How Big are A Cappella Groups?

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.

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.

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.