Hartwick College Not So Sharp

Not So Sharp is a mixed group out of Hartwick College, a small liberal arts school in Oneonta, NY. Not Sharp members took the time to answer questions from A Cappella Blog co-founder Mike Chin.

A Cappella Blog (ACB): Given how recently your a cappella group formed (about a year ago), I am interested to learn about how the group started up. How did you recruit members? How much interest was there in a cappella at Hartwick before you got started? What sparked the formation of this group?

Not So Sharp (NSS): Katie MacIntosh and Patch Panzella decided that they wanted to start an a cappella group. They asked a resident director who works at the college, who was also in an a cappella group, for her input. They posted fliers around campus and held open auditions. People had wanted to start an a cappella group for sometime. In the past there had been attempts with faculty advisors, but in the end it never worked.

ACB: What have been some challenges Not So Sharp faced in its formative stages? Are there ongoing challenges based on how new the group still is?

NSS: When the group first formed there were 15 members, making it difficult to learn new music and work together. Scheduling rehearsal and concert times was difficult with that many people, in addition to setting up a group dynamic.

There are still challenges that we face due to the fact that we're a student-run group. It's difficult to look at a peer as an authority figure. Scheduling is also an issue, as well as getting our name out into the community.

ACB: How does your group go about deciding which songs to add to its repertoire? Who is responsible for arrangements?

NSS: In the beginning we were in a crunch with time to choose songs immediately before performances. Due to this, it was basically the songs that could be taught to us the quickest. Now that we have a greater sense of group dynamic, and we vote on songs as a group. Arrangements are made possible by our staff director Andy Schofield. There are also many online sites that offer free arrangements of a cappella music. In addition to that there is a good selection of books containing many different songs arranged for a cappella.

ACB: What elements of a cappella are most important to your group at this time?

NSS: Showmanship, intonation, blending, and having fun while trying to get things done are all things that we're currently working on.

ACB: As a co-ed group, what advantages do you enjoy? What challenges does the nature of the group present?

NSS: Wider chords, a wider variety of songs due to the group being a mixed group. While there is a greater variety of music, it also adds more drama to the group. One problem we face is balance because there are so many more girls than boys.

ACB: Describe a typical Not So Sharp rehearsal. How often do you guys practice and what do you do to achieve such success by the time you hit the stage? Do rehearsals change before a big show? Before you guys go into competition?

NSS: We rehearse Sunday and Wednesday nights for two hours. We do our best to stay on track, however sometimes we get off. Before a show, however, stress levels compel us to have more rehearsals to pull everything together. We do everything from siren warm-ups to running around the room to create energy.

If you would like to learn more about Not So Sharp, you can visit them online at http://www.freewebs.com/notsosharp.