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Running head: ACPAELLA SINGING ON THE RISE

Acapella Singing on the Rise

Shelby E. Carver
University of Kentucky

Running head: ACPAELLA SINGING ON THE RISE

Abstract
For my exploring culture assignment I decided to study the Acapella group the AcoUstikats on
the University of Kentuckys campus. They are widely known for their outstanding Acapella and
performance abilities, and may have previously been seen on NBCs the Sing-Off. I was
intrigued by this particular culture, because of the immense growth and popularity of Acapella
singing within the last couple of years. Its really quite phenomenal and I personally was curious
to see what Acapella singing was all about and the amount of work put into it. Although Im not
a part of this culture specifically, its easy for me to relate to the appreciation for making music
vocally as I sang for two choral groups in my high school. However, choir and singing as an
Acapella group is quite different so I wanted to compare and contrast my culture from the
AcoUstikats. My paper not only focuses on Acapella singing but also every aspect that could
possibly go into it such as performance, music, its challenges, and also its immense popularity
growth.
For my third and final draft I made a few slight changes. I wanted my culture essay to be
more personalized, so I added a quote to my conclusion that I used during my speech. It was a
quote I felt summarized that summarized Acapella or the music culture as a whole, and was
something I believe would stick with my audience. I also went back and added some additional
information from my interview. I found that I had originally ran out of time writing my first
final draft that I hadnt had the chance to use all the information that I had wanted to. I made
sure to add what I thought my audience would have found most intriguing and enjoyed during
my culture speech presentation. Otherwise, I didnt tweak too much more. I felt in what I now
have completely written I would be able to fully get my point across in a fun and intriguing way.

Running head: ACPAELLA SINGING ON THE RISE

Acapella Singing on the Rise
Acapella is defined as, Music without instrumental accompaniment everything that
you sing is strictly to your own ability. You have no background music nor do you have any loud
instruments to cover up small mistakes. Its simply yourself or a group of people creating the
music; solely relying on nothing but a pair of vocal chords. Some might find it a little strange,
but those who belong to this culture truly understand the beauty of what we can physically do
with our own voices. Interestingly, it seems more and more people are beginning to take notice
of this culture we know as Acapella singing. People are intrigued that Acapella groups are able
to replicate their favorite music hits, and able to make it sound as if there were actual instruments
used in their performances. Acapella singing is becoming the new age of music and
performance; its entertaining, challenging and thriving in popularity.
History of Acapella
The history of Acapella music dates back to the late 15th Century when it was most
prominently used in different churches throughout Europe. In Italian, the word A Capella
means in the manner of the church or chapel. For Eastern Orthodox cathedrals and monasteries
it is even said, The music is exclusively sung without instrumental accompaniment. (Acapella
2014) Acapella singing seemed to be frequently used in various churches, because many
religiously believed instruments were not to be used in worship. However, its popularity grew
even more in the 19th century when the Renaissance time period came about, and is now at its
peak in the year 2014. Of course in this particular time period Acapella singing is used for many
different things, and the music probably isnt quite the traditional Christian ballad of the 15th or
16th century.

Running head: ACPAELLA SINGING ON THE RISE

Many know Acapella singing to be the typical Barber Shop Quartet. You might picture a
group of four middle aged men singing worn down tunes along with very distinct and drawn out
voice parts. However, what it is that people dont know is that a majority of the Acapella music
we hear today has been focused around college groups across the U.S. The Acapella culture has
been put into the hands and minds of young adults who have transformed Acapella singing and
performance into something the culture has never even been close to being. I for one was lucky
enough to explore this unique culture with a very well-known and thought of group on the
University of Kentuckys campus the AcoUstikats.
Who are the AcoUstikats?
The AcoUstikats were founded in the year of 1993 by Dr. Jefferson Johnson used mainly as a
subsection of the University of Kentuckys mens chorus (listen now). The group was
established as an all-male Acapella ensemble consisting of about 10 men total. Traditionally the
group along with many others sang old school Anthems and classic songs. It wasnt until recent
years that Acapella music exploded with songs ranging from Pop to R&B. Following this new
and exciting trend of vocal singing the AcoUstikats managed to land themselves a s pot on
NBCs TV show The Sing-off in December of 2013. A show in which ten specially chosen
Acapella groups had the chance to compete for a $100,000 prize as well as a Sony Music
Recording Contract (listen now). The groups immense talent and success on the show has
allowed them even more opportunities to sing in a variety of different venues across the country.
After the Sing-off had aired the AcoUstikats were split into two separate groups; the Procats
or professional group and the Schoolcats who perform here at the University of Kentucky as
well as around Lexington, KY. For my culture assignment I was able to interview an AcoUstikat

