TheSpotlight

In 2017, we sat down with the University of California at Los Angeles Signature, a female-identified group on campus there, to talk about their history, what they’ve been working on this school year, and what’s ahead for them. They also sang us some of their current music.

The University of Oregon Divisi has been impressive in a cappella for a long time, and continue to put out great recordings and strong live performances. We talk about how they maintain the quality over time, figure out how their sound is changing, and keep the momentum up. Plus, they sing some of their current songs for us. Recorded in 2017.

While in the Bay Area, we invited Prime Time to join us in the mobile studio to sing some tunes and catch up. It had been a little while since we last spoke with them, so we wanted to find out how the group is evolving, what is ahead, and how things are going. Recorded in 2017.

The UCLA Bruin Harmony have performed in all kinds of fun and interesting settings, taking advantage of their location near Hollywood. We talk about their gigs, their recording plans, and what else is ahead for them. We also recorded them singing some of their music in the mobile studio. Recorded in 2017.

While at the 2017 Bend A Cappella festival, we invited the Barlow Sound from Sam Barlow High School in Portland, Oregon to join us in the mobile studio. They talked about the different challenges in performing contemporary a cappella music vs. other styles, and sang us some tunes.

The Scattertones are one of those groups that you just know will sound good. They’ve steadily built a reputation over the years for talent and ability, and they demonstrated it when they sang in our mobile studio. We also talked with them about continuous growth, and where they’re headed from here. Recorded in 2017.

Merging hip-hop and a cappella can often come off as contrived, or with its edges smoothed off and homogenized. That’s why it was so refreshing to sit with ReMiX from the University of Virginia and hear them keep the energy raw while ensuring their harmonies and rhythms were on point. Hear our conversation and their tunes as they performed for us live. Recorded in 2017.

In 2017, we brought a big group into the mobile studio: the Big Chicken Chorus, a barbershop group from the Atlanta, Georgia area. In addition to singing some tunes for us, they talked about how they are planning and working toward growth, bringing in a new director with some fresh perspectives.

In 2017, we welcomed the women of Shir Harmony into our mobile studio to talk about their experiences in the post-collegiate Jewish a cappella group. We talked about the origins of the ensemble, as well as where they are today and where they might be going next.

While in the area for SoJam, we invited The Graduates into the mobile studio to talk about how they balance their adult lives with the responsibilities of the post-collegiate group, and also about their experiences in the Atlanta area vis-a-vis a cappella. They also sang us some of their music. Recorded in 2017.