Acappology, one of N.C. State’s coed a cappella groups, will host its spring concert after almost a year-long hiatus at 7 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday in the Hunt Library auditorium.
Last May, the group lost most of its members to graduation and began what Jessica Lucas, a senior communication-public relations and president of Acappology, called “a rebuilding year.”
“On top of nearly everyone graduating, we were all so busy,” Lucas said. “When we got back to school after summer break, we realized we had a lot of catching up to do.”
According to Lucas, even scheduling day performances was challenging.
“It’s a miracle we can even get together to rehearse,” Lucas said. “Imagine scheduling a weekly group project meeting with 14 people.”
Though faced with a much younger group, a lost performance space as a result of the closing of Stewart Theater and a newer, more challenging set list, Lucas said Acappology didn’t just lie low.
“We really made the best of it all,” Lucas said. “The group really came together even though four of us had never been in any kind of a cappella group.”
Between Nov. 2 and Nov. 4, Acappology competed in the 10th Annual SoJam A Cappella Festival in Raleigh. According to Lucas, the group dedicated most of its rehearsal time this semester to perfecting its music set for the festival.
“SoJam, it’s a pretty huge deal in the A cappella community,” Lucas said. “We knew it would be a lot of work but that we were up to the challenge. It gave us an opportunity to grow as a group and really work to something substantial. We learned … we learned a lot.”
Though there are four a cappella groups at N.C. State, to Lucas, Acappology stands out among the rest.
“That’s a fairly biased opinion, but I think all groups on campus have personality of their own — they’re all different from each other,” Lucas said. “Some of what sets us apart is our music style. We do literally all genres, from country to dubstep.”
The group also defies “a cappella norm” in the way they arrange pieces. Some song arrangements come from a single member, but most arrangements are the result of collaborative arrangement sessions.
“I don’t know of any other group that does it this way,” Lucas said. “With us, we all just sit around and make it up as we go. One person will start with the melody and each part just builds from there.”
This style of arranging, Lucas said, caters to each member’s voice and specific talents.
The concert is not just a way to show off this year’s hard work, but the work of years past. Acappology recently released an EP with all new music. Lucas said this was a factor in deciding on the two-night performance.
“Since we didn’t have a fall concert, we wanted to make this one really big,” Lucas said. “Since we’ve released the EP, we haven’t been able to celebrate with anyone.”
According to Lucas, audiences can expect a mix of covers, including Miranda Lambert’s “Gunpowder and Lead,” The Beatles’ “All My Lovin’” and “Warzone” by The Wanted.
The group plans to feature a few new songs as well as bring back some “old favorites.”
There will also be a series of guest groups each night. On Saturday, N.C. State’s Wolfgang and the UNC-Greensboro Spartones will join Acappology, and Sunday’s groups will be Elon’s Twisted Measure and Raleigh’s Cognitive Resonance.
The inclusion of guest groups expands the repertoire and allows audiences to get a broader sense of what a cappella groups can do. According to Lucas, the group has high hopes for the future and for this weekend’s concerts.
“It’s a different venue, but it’ll still be a fun concert,” Lucas said. “We’ve waited a long time for this and we’re really excited to be able to show what we’ve been working on all year.”
