Between local gigs and large-scale competitions, this group is looking to take its music to the next level.
Wolfgang A Cappella, as the name suggests, is a coed a cappella group. Active at NC State since 1997, the group holds a concert on campus every semester, and also participate in competitions throughout the year.
“We’d like to set ourselves apart from other a cappella groups at NC State,” said Angela Hoyt, a fourth-year studying chemistry and environmental technology and management. “We are a collective of very different people. We all have our different tastes in music, and we come together and honor all of those differences instead of just putting it aside, we try to bring in our passions and all of our musical influences to make something inspirational and something that everyone can enjoy.”
Though members may come and go between semesters, the members of Wolfgang share a unique bond with one another.
“We are a family, and I really think that it’s because of that musical, emotional aspect that lets us bond emotionally, and it’s not just spending all of that time together, but it’s having those moments where we hang out and we live together,” said Katie Hazel, a third-year studying psychology. “We’ll spend hours every week preparing for competitions, where we’ll go over all of our moves and sounds. We’re just performing for 12 minutes, and all of these weeks add up to those 12 minutes of performing and competing.”
Last year, the group released a single, titled “Devil’s Backbone,” and are currently in the process of fundraising for and recording a full album, which they hope to release later this year.
“In this past semester, I don’t think we’ve really slacked off from the fun aspect of it, but we’ve still managed to put together a pretty solid set, probably the best that Wolfgang has done so far,” said Matt Wyant, a second-year studying engineering.
The group also performs at local venues and events across the Raleigh-Durham area.
“We generally really like Local Vocal, it’s an event we’ve sung at over in Durham, and we’re always well-received there.” Wyant said.
Though their practices, gigs and competitions may take up a lot of time, the singers in the group find fun in their work and carry themselves with their passion for music.
“It can be stressful, but it’s a lot of fun,” said Emanuel Lirag, a second-year studying communication. “Normally, we rehearse two and a half hours, three times a week, which is actually less than every other group here, but when competition season rolls around, we might be the ones rehearsing the most. The whole week before our last competition, there was a practice almost every day.”
In preparation for competitions, the group meticulously fine-tunes their vocals and develops choreography for each of the pieces they perform. In their most recent competition, the quarterfinals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella 2018, the group found success and will be moving on to the semifinal round later this month.
“I think we’re really starting to become more competitive,” Hoyt said. “In the past, we’ve been more gig-focused and fun-focused, but now we really want to be competitive, and we’re seeing that it’s a possibility.”
For many members, this iteration of the ICCA is not their first, though each consecutive year of the competition sets forth a unique tone, with all new songs and ever-evolving choreography.
“I’ve competed in three ICCA competitions so far, and it’s changed so dramatically over the years,” Hoyt said. “It started off very simple — arrangements weren’t as complex, dance moves were just one big move with lot of arm waving. Over the years, it’s gotten extremely competitive. It takes a lot of time, and you’ve got to show the audience that you put a lot of time in and we do every year.”
For more information about the group, the group has a website. They can also be found on social media at @ncsuwolfgang on Instagram and Twitter as well as at their Facebook group page.
