SoCal VoCals

Last updated
The SoCal VoCals
Origin Los Angeles, California
Genres a cappella
Years active1995-present
Website www.scvocals.com

The SoCal VoCals are the first of nine a cappella groups from the University of Southern California. [1] Founded in 1996, the group's signature achievement is being the only a cappella group to win five titles in ICCA, which it accomplished in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2018. [2] In 2020, The A Cappella Archive ranked The SoCal VoCals at #1 out of all ICCA-competing groups. [3]

Contents

The group comprises between 13 and 19 male and female students [4] who arrange and sing songs from multiple genres, including pop, rock, and jazz. The group has released seven albums and has performed in venues including the Staples Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Rose Bowl, the Los Angeles House of Blues, the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall and the Getty Center. [5] [6]

The SoCal VoCals are known for their energetic performance style and school spirit: they are the only USC a cappella group to perform a rendition of the University's Alma Mater. [7]

History

In April, 2008, the SoCal VoCals took first place in the ICCAs at New York City's Lincoln Center, [8] winning the title "Grand Champions." [9] The next morning, they were featured on The Today Show . [10]

In April, 2010, the SoCal VoCals returned to Lincoln Center and reclaimed the ICCA title, making them one of only two groups to win that title more than once.[ citation needed ]

On April 29, 2012, the SoCal VoCals performed in competition at Town Hall in New York City. They won their third ICCA title, and became the first to have won the title by winning the Wildcard round.[ citation needed ]

On April 18, 2015, the SoCal VoCals competed at the Beacon Theatre to win for the fourth time, claiming the newly minted trophy and adding to their already-unchallenged record of victories.[ citation needed ].

On April 21, 2018, the SoCal Vocals returned to The Beacon Theatre to win ICCA for the fifth time. The SoCal VoCals are the first group to ever win ICCA five times. [11]

In September, 2018, The SoCal VoCals took home second place at the A Cappella Open at Carnegie Hall in New York City. [2]

Notable Spinoffs

In November, 2009, one current member of the USC SoCal VoCals joined with seven VoCal alumni to compete as "The SoCals" on NBC's first a cappella competition, The Sing-Off . [12]

In 2010, five current and former members of the VoCals competed in Season 2 of "The Sing-Off" as members of "The Backbeats." [13]

In 2011 Scott Hoying, a member of the SoCal VoCals, led a team of five people to win NBC's third season of "The Sing-Off" as Pentatonix.

In 2013, VoCal alumni Emily Goglia competed on The Sing-Off as one of two leaders for the group Element.

In 2013, SoCal VoCals Kenton Chen, Rachel Saltzman, Ben Bram, and Allie Feder joined with other Sing-Off alumni to form an a cappella group called Level. They have since performed on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Another SoCal VoCal alum, Gabriel Leung, has joined them on occasion.

In 2014, SoCal VoCal alumnus Ben Bram co-founded A Cappella Academy along with fellow Sing-Off arranger Rob Dietz, and former Pentatonix bass vocalist, Avi Kaplan. The camp has produced many of the nation's top a cappella singers.

In 2018, SoCal VoCal then-current member Elizabeth Gaba placed in the top 24 for American Idol.

In 2018, SoCal VoCal members Kaylah Baker and Nina Nelson left The SoCal VoCals to be a part of the all-female a cappella group, Citizen Queen. [14] [15]

In 2019, tenor Jej Vinson reached the top 16 on NBC's The Voice and his blind audition of "Passionfruit" has amassed almost 10 million views on YouTube as of March 2020. [16]

In 2020 SoCal VoCal alumna Tehillah Alphonso received a GRAMMY nomination for “Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals”.

In 2023, SoCal VoCal alumni Izzy Kaye, JEJ Vinson, and Tabon Ward aired on NBC’s “The Voice” S23 as vocal trio Sheer Element where they joined Kelly Clarkson’s team.