Running head: ACPAELLA SINGING ON THE RISE

from both the Procat and Schoolcat group and ask them anything they could tell me about
Acapella singing and what it takes to do it and be involved.
Entertainment. First, I decided to take a look at the performance aspect of Acapella
singing. Acapella singing is about entertaining and creating music that fills the hearts of those
youre performing for with joy and sometimes even laughter. You want to be able to perform
music that others know and can sing along to, but is also new and exciting! When interviewing
the two AcoUstikats, Patrick Fiddler and Evan Pulliam, they both agreed its crucial to still sing
the classics but to also choose songs for example from the Top 40 Hits charts or something
along those lines. The audience loves when they can easily recognize a song, and can get their
groove on with you. Its important to have the best and most diverse music arrangements you
can possibly have that way youre able to satisfy everyones musical tastes. Often the
AcoUstikats vote on the music they choose for their performances. Whenever someone has an
idea they bring it to the table and see what the group thinks. Other times they have a guy in their
group, Nick Johnson, who they call their arranger that pieces to together what songs they will
sing and how they will sing them in performances.
The AcoUstikats take good showman ship very seriously, and make sure everything is
memorized and ready to go before stepping out in front of a crowd as they are representing the
University of Kentucky. Whether its being asked to wear a specific outfit for a gig or even just a
performance with the mens chorus here on UKs campus the AcoUstikats are always well
prepared. Sometimes they even break out a few dance moves to spice up a gig they might be
doing, which was something that was seen often while the TV show The Sing-off was
premiering. The audience goes absolutely crazy for it, and overall it just makes a performance
that much better. The AcoUstikats have developed into such an outstanding group of all-male

Running head: ACPAELLA SINGING ON THE RISE

Acapella singers within the past two or three years that they have personally been invited to sing
in different festivals and places across the U.S. such as Los Angeles, Hawaii, North Carolina,
and even Memphis, Tennessee for an annual Graceland celebration.
Challenges. Next, my second step of research was to find out the difficulties or
challenges that Acapella music has. Acapella singing is difficult in that youre relying simply on
your own voice and often the voices of a few others. Not only that but youre also trying to
mesh youre voice with the rest of the groups. During one of my interviews I asked, How
difficult would you say Acapella singing is? and Evan Pulliam replied with, Oh its
ridiculously hard. People dont understand how hard it is. Especially the bigger the group the
harder it becomes, because you not only have to sing with perfect pitch but when you are trying
to sing the same exact pitch as three other guys you also have to blend. Its the exact opposite of
solo singing you have to make it sound like you are all one person. Plus, even if you are a good
singer you might not be a good Acapella singer, because you have to have perfect pitch. You
have to just know rhythm perfectly (Pulliam). Its pretty evident that Acapella singing isnt just
something you pick up quickly it takes a lot of hard work and practice. The Procat that I
interviewed explained to me that it was especially difficult to have an entire group of new guys
trying out to be in the AcoUstikats this year, because they had to see how each and every one
would harmonize and mesh with the group. They had worked so hard for that one unison sound
previously just to have it all messed up again. Plus, with the new guys they had to teach them all
of the old AcoUstikat songs along with the new ones so it became a very time consuming
process.
Another challenge for the group is just memorizing the music as a whole as well as the
amount of time spent practicing or performing for different gigs. For the Schoolcats they

