A cappella is music specifically arranged for group or solo singing without instrumental accompaniment.
This style of vocal performance originally got its start in religious settings, but over the last few years, it has become a popular musical trend. One reason for this leap in popularity is shows and movies like “Glee”and “Pitch Perfect,” which helped integrate the style into popular culture.
In the early years of the 20th century, a cappella originally gained popularity with barbershop quartets. These groups would sing four-part harmonies and usually dress in matching suits when they performed.
It was not until the 1960s and 70s that a cappella groups started to perform more popular songs. A cappella groups can now be found at many colleges and universities in the United States and, increasingly, worldwide.
The University of Tennessee currently has three different a cappella groups: ReVOLution, VOLume and VOLT. ReVOLution, which was founded in 2010, is an all-women group that specializes in singing contemporary favorites. VOLume, founded in 2009, is an all-men group that also sings contemporary a cappella.
This is the first year that the first coed a cappella group, VOLT, has been introduced to UT. Altogether, there are 13 singers, six males and seven females. Since they are a brand new choir, this first semester has been more about developing the group than about performing.
The idea of VOLT was conceived of by musical director, McKinley Merritt. She aspired to start something new and fresh on campus that was available to anyone who loved to sing. Anyone is welcome to audition for the group, no experience is required.
“If you like to sing and are good with other people, then you are welcome to join VOLT,” Jared Sanchez, freshman in theatre and member of VOLT, said.
The group has their first performance coming up on Nov. 14 in Nashville. They will be performing their new pieces, as well as singing in a big finale with the Beltones, a coed a cappella group from Belmont University. Although they only have one trip planned for now, VOLT plans on traveling and competing more in the future.
“My favorite song, personally, that we are working on is “Chains” by Nick Jonas,” Sanchez said. “It was the song we did at call backs, and it is the song that we always can’t wait to do.”
As of right now, the songs that VOLT is working on are all over the board. They are chosen from a variety of genres, ranging from pop to country to R&B. The two main musical directors, McKinley Merritt and Grace Belt, usually pick the set list; however, the singers also have a say in choosing and even arranging the pieces.
“There’s no limit to what kind of music we can sing, and we have already worked on pieces arranged by our very own VOLT members, as well as other members of the collegiate a cappella community,” Brandon Cartagena, VOLT co-secretary, said.
The group has just recently submitted an audition video to the International Championship of Collegiate Acappella, an international competition that provides college singers the opportunity to interact, compete, learn from each other and perform in different venues around the country.
The competition attracts hundreds of a cappella groups every year, and takes place at different venues all over the country; however, the competitors do not get to find out what location they will be competing at until after they get accepted.
The a cappella group practices regularly twice a week, occasionally throwing in another practice when needed. At their practices, the group starts off with vocal warmups, then goes over any new songs they have and run through all of the songs they are working on to try and fix any problems. They end their rehearsals by talking about any announcements or plans they might have for the group.
“It is honestly my favorite part of my week,” Sanchez said. “It is such a positive environment, and I get to do what I love the most, which is singing. We are slowly, but surely, becoming a small family, and that’s not something you always get being in an a cappella group or even a choir.”
