Why is a cappella such a thing on campus?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was a popular movie a few years ago that inspired a bunch of these clubs.

It's the other way around. The rise in popularity of university a cappella clubs inspired the Pitch Perfect movies. Some of these groups are over a century old, e.g. Yale's Whiffenpoofs (1909). It's a very competitive field and it's easily as time consuming as playing a sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tons of a capella groups at Penn in the 90s as well. John Stephens (aka John Legend) was a classmate in one of them before he made it big after college. All different musical styles, parody groups. They were a big part of the campus traditions and entertainment.

Penn Masala...

Mostly CS and pre-med kids singing Bollywood + American Pop.

That's fine for YouTube but it's not the same when the singing is professionally recorded in a studio. The real talent shows when they perform on a stage and sound that good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was a popular movie a few years ago that inspired a bunch of these clubs.

It's the other way around. The rise in popularity of university a cappella clubs inspired the Pitch Perfect movies. Some of these groups are over a century old, e.g. Yale's Whiffenpoofs (1909). It's a very competitive field and it's easily as time consuming as playing a sport.

+1 The Whiffenpoofs have been around forever, but I think college campus a cappella took off in the 90s. That was the decade when my large state flagship saw multiple new groups formed (still in existence). It was the same decade when UMD's SPAMfest started.

[Anonymous]

I absolutely can't stand a cappella. It caused us to leave a college tour early. Just so incredibly annoying.

[Anonymous]

Daughter part of a cappella at Ivy. 6 hours a week average. But other groups do practice more. However my kid’s club involvement was quite crazy as well. So way more than the one a cappella group. Several rounds of auditions to get into a group. Very competitive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because it's fun and builds community. Making music together is good for the soul.

+1 Would you be complaining that your child played a sport for 15 hours a week or worked at a campus job for 15 hours a week? Extracurricular activities take time. There are still plenty of other hours left in the day.

[Anonymous]

It's just like playing a sport. Some are competitive and time consuming, some are chill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tons of a capella groups at Penn in the 90s as well. John Stephens (aka John Legend) was a classmate in one of them before he made it big after college. All different musical styles, parody groups. They were a big part of the campus traditions and entertainment.

Penn Masala...

Mostly CS and pre-med kids singing Bollywood + American Pop.

That's fine for YouTube but it's not the same when the singing is professionally recorded in a studio. The real talent shows when they perform on a stage and sound that good.

They opened for some sold out shows here and now they are going to be touring India.

They are doing great and their day jobs will not be too shabby either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is a status signal. It seems to be a thing at schools with money like SLACs. I can't recall if we had ones at my Midwestern state school in the 90s. Though we did have an excellent choir.

I don't think it is a status symbol but I do think there is a correlation between having a cappella and the more elite schools. Kind of like how elite schools tend to have reunion (or "reunions" as they obnoxiously call it at Princeton) while other schools are more focused on homecoming.

[Anonymous]

My dd loved the a capella scene at her school, the group she was in first three years was moderately time consuming but not excessive, the all-senior group she was in was super time consuming but also the most rewarding. To your question - why is it such a thing - why is anything a "thing"? Because people like doing it, because people like watching it, and as things go this is a pretty wholesome one.

[Anonymous]

Because it's really fun and you get to travel. Time commitment varies by group. College singing groups go way back, before a capella there was glee club and various choral societies. People used to do so much more singing as part of social life and I think it's so sad that we've lost it. My DH did a group and is still good friends with them, as am I still good friends with my high school touring choir. It's a great way to make really strong friendships.

[Anonymous]

I don't think this is new. There were ultra selective a cappella groups at my university when I went there in the 90s.

[Anonymous]

I wish I were a good enough singer to have been in an a cappella groups! I love performing but I don’t have the best voice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is a status signal. It seems to be a thing at schools with money like SLACs. I can't recall if we had ones at my Midwestern state school in the 90s. Though we did have an excellent choir.

Notre Dame definitely had one in the 90s, and UW-Madison has at least one

[Anonymous]

You also need to be able to sway and snap your fingers. Singing is not enough.