Notable alumni

Discography

Albums

Extended Plays

Related Research Articles

The International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), originally the National Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, is an international competition run by Varsity Vocals, that attracts hundreds of college a cappella groups each year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BYU Vocal Point</span> Male collegiate a cappella group

BYU Vocal Point, or simply Vocal Point, is a nine-member, male a cappella group at Brigham Young University (BYU). Founded by two students, Bob Ahlander & Dave Boyce, in 1991, Vocal Point was under the direction of Emmy award-winning director and former member, McKay Crockett. However in December 2022, Crockett decided to leave as director for a new job opportunity. He is replaced by former member Carson Trautman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of California Men's Octet</span> Male acappella group at the University of California, Berkeley

The UC Men's Octet, sometimes termed the Cal Men’s Octet or the UC Berkeley Men’s Octet, is an eight-member male a cappella group at the University of California, Berkeley. Founded in 1948 as a member of the UC Choral Ensembles, the group's broad repertoire features several genres of music including barbershop, doo-wop, pop and alternative, and a healthy dose of Berkeley fight songs. The Octet has recorded over a dozen albums and is one of only three multiple-time champions of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA)—the other two being USC's SoCal VoCals and Berklee's Pitch Slapped—having won the competition in both 1998 and 2000.

Founded in the 1962, the California Golden Overtones, previously the deciBelles (1970s), sometimes called the Golden Overtones or the Tones, is a six to thirteen-member female a cappella group at the University of California, Berkeley. The group's prolific repertoire spans many genres of music and grows each year with new arrangements and contributions of past and popular songs. From rap to doo-wop to country, the group embraces all styles and interprets them into a strong female sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Trojan Men</span> A cappella musical group

The Trojan Men is an a cappella group at the University of Southern California. Founded in 2005, the group has participated in and earned numerous awards from competitions such as the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella and USC's Absolut A Cappella contest. The group currently performs around USC, Los Angeles, and the Long Beach area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voices in Your Head</span> Musical artist

Voices in Your Head is a student-run a cappella group from the University of Chicago who aim to "push the bounds of contemporary a cappella." Founded in 1998, the group has consisted of both undergraduate and graduate students whose studies range from Economics to Music to MD/PhD programs. Its unique repertoire includes original pieces, as well as an eclectic mix of pop, R&B, rock, and alternative music. Voices competes regularly in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) and releases studio recordings of their arrangements.

<i>The Sing-Off</i> American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups

The Sing-Off was an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It debuted on NBC on December 14, 2009, and was produced by Sony Pictures Television and Outlaw Productions, with Mark Burnett's One Three Media being added for the fourth season. A fifth season aired as a holiday special in December 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noteworthy (vocal group)</span> Nine-member, all-female a cappella group.

BYU Noteworthy is a nine-member, female Brigham Young University (BYU) a cappella group, based in Provo, Utah, United States. They won 1st place at the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) in 2007 and appeared on the first season of NBC's a cappella competition reality show The Sing-Off in 2009. Esther Yoder formed the group in 2003, aided by members of BYU's Vocal Point. Noteworthy began operating under the direction of the Performing Arts Management (PAM) at BYU in 2014. One of their most popular music videos is a cover of Amazing Grace, which won the Contemporary A Cappella Society (CARA) award for Best Religious Video and has garnered millions of views on YouTube since its release. Noteworthy has released six albums since its formation in 2003. In 2018, Noteworthy performed "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" for a Mormon Message for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pentatonix</span> American a cappella group

Pentatonix is an American a cappella group from Arlington, Texas, consisting of vocalists Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Matt Sallee, and Kevin Olusola. Characterized by their pop-style arrangements with vocal harmonies, basslines, riffing, percussion, and beatboxing, they produce cover versions of modern pop works or Christmas songs, sometimes in the form of medleys, along with original material. Pentatonix was formed in 2011 and subsequently won the third season of NBC's The Sing-Off, receiving $200,000 and a recording contract with Sony Music. When Sony's Epic Records dropped the group after The Sing-Off, the group formed its YouTube channel, distributing its music through Madison Gate Records, a label owned by Sony Pictures. Their YouTube channel currently has 20 million subscribers and more than 6 billion views. The group's video tribute to Daft Punk has over 365 million views as of December 29, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Olusola</span> Nigerian-American singer-songwriter, beatboxer, and cellist

Kevin Oluwole Olusola, also known as K.O., is an American singer-songwriter, beatboxer, and cellist. Olusola is best known as the beatboxer of the a cappella group Pentatonix. After the group won NBC's The Sing-Off in 2011, they released eleven albums, which have sold over 2 million records, and have amassed more than two billion views on their YouTube channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitch Grassi</span> American musician

Mitchell Coby Michael Grassi is an American singer, musician and songwriter from Arlington, Texas. Known for his high tenor voice, Grassi came to international attention as a founding performer in two groups—the a cappella quintet Pentatonix, and the duo Superfruit with Pentatonix bandmate Scott Hoying. As of June 2021, Pentatonix has released eleven albums and two EPs, have had four songs in the Billboard Hot 100, and won three Grammy awards as "the first a cappella group to achieve mainstream success in the modern market". As of February 2019, Superfruit's YouTube channel has over 2.5 million subscribers and has accumulated over 392 million views.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avi Kaplan</span> American singer and songwriter

Avriel Benjamin Kaplan is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his basso profondo range and for his tenure as the vocal bass of the a cappella group Pentatonix from 2011 to 2017. As a part of the group, he released five studio albums, won three Grammy Awards, and sold over six million albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirstin Maldonado</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1992)

Kirstin Taylor Maldonado is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is best known as the mezzo-soprano of the a cappella group Pentatonix. With the group, she has released seven studio albums, won three Grammy Awards, and sold over six million albums.

