Prepare yourselves. I know this is usually a metal/hard rock blog, but everyone needs a little variety.
So, I have a somewhat secret love for a capella music, and my ever famous “musical background” that all my friends make fun of incorporated quite a bit of singing without background music.
I don’t get the chance to listen to it often, but my wife and I stumbled upon a show the other night called The Sing Off, (which screams “how can we make money like American Idol?”). It was “hip-hop” night, which immediately made me gag just a smidge. The first couple we watched were marginal, but the third group was five 19- and 20-year olds that call themselves “Pentatonix”. And they absolutely blew me away, so I thought I’d share my thoughts.
There are so many musical elements in this that are so good and it shows the power of music if its done well. I’ll throw out a few things to listen for as you watch. It starts with a really cool arrangement of a song by Kanye West (the original is absolutely terrible, by the way). And then the 5 people who sing it are just all incredible at what they do.
The best part of the performance is the two bass singers who do the beat. When I watched it on my TV, my house was literally shaking from the bass coming out of my surround sound speakers. Their pitch was spot on, and they gave the song a real raw feel that really laid the framework. Coming from a lifetime Tenor II, the bass section in this is incredible. (Sounds a lot better if you use headphones).The guy who does sing tenor does a really nice job, and does this cool violin sound on a descending scale that harmonizes with the lead that was really unique and interesting. The lead guy has an incredible voice but knows how to hold back so he doesn’t overpower the harmony behind him. Also, listen to how flawlessly the female voice integrates into the musical part. Mixing male/female vocals is often something that is awkward in a small a capella group, but she sounds great here.
Finally, they use a couple musical elements, like well-placed rests and perfect dynamics (loud and soft) to keep the song interesting. They even use some slight choreography to give it an added component of emotion. All in all – just a really cool a capella performance. This may not be your cup of tea, but musically, its spot on.
Cheers!