The Washington University Amateurs

Interviews

In honor of the 2017 ICCA tournament, The A Cappella Blog pursued short interviews with competing groups to develop insights into why and how groups approach competition, and to get appropriately excited for the tremendous shows ahead of us.

What’s your group name and on what date is your group’s quarterfinal?

The Washington University Amateurs! We're competing on Saturday, February 4th at Washington University.

How long has your group been around? Have you competed before?

The Amateurs were established in the fall of 1991. We have competed in ICCA since 2013.

Why are you competing this year? What does your group hope to accomplish or get out of the experience?

The Amateurs' motto is "we do it because we love it," and our approach towards ICCA is no different. We are competing in ICCA to work together as a group in a competitive context, and create a set that we're proud of and enjoy performing.

How is your group preparing for competition?

We prepare for ICCA with extensive vocal and choreography rehearsals starting in fall semester. We record videos of ourselves in order to evaluate our progress and get a better audience perspective. We also have group workshops to discuss the story that each song tells, and hone the emotions that we want to convey in our performance.

If you were to describe your group, or the set your group is planning for competition with just three words, what would they be?

Three words that describe our set this year: hustling, reflective, and empowering.