Event Preview: SoJam X

The weekend of November 2-4 will mark the tenth annual SoJam a cappella festival. Over the years, SoJam has become the Contemporary A Cappella Society’s signature event, and one of the best-known occurrences on the a cappella calendar. So what will those who attend SoJam 2012 hear?

College Competition
Friday, November 2, will see six college groups compete. This year boasts a new elimination format. Each group will sing one song in round one. Four groups advance to round two, at which point each will sing one more sing, with a particular emphasis on visual performance. Round three calls for each of the three remaining groups to deliver its most innovative performance. And then there’s round four, in which the final two groups will each get to perform two songs for the chance to take home the gold.

The evening’s competitors include more than a few high profile names. The Vanderbilt University Melodores, who won the ICCA Wild Card in 2011, will bring their in-your-face style to the stage. The Northeastern University Nor’easters, who have steadily risen to the top of northeastern a cappella with back-to-back years of placement in the ICCA Northeast Semifinals, will make the trip south. Then there’s North Carolina State Acappology, returning to SoJam after an electrifying performance at the same show in 2011 and a stellar run in the ICCA South this past spring. The University of South Carolina Cocktails also made an impressive showing at SoJam 2011, and are coming into this competition on the heels of remarkable medley-mashup set at this past spring’s SingStrong in Washington DC. All-female Nothin’ but Treble will make the trip from The University of Georgia. Rounding out the competitors is University of Colorado Denver Mix (newly renamed from UCD 6), a group that qualified for the ultra-competitive ICCA West Semifinals this past spring.

Professional Showcase
Saturday, November 3, will see two top notch professional groups perform at SoJam.

There’s this really good quintet that’s been making the rounds this year. Maybe you’ve heard of them: Pentatonix? Yes, it’s true, quite arguably the hottest a cappella act in the US today, the champions of The Sing-Off season three, Pentatonix will perform live at SoJam.

Also performing: Fork. This Finnish foursome came together in the late 1990s, and boast a wildly original, inventive take on a cappella, unlike anything most of us have heard stateside.

Workshops and Sessions
Per tradition, SoJam Saturday will include workshops and classes from a remarkable slate of a cappella experts. This year’s roster of presenters includes Tom Anderson, Lo Barreiro, Ben Bram, Alli Brooks, Chris Crawford, Rob Dietz, Michael Eldredge, Alex Green, Erin Hackel, Bill Hare, Mark Hines, Alex Koutzoukis, Dave Longo, Chris Rishel, Corey Slutsky, Dave Sperandio, Florian Stadtler, Ben Stevens, Eric Talley, Tat Tong, and many more tremendously well-informed, successful folks from the world of a cappella.

For more information about SoJam, you can check out the official site and like the festival on Facebook.