses on performing each of their songs the way that Donaghy does, the New Dominions might be one of the groups to watch in up-coming ICCAs.
My pick of the set—“The Way.” I’ve never seen a group contrast so much in one song. I’m left wanting to follow up on this group in a couple of years. I can’t wait to see where they are then.
Intermission. Stretch your legs.
Appalachian State Another Level
The set-list:
(Unknown Song)
“Would You Go With Me” by Josh Turner
(Unknown Song)
The pros:
I’ve known these boys since the formation of their group through one or two of their members, and I cannot express how proud of them I am. From a brand new group, to just barely on their feet, to second place at an ICCA quarterfinal, this 16-man strong group is going for the win and they are one to watch out for. Solid solos seem to carry these gentlemen through each song, but they seem to leave the audience wanting more. The wall-of-sound is, of course, ever-present but more delicate and moving than most. With a duo of VP on the Josh Turner track, judges seemed to be impressed and thought they were deserving of the award. While I personally don’t really like a percussion duet, I can’t deny that these two young men and some very impressive sounds in their hats.
The cons:
While beautiful, these boys are banking on their voices and their voices alone to win it. Unfortunately, that’s not always how ICCA goes. If these gentlemen can buck up their arrangements and make everything a little more complicated and intricate in the next two months, they might have a chance to take the semi-finals at UNC-G in March.
My pick of the set—“Would You Go With Me.” Country is rare in a cappella these days. It was a good move for these boys, and I’d like to see more of it happen in other groups.
University of North Carolina-Greensboro Spartones
The set list:
“In The House Of Stone And Light” by Martin Page
“Plane” by Jason Mraz
TV Theme Song Medley
The pros:
Being very near and dear to the ‘Tones, I’m glad they brought another win home to UNC-G. The Spartones have always seems to have the perfect balance of cheesy boy band and perfect musicality. Warring through technical difficulties (all the mics stopped working at one point), the soloist for Martin Page’s tune, Sean Lucier, was not ever phased. He battled on with no trouble at all, assisted by Lucas Cecil on percussion, whose sounds rang loud and clear without amplification. Seeing this spirit in the first song promised the audience that they were in for a great twelve minutes. Goofy as these boys can be, they mean business and that was evident in the meaningful heartfelt message of Jason Mraz’s “Plane.” Rick Marcello won the heart of every woman in the crowd with the give and take in his vocals, while the tenor of the group supported him with every perfect note. And then we have the TV Theme Medley, which was awarded Best Arrangement--a ballsy move to begin with, including songs from the Nick Tune to the Power Rangers theme song. This piece “touched” each member in the audience, as we had flashbacks to our childhood TV shows. While a little silly, I would like to mention that each moment in the Medley had absolutely perfect musicality with each phrase and measure. These boys are truly talented.
The cons:
As previously stated, I love these guys…but I’d like to see a little bit of an ego check for them. I think this might have been the beginning of it, as member Matt Hanson told me after the competition, “The quality of talent at this quarterfinal really blew me away. I don’t even see this kind of stuff at the semi-finals. When they were about to announce 1st place, we honestly couldn’t tell if we were 1st or 4th. It was so close.” Aside from that, I think the ‘Tones have set the bar for the competition and are ready to take everyone else by storm.
My pick of the set—It’s a tie, between “Plane” and the TV Medley. While the Medley was fun, something about the message Marcello delivered with “Plane” really stuck strong with me.
James Madison University BluesTones
The set-list:
“You Give Love A Bad Name” by Bon Jovi
“Where I Stood” by Missy Higgins
“Never Too Late/Fully Alive” by Three Days Grace/Flyleaf
The pros:
A girl’s group coming out strong. These ladies are ready to rock and they are ready for us to know. With classic rock by Bon Jovi, the BluesTones started out their set with an upbeat killer. Impressive VP and a certain style, to say the least. Taking it down a notch (or two), we hear a beautiful ballad which shows the audience exactly what a “good girl’s group” sounds like. Like men’s groups, we hear the wall of sound, but in this case we hear beautiful intricate chords that support the solos exploration of the lyrics and melody. This is about where the all-too-perfect set begins to slip…
The cons:
An interesting choice of song…and interesting solo…and…odd VP. There’s certainly something about this groups that makes me think they’re trying too hard to be rockers. Remember…you’re in an a cappella group. The set then begins to become too abrasive. No member seemed to be supporting anyone else, as if they were in it for them and no one else. There was no listening, no blending, no balancing; everyone wanted to be the star on stage and no one was sharing the spotlight. The soloist fell back fast, shadowed by the group behind her. The VP then took center-stage and made it her show (all while rushing the tempo, causing chaos) and then…an abrupt halt to disappointing piece. Take a chill-pill…and focus on why you are in the group…then and only then can you make it worth something. If these girls don’t work together to rock, they’ll struggle competition after competition and always be in 3rd, always be almost there.
My pick of the set—“Where I Stood.” Delicate and striking. You don’t always have to rock; beauty is where you want it to be. Songs like this one will win you competitions.
***
So, that’s what I saw (and heard). I’m hoping that this gave you all a little more insight into “what went down” at the ICCA Quarter-Final at Elon this past Saturday. Although, there is one thing that I noticed far and wide that applied to all the groups. The sound. Unfortunately, if your sound guy is “experiencing technical difficulties” or just plain doesn’t know what he’s doing the group might not always sound too great. Some groups, like the Spartones, are able to shrug it off quickly, where as some such as the Blues Tones get shattered with nerves. As well as the sound technician, if the person using the mic doesn’t know what he (or she) is doing, it won’t sound right. One of the first things I did when I started into a cappella was to get to know the equipment I was using. Knowing the difference between a condenser and a dynamic mic at the very least will help in the long run. Knowing how the board works is even better, especially when you have a 10-minute sound check with a technician you’ve never ever met before.
These have been the views of a fellow member of the collegiate a cappella community.