A cappella singing groups are often thought to be as much of a standard on college campuses as Greek life and sleeping students in the back of lecture halls.
This year, the quarterfinals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Capella are taking place at Slee Hall on Saturday night. Competing in the event will be UB's own all female a cappella group, The Royal Pitches.
Sophomore music performance major and Pitch Gretchen Gustafson said UB students should be interested in the show said
"I think the competition will give people at UB a chance to see some of the a cappella talent that our school has," Gustafson said.
In addition to the Pitches, UB's Buffalo Chips will be hosting the event and performing in between the competing acts. Each group that is competing will perform three songs for a panel of judges.
The competition for the Pitches includes groups from Cornell, Villanova, Swarthmore College, University of Connecticut and SUNY Albany.
The result of the competition will be two of the groups advancing to the semifinal round. Last year, the Pitches were one of these two groups. This distinction is an undeniable credit to the hard work and talent of the group.
The Pitches set includes songs by Lauryn Hill, Sheryl Crow and Jill Scott. Each song's arrangement was created by the group and consists of beatbox percussion, bass lines, harmonies and a soloist.
Since 1997 the Royal Pitches have offered fall and spring concerts in addition to various fund raising events for the UB community. Each year as senior members graduate, prospective new members are auditioned in the fall.
This ICCA quarterfinal marks the second year that the group will be competing for a chance to be ranked among the top collegiate a cappella groups of the country. The competition takes place at Slee Hall on Saturday night at 8 pm.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
