Courtesy A Cappology
An N.C. State a cappella group, Acappology, shares not only a passion for singing, but a friendship and bond that has become almost as important. As the first co-ed a cappella group on N.C. State’s campus, Acappology members take both the art of a cappella and their close bond seriously.
“The social aspect is a bonus,” Sean Brown, a sophomore in English and member of Acappology, said. “A lot of people enjoy the social aspect as much, if not more than the musical part.”
Acappology is a social event for members, an event they look forward to.
“I’ve been aching to get back to Acappology for the entire summer,” Brown said.
The members of the group come from all musical backgrounds. According to Acappology veteran Ann Burke, a senior in communication, she has been “singing since I came out of the womb.”
All members share one common passion — the art of singing.
“You hear every single song and you think of it as a song first, and then in terms of a cappella,” said Brown.
Burke has been a member of Acappology for her entire college career. She now is the group’s self-proclaimed “PR guru” and handles all the planning and managing for the group.
While most might not have a strict a cappella background, many have been singing for years, if not their entire lives.
“When I got into a cappella, I saw a different dimension to what a song is,” Brian Watts, co-director of Acappology and a senior in chemistry and physics, said. “I slowly started seeing how it came together.”
Members of the group said they draw musical inspiration from one another.
“Musical influences come from all different areas,” Brown said. “People in the group tend to like all different types of music. The diversity of our tastes makes it easy to triangulate different songs.”
For Brown, singing is almost therapeutic. He said singing is a good way to let out whatever one has bottled up inside.
“I actually was a founding member of an a cappella group at my high school,” Brown, a Chapel Hill High School alumnus, said. “I just decided that we needed an a cappella at our school.”
During the course of the year, Acappology performs at different events around campus. It is guaranteed at least one event per semester and one Unity performance a year, in which all of the seven a cappella groups on campus put on a single big event.
“Our semester concerts are where we showcase what we have done that semester and where we debut new music,” Burke said.
Its latest CD was released in 2001 and is titled “Will Sing for Food.” It is also in the process of releasing another one, hopefully by this year.
“It varies how many events we do,” Burke said. “We do the semester ones and Unity; those are set and others pop up during the year.”
Acappology’s past gigs include Parents’ Weekend, events for the Alumni Association and Spring Fling. They have also been guest singers for several schools, such as the UNCG Spartones and UNC-Chapel Hill Cadence.
Tickets run from about $3-5. The revenues help support the group; they are used toward recording and studio time, as well as toward group retreats.
“Easily, my favorite concert is the spring concert — I think because we did a lot promotion for it,” Brown said. “I think that was out best concert musically and in terms of energy.”
SoJam is another annual event that members attend as well. It is an event to expand their a cappella knowledge through workshops. The event also features other collegiate groups.
At auditions, existing members do look for certain criteria.
“We look for a good ear, someone that blends well with our group and someone who has a fun personality,” Burke said.
“The bottom line is that this is the most fun that I have had in an organization,” said Brown. “I would recommend it to anyone who is trying to sing, other than the choral department.”
While members say this group is a lot of fun, it is a big-time commitment and should be taken seriously.
“You have to be able to flexible and punctual,” Brown said, referring to the practice and rehearsal duties.
Despite the full-time commitment, members agree that this is the best opportunity they have been awarded at NCSU.