Sounds of the Season: Penn State's A Capella Group

Photo: Penn State


It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Holidays, time with family, and most importantly: Music. At Penn State Main Campus, in University Park, Pennsylvania, you can catch their amazing a capella group at the beginning and end of each semester, it’s something that you definitely will not want to miss!
The a capella group is a group of students from a wide variety of majors and backgrounds who all have one thing in common, a passion for music. They’re ultimate goal is to be a creative outlet for everyone involved, especially those who aren’t typically involved in music or performing arts aside from the group. The group is composed of all students, with one advisor, who helps with logistics (applying for funding, etc), helps advertise, and is “just overall lovely and supportive, treating us all like we’re her own family” said Haley Casperson, the director of the group. 
The group is comprised of multiple soloists, who are determined at rehearsals via auditions. A song is selected by a committee, which is then assigned to a soloist, and they are then asked to sing a segment of the song in front of the whole group. After that, all auditioning soloists are asked to leave the room and the rest of the group makes the final decision, often asking soloists to return and sing their part again, and then voting. All soloists are announced when they are called back into the room.
The members of the song selection committee give and take suggestions of songs they want to do and the other members vote if they are or are not in favor of the song. The main goal is to choose the songs that receive the most votes from committee members
This semester’s setlist and soloists were:
  1. Lost in Japan-Will Searight
  2. What a Time- Melissa Agaba, Amanda Walton
  3. Fa La La (Composed as a group)- John Sauter, Maggie Bond, Melissa Agaba, Amanda Walton.
  4. Hard Times- Cheyanne Walker
  5. Talia- Amanda Walton
  6. Electric Love- Haley Casperson
  7. All These Things I’ve Done- Avery LeVan
  8. 21 Pilots Medley- Melissa Agaba, John Sauter, Will Searight, Cheyanne Walker.
  9. This Could Be The Start of Something Big(Barbershop quartet)- Turner Queen, Mitchell Range, Johnny Tran, Will Searight.
  10. Almost  (Sweet Music)- Turner Queen
  11.  Fire and the Flood- Mitchell Range
  12. Armor- Haley Casperson
  13. Hustle- Carrie McMahon (Encore)
This past Saturday, December 7th, 2019, the group put their first show of the semester at the Penn State University auditorium. All concerts are open to the public, at no charge!





*Special thank you to Avery LeVan and the Penn State Acapella Group.


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