Statistical Findings

Statistical Findings: The Number of New Members in A Cappella Groups

By Mike Chin on February 10, 2011 in Statistical Findings

In the fall of 2010, The A Cappella Blog invited every collegiate a cappella group we could find to participate in a survey. Our objective was to develop a better understanding of current trends in a cappella—what groups are or are not doing and to what degree.

Over 300 groups from across the US and abroad responded to the survey. Throughout our 2010 publication season, we will review results from this survey and talk about what our findings mean. We welcome and encourage groups to look over the information to learn, to benchmark and to satisfy their own curiosity.

This edition’s question: How many new members have joined/do you expect to join your group this year?

One of the biggest differences between collegiate and post-collegiate groups or professional a cappella groups is that a group has to expect roster changes just about every year, and to have a major overhaul at least once every few years. Folks graduate, or transfer, or just plain move on to something else. With luck, the group lives on. and so, it’s little surprise that over 98 percent of groups reported that they welcome are welcoming at least one new group member into the fold this year.

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Just under 85 percent of groups reported that they expected one to six new members to join their groups this year. This indicates that groups are seeing some movement, and that there is enough of a body of auditionees at colleges and universities to support new membership in almost every group. There’s a steep drop off, however, once we consider groups that are welcoming seven or more new members this year. And so, while there are people interested in joining a cappella just based on sheer lack of open spots, there are surely a lot of good singers getting turned away.

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Beyond talent levels, of course, groups are looking to fill holes and find unique voices. Depending on who graduates—all of a group’s tenors, the vocal percussionist—there are going to be specific needs to be met. Meanwhile, a young woman who can sing bass, or a guy who can nail the high notes is probably always going to be a hot commodity, and folks with all-star solo potential are likely to find themselves a home somewhere. All of this, and we’re not even scraping the surface of personality types—a significant factor for some groups’ selection processes.

In summary, the vast majority of groups are welcoming new members this year, but most can afford to be selective enough to only let in four to six people, or fewer.

Statistical Findings: How Often Do A Cappella Groups Perform?

By Mike Chin on January 31, 2011 in Statistical Findings

In the fall of 2010, The A Cappella Blog invited every collegiate a cappella group we could find to participate in a survey. Our objective was to develop a better understanding of current trends in a cappella—what groups are or are not doing and to what degree.

Over 300 groups from across the US and abroad responded to the survey. Throughout our 2010 publication season, we will review results from this survey and talk about what our findings mean. We welcome and encourage groups to look over the information to learn, to benchmark and to satisfy their own curiosity.

This edition’s question: On average, how often does your group perform during the school year?

One thing is for certain—collegiate a cappella groups keep a busy schedule! Of the groups surveyed, just over 72 percent performed two to three times a month or more frequently, with over 29 percent performing one or more times in the average week.

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It would appear that the concept of an a cappella group preparing for just one semesterly show have passed, in favor of the increasingly popular recurring shows—weekly arch sings, pregame tailgate shows, and the like. What’s more, as the general awareness and cool factor of a cappella groups grows, more groups are getting invitations (or getting taken seriously when they invite themselves) to perform at events all around campus. There’s all of this on top of travel shows and competitions.

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The upshot of this is that, to keep their acts fresh, today’s a cappella groups need to learn music at a faster clip, or otherwise find ways of keeping their performances fresh and engaging for audiences that will hear them multiple times in a given month.

Statistical Findings: Are A Cappella Groups Registered Student Organizations?

By Mike Chin on January 24, 2011 in Statistical Findings

In the fall of 2010, The A Cappella Blog invited every collegiate a cappella group we could find to participate in a survey. Our objective was to develop a better understanding of current trends in a cappella—what groups are or are not doing and to what degree.

Over 300 groups from across the US and abroad responded to the survey. Throughout our 2010 publication season, we will review results from this survey and talk about what our findings mean. We welcome and encourage groups to look over the information to learn, to benchmark and to satisfy their own curiosity.

This edition’s question: Is your group an official/registered group at your school?

Just about gone are the days of a cappella groups that exist outside the realm of school governance and policy Of the groups surveyed, over 93 percent indicated they were registered student organizations.

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This is probably with good reason. After all, with official recognition comes all sorts of rights and perks, often including the ability to reserve rehearsal and performance space on campus, the ability to borrow equipment like mics and speakers, and more opportunities to legally publicize upcoming shows and CD releases through flyers and online announcements. What’s more, when it comes to the bottom line, a number schools will afford small budgets to their student groups—a great way to offset the costs of performance, recording and travel.

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And what of groups that exist on the fringe—outside school jurisdiction? They’re free to sing where and what they want, okay to pursue for-profit ventures however they see fit, and less susceptible to formal consequences should they throw a party with some less than kosher activity. These groups do still exist (and surely a number of recognized official groups are taking part in some of the above anyway) but are becoming all the more fringe, with just under four percent of groups self-identifying as independent.

Statistical Findings: How many groups are competing?

By Mike Chin on January 17, 2011 in Statistical Findings

In the fall of 2010, The A Cappella Blog invited every collegiate a cappella group we could find to participate in a survey. Our objective was to develop a better understanding of current trends in a cappella—what groups are or are not doing and to what degree.

Over 300 groups from across the US and abroad responded to the survey. Throughout our 2010 publication season, we will review results from this survey and talk about what our findings mean. We welcome and encourage groups to look over the information to learn, to benchmark and to satisfy their own curiosity.