Running head: ACPAELLA SINGING ON THE RISE

practice twice a week for about an hour each time unless they have a gig then they will generally
practice longer (Fiddler). For the Procats since they perform gigs anywhere from 2 to 3 times a
week they practice 4 days minimum for about 2 hours each whether they are learning the music
or simply practicing for a show (Pulliam). Not including the personal time they spend outside of
AcoUstikat practices to do whatever it takes to get their specific vocal part memorized in time
for the shows; as well as the time they spend performing at different gigs over the weekend or
sometimes even during the week.
Popularity. Lastly, Acapella singing has absolutely flourished with popularity in the past
few years. From being featured on highly rated television shows such as Glee and the Office
to the hit movie Pitch Perfect Acapella singing has become globally known. Some might have
previously said that Acapella singing was lame or uncool, but that was only until they realized
the endless possibilities that singing Acapella had to offer. For example, I dont believe it was
really put into perspective until the movie Pitch Perfect came out into theaters in 2012. The
plot was based off a girl named Becca attending her first year of college who found her way
forced into the all-girl Acapella group on her college campus that didnt have the best reputation
for being good or the most popular. However, after realizing she could incorporate her own
music skills as a DJ at a local station on campus she was able to lead her all-girl Acapella group
to the finals competition. They found they could mix the most popular top pop hits with a few
classics into a full Acapella performance along with some extremely goofy dancing to win over
the crowd. After the movie teens and young adults everywhere had a completely different view
of what Acapella was actually all about. It really could be anything you wanted it to be! Acapella
singing has become the new and unique way of producing music that people of all ages has come
to love and admire.

Running head: ACPAELLA SINGING ON THE RISE

Stereotypes. Moreover, because of the rise in popularity the AcoUstikats have become
well known on the University of Kentuckys campus as well as a huge representation of the
school besides something other than Wildcat basketball (Pulliam). Theyve been able to make
themselves known across the world, and have even performed next to one of the most popular
Acapella groups, Pentatonix. The popularity of Acapella music has also allowed for many
groups including the AcoUstikats to have their own recording contracts. They meet with music
producers just as other famous artists would do, and simply record using their own voices and
creativity. The talent is 100% natural. However, just like any other artist the AcoUstikats still
face many everyday stereotypes as well. For instance, the AcoUstikats say they are often referred
to as the AcoUstifrat poking fun at the types of people they typically think join or the clothes
they perceive them to wear. Also, according to (Pulliam) he believes that Acapella singers are
sometimes viewed as nerdy or weird. Considering in our culture some people view a group of
guys getting together to just sing as a little bit strange. Although, both AcoUstikats I interviewed
disputed all of these stereotypical claims. Being involved with the AcoUstikats is not about any
of those things at all its about enjoying and sharing the love for music. Another thing I touched
on during my two interviews was what puts all mens Acapella groups apart from all womens
Acapella groups just out of curiosity. Interestingly enough, Pulliam said that he believes in
general more people tend to like all mens Acapella groups sometimes more than womens.
Mainly because the audience seems to think its funny when guys mess up in performances, but
if its a girls group performing people seem to take it more seriously. Also, Pulliam says that you
tend to have more of a vocal range in an all-male Acapella group. You have guys that are able to
hit both the bass notes, and sometimes even the soprano notes whereas with girls you hardly

Running head: ACPAELLA SINGING ON THE RISE

have anyone with the vocal capability to hit the low bass notes. However, Pulliam did argue he
believes girls are better musicians than guys, and tend to know their music better.
All about the Music. In conclusion, theres so much more that goes into Acapella
singing than most people realize. Its not just getting together to sing a bunch of notes on a page.
You have to take those notes and do something creative with them. Think outside of the box
when creating different arrangements and dances for performances. Acapella groups want to
wow their audiences, its all about trying new things that no group has ever tried or done before.
They work extremely hard to memorize all of their music and harmonize with each and every
person in their group and often dont get enough credit for it. Singing Acapella is nowhere near
easy, but its the feeling you get when you perform and everything falls together that makes it
worthwhile. Acapella singing may be growing in popularity and will most likely continue to, but
through all the hype and excitement the music is what draws in the fans. One of my favorite
quotes to remember about music is, The true beauty of music is that it connects people. It
carries a message, and we, the musicians, are the messengers. ~Roy Ayers

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Running head: ACPAELLA SINGING ON THE RISE

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Running head: ACPAELLA SINGING ON THE RISE

Scene from Acapella movie Pitch Perfect

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Running head: ACPAELLA SINGING ON THE RISE

The AcoUstikats on the TV show the Sing-off (Procats)

References
Acoustikat Interview with Evan Pulliam [Personal interview]. (n.d.).
Acoustikat Interview with Patrick Fiddler [Personal interview]. (n.d.).
Meet The acoUstiKats - Part 1. (2013, December 9). Retrieved October 19, 2014, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm0EWgsnO-M
Tolentino, J. (2009, July 12). The History of A cappella. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
A cappella. (2014, October 18). Retrieved October 20, 2014.
Johnson, J. (2010, October 19). The nerd turns: A cappella singers suddenly the popular kids on
campus. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
Acapella. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2014.
Listen Now. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2014.