The UNC Achordants

The Achordants are an elite all-male group out of the University of North Carolina  at Chapel Hill. Achordants Music Director Andrew DiMartino took the time to answer questions from our own Mike C.

The A Cappella Blog (ACB): In 2007, The Achordants won their ICCA quarterfinal, and moved on to finish second in the South region semifinals. Looking past last year, The Achordants have a strong history in competition, including a trip to the ICCA finals in 2005. What have these accomplishments mean to the group? What did the group learn from their experiences in competition? How has competition affected the nature of the group?

Andrew DiMartino (AD): The accomplishments of the group in 2005 and in 2007 were very special indeed.  Most importantly, our successes have verified and legitimized the amount of work we put in to these competitions; many long hours, for example, have been put into perfecting the choreography of 2005's "Brandy" and the intricate harmonies in "Hide and Seek" performed in 2007.  Our trip to ICCA finals in 2005 was considerably significant because we were such a young group and had grown substantially in such a short time.

Preparing for these competitions has allowed us to grow as a group as well as on a personal level.  Although the group benefited in several ways from competing, it did not alter our overarching goal: to provide quality music for the community and for our supporters.  We are always driven and motivated, although having a tangible goal like succeeding at ICCA competitions sometimes gives us an added incentive to focus hard on our music.  Though competing has proven to be an enriching experience for us, we have decided not to enter ICCA this year and instead to focus on producing our next album and cater to our fan base at UNC.

ACB: What can listeners expect from your upcoming CD, which you are currently featuring tracks from on MySpace?

AD: Our current listeners should be very excited about our latest CD, "High-Stakes Old Maid."  It features several Achordants fan favorites, including "Such Great Heights," "Carry On My Wayward Son," and "Hide and Seek."  It is the embodiment of our musical work from about 2005 to 2007, so it spans a wide range of Achordants singers and songs.  We pride ourselves in releasing tracks that are carefully mixed to sound natural and believable.  We are proud of how we sound in a live setting and want our studio tracks to reflect this in their final releases.

There's some more information about "High-Stakes Old Maid" at our website: www.achordants.com.

ACB: How have the newest members of the Achordants integrated into the group? What do they add to the ensemble?

AD: We have accepted six new Achordants in the past four months, and could not be more pleased with their progress.  They are fast learners with exceptional blend, tone, and intonation - and this is important as the group is undergoing a significant transition period.  I am proud to say that they will grow to become the future of the group.

ACB: Describe a typical Achordants 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?

AD: The Achordants rehearse five hours a week plus an additional hour before each performance, large or small.  Rehearsals are, of course, meant to help the group learn and perfect its music.  However, rehearsal should also be a time to let the group grow on a personal level (after all, the closer a group is emotionally, the closer it will be musically).  That's why we always make sure that although practice can be long and intense, there's always room for some goofing around. Case in point:  just last week, we decided to sing our arrangement of Muse's "Starlight" at a tempo twice as fast as we were used to.  Sure, it helped keep our minds sharp, but we all found ourselves in hysterics by the midpoint of the song because it was so ridiculous.  I'm convinced that without that kind of stuff, the Achordants could not successfully operate.

Before big performances or competition, we are usually already pretty musically sound.  At that point, it's all about polishing our performance.  We need to constantly remind ourselves to play to the audience and convey our enthusiasm outward.  It is our ambition to consistently provide high-energy entertainment for our listeners.  I think that's what separates us from many collegiate a cappella groups.

ACB: What is the audition process like for The Achordants?

AD: We run a pretty standard audition process.  This traditionally entails two days of first-round auditions, which usually attracts about 40 singers.  We then standardly whittle that number down to around 6-8 singers that we'd like to hear again (this process is always difficult because there is always so much available talent).  We hold a round of callbacks for these singers, and then decide which candidates would fit the mold of our group.  Note that we do not choose to fill quotas; rather, we choose whoever we feel will become an asset to the group as a whole.

In terms of audition mechanics, we usually warm up each singer to gain a general understanding of his vocal range.  We then listen to his solo of choice, and finish off by testing his musical ear with some tonal exercises.  Callbacks run essentially the same way, but we also invite them to sing with the group to hear how they blend, and at the end we have a brief discussion to get to know each candidate better.

ACB: What would you say is the most important element to having a successful collegiate a cappella group?

AD: Enthusiasm.  You cannot survive as an a cappella group unless you are excited to sing.  The more fun a group has performing, the more fun the audience will have.  I think you see too many a cappella groups these days that are musically sound but emotionally empty.  Having a strong personality will establish a positive presence on your campus and beyond.

ACB: What drew you, personally, to collegiate a cappella in the first place?

AD:  Collegiate a cappella is charming, goofy, and a heck of a lot of fun.  I knew this way before I got to college.  However, not all a cappella groups are the same, and it was important to me that I found the group on my campus that most embodied what I feel a cappella is all about.  It took me a whole semester to make up my mind, and in the end, I only auditioned for one group. Our campus has many a cappella groups, but only one group for me: The Achordants.

If you would like to learn more about the Achordants, you can visit them online at http://www.achordants.com.