This edition’s question: How many times has your group competed in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella over the last four years?

Of the groups surveyed, more than half had not competed in the ICCAs in the last four years. There’s a pretty wide array of reasons why this may be the case. For one thing, the survey failed to distinguish between those groups that had applied to compete and didn’t make the cut, and those who did not compete solely based upon choice. There are only so many spots available for live competition, and so it’s reasonable to think that a percentage of these groups tried to compete and were not able to do so.

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These numbers are also indicative of the number of new groups in collegiate a cappella. As they find their footing in the a cappella scene, intercollegiate competition will be the last thing on the minds of many groups—they haven’t thought of it, and perhaps haven’t even heard of Varsity Vocals in their nascent state. Moreover, tying to the groups that have tried to compete but not yet been accepted, there are new groups that are probably not yet at a level at which they feel comfortable competing.

I’ve talked with a number of collegiate a cappella performers who aren’t keen on competition because their groups have other foci. Successfully competing tends to mean whittling down a group’s catalog and focusing almost exclusively on three-to-five songs to bring to the ICCAs. This limits the new material a group will learn, opportunities to perform on campus, opportunities to tour, or developing enough content for a recording. Simply put, competition just isn’t some groups’ cups of tea.

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Of the remaining almost 40 percent of groups that had participated in competition, less than six percent had competed in every one of the last four years. of the last four years. This suggests that some groups will compete, but don’t want to devote the time and effort to it every year. Otherwise, there are likely groups that do not have a positive experience in competition, and opt not to go back after the first time, or, conversely, that are so successful in one outing that they don’t feel a need to prove anything in future ICCAs.

This data indicates that, although the ICCAs remain one of the most exciting parts of the collegiate a cappella scene, fewer than half of today’s active groups are participating with any regularity.

Statistical Findings: How Big are A Cappella Groups?

By Mike Chin on January 10, 2011 in Statistical Findings

In the fall of 2010, The A Cappella Blog invited every collegiate a cappella group we could find to participate in a survey. Our objective was to develop a better understanding of current trends in a cappella—what groups are or are not doing and to what degree.

Over 300 groups from across the US and abroad responded to the survey. Throughout our 2010 publication season, we will review results from this survey and talk about what our findings mean. We welcome and encourage groups to look over the information to learn, to benchmark and to satisfy their own curiosity.

This edition’s question: How many members are in your group?

Of the groups surveyed, almost 60 percent had 11-15 members, and over 88 percent had 11-20. The message here: less isn’t necessarily more; but groups do recognize that they need to set a ceiling.

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Having between ten and twenty members, and more exactly ten to fifteen gives a group enough members to cover all parts, and have backups for solos and percussionists if someone gets sick or falls by the wayside. It lends a group enough people to create a big sound, while still having few enough of people that it’s not difficult to reign things in for a moment of pianissimo.

Mid-sized groups also have an advantage when it comes to visual presentation. When a group of fewer than ten collegiate performers try to work the stage, they often come off as undermanned—there’s too much empty space. Conversely, when groups of 20 or more try to choreograph, the results are often unintentionally comedic, and come across like the opening number from a musical. Mid-sized groups can strike just the right balance to keep things interesting and orderly, and not overwhelm the audience.

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Lastly, on a practical note, a mid-sized group is good for group dynamics. It offers up enough people that members can offer up a finite number of different perspectives, and need not get sick of one another socially. Meanwhile, 20 people more or less marks a maximum after which point groups are really going to struggle to schedule regular rehearsals, much less performances or travel plans.

For all of these reasons, and surely more, most a cappella groups are settling in the mid-sized range.

Statistical Findings: Are A Cappella Groups Recording?

By Mike Chin on January 6, 2011 in Statistical Findings

In the fall of 2010, The A Cappella Blog invited every collegiate a cappella group we could find to participate in a survey. Our objective was to develop a better understanding of current trends in a cappella—what groups are or are not doing and to what degree.

Over 300 groups from across the US and abroad responded to the survey. Throughout our 2010 publication season, we will share results from this survey and talk about what our findings mean. We welcome and encourage groups to look over the information to learn, to benchmark and to satisfy their own curiosity.

This edition’s question: How many CDs has your group recorded in the last four years?

Of the groups surveyed, over 80 percent had recorded at least one CD in the last four years, and nearly half had recorded more than one. So what does this mean? Today’s collegiate a cappella groups are recording.

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This probably shouldn’t come as a surprise. As recording technology and develops and becomes more accessible, and the internet makes the world smaller, it’s easier and cheaper to record a CD than ever before. And while professional producers and studios are doing well, groups that operate on a budget have more do-it-yourself options than they have in the past. Moreover, the marketplace to sell recordings has only grown.

All of this is good news for the a cappella consumer. There’s a wider selection of recordings to choose from and with today’s equipment and editing software, the prospect of a bunch of amateurs singing into a computer mic doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to end up with atrocious sound quality.

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For a cappella groups, the figures here suggest a need to innovate and excel. When this many groups are putting out this many CDs, groups have to ask themselves how their recordings are going to be different. How will they establish an identity through song selection? Is it going to be worthwhile to shell out for an established name like Bill Hare to manage the recording process? What will or will not translate from live performance to a recording studio?

Of course, not every group is driven by CD sales or CARA nominations. A lot of groups just want to put together a “yearbook” album to commemorate a year of good friendships and good music.

Whatever the purpose, CD recording is most definitely on the rise.

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