Key Change

For a school with a thriving a cappella presence, home to some of the most well-known collegiate groups in the nation, there is surprisingly scant information to be found at Tufts about what being in such a group entails. We hear about upcoming performances, albums, tours and community service collaborations, but that’s just the tip of the a capella iceberg. There is a lot more that goes into what you see on stage or hear on iTunes, and considering the explosive growth of collegiate a cappella around the country in the past decade, it seems like a good time to reveal some of the inner workings of a cappella to the uninitiated.

A capella is no longer dominated by the dorky New England elite; it’s a global phenomenon. "Pitch Perfect" (2012) lampoons a cappella stereotypes and college tropes, telling the story of a stagnant a cappella group, the Barden Bellas, that faces stiff competition from the quasi-Beelzebubs, the Treblemakers, and is driven to abandon their outdated song choices and stiff choreography in order to keep up. Amidst the silly antics, the film gets across one serious idea: that the a cappella scene is going through an unprecedented transformation.

In this new era, one of the most disheartening criticisms of an a cappella group is being labeled “generic,” meaning energy-deficient performances, tired arrangements or resorting to a cappella clichés like using anything by Coldplay. In an increasingly saturated market, groups have to move past rehashing top 40 hits and look for something new to bring to the table, including sifting through new genres or music from other cultures. Tufts’ diversity of groups is no longer a rarity, as the college a capella scene becomes increasingly multicultural, creating an environment for groups such as University of Pennsylvania’s PennYo (Chinese pop) and University of Southern California’s Asli Baat (South Asian/Western fusion) to thrive.

Now more than ever, the responsibility of carrying a song rests upon a strong soloist. Audiences want to focus on one voice at a time and take in its distinct tone quality, along with a little extra flair that shows the soloist making that solo line their own. The soloist must execute their performance with high energy and personality without making noticeable errors or losing focus; that’s no small task. The rest of the group has the job of setting everything up to bring out the best in that chosen individual’s voice, so the group's focus is primarily on maintaining balance. A strong soloist on top of simple block chord backing vocals alone can take a group far.

With so many developments in recent years, the path of a fledgling a cappella group to recognition and acclaim seems ever more winding. At the same time, there has never been a better time to be a new a cappella group. A capella is cool, fast-moving and it has a vast audience; people love seeing other people having fun singing their hearts out. That’s one thing that will never change.