<i>PTX, Volume 1</i> 2012 EP by Pentatonix

PTX, Volume 1 is the debut extended play album by the a cappella group Pentatonix. It was released on June 26, 2012.

Kelley Jakle is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She played the role of Jessica Smith in the Pitch Perfect series (2012–2017) and appeared on the first and second seasons of The Sing-Off in 2009 and 2010. She is also a member of an Americana duo band, Robin Alice.

<i>Thats Christmas to Me</i> 2014 studio album by Pentatonix

That's Christmas to Me is the third studio album by a cappella group Pentatonix. It is their sixth release overall and their second holiday release following their 2012 EP PTXmas. It only features previously unreleased material. It was released on October 21, 2014 through RCA Records, peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200, and has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Hoying</span> American singer and songwriter

Scott Richard Hoying is an American singer, musician and songwriter who came to international attention as the baritone of the a cappella group Pentatonix and one-half of the music duo Superfruit. As of June 2021, Pentatonix has released eleven albums and two EPs, have had four songs in the Billboard Hot 100, and won three Grammy Awards as "the first a cappella group to achieve mainstream success in the modern market". As of November 2021, Superfruit's YouTube channel has over 2.4 million subscribers, and over 444 million views.

<i>PTX, Vol. IV: Classics</i> 2017 EP by Pentatonix

PTX, Vol. IV: Classics is the fifth extended play album by the a cappella group Pentatonix. It was released by RCA Records on April 7, 2017, and is their first EP since 2014's PTX, Vol. III. It is their final release with original member Avi Kaplan, who left the group later that year.

Citizen Queen is an American girl group consisting of vocalists Kaedi Dalley, Cora Isabel, Nina Nelson, and Kaylah Sharve’. Originally a 5-piece, however, Hannah Mrozak left the group in May 2022. The group was formed in 2018 under the auspices of RCA Records, with mentorship from Pentatonix member Scott Hoying.

<i>We Need a Little Christmas</i> (Pentatonix album) 2020 studio album by Pentatonix

We Need a Little Christmas is the fourth Christmas album, and eighth album overall, by the American a cappella group Pentatonix. It was released on November 13, 2020, by RCA Records.

References

  1. ↑ Chard, Tea. "Sounds on Campus: Two radio stations, a cappella groups and more aim to please Trojan ears." Daily Trojan. 16 Aug 2006: A5.
  2. 1 2 "Results". Varsity Vocals. August 12, 2015.
  3. ↑ "The A Cappella Archive - Rankings & Records". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  4. ↑ Lin, Judy. "A capella groups attract growing interest." Daily Trojan. 5 Dec. 1997: A1.
  5. ↑ "ABBA-CAPPELLA SING-OFF OPENS ABBA FEST CONCERT". Hollywood Bowl.
  6. ↑ "The 2018 International Championship of A Cappella Open Finals at Carnegie Hall". Varsity Vocals.
  7. ↑ Deelstra, Jacqueline. "USC's A Cappella Explosion." Daily Trojan. 4 Nov. 2002: A7-8.
  8. ↑ "Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts | building complex, New York City, New York, United States". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
  9. ↑ Payson-Lewis, Dan. "My Real Hollywood Ending." Newsweek. 9 Aug. 2008: 32.
  10. ↑ Dailo, Nicole. "SoCal VoCals take top a cappella title." Daily Trojan. 21 Apr 2008: A1.
  11. ↑ "An a cappella family". Los Angeles Times. June 7, 2018.
  12. ↑ "The Sing-Off". NBC. 2014-01-28. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
  13. ↑ "USC Vocalists Make the Finals on NBC's Sing-Off". USC News. December 14, 2010.
  14. ↑ Zayed, Marissa (August 24, 2020). "Rising artists Citizen Queen are setting the scene for female a cappella". Daily Trojan.
  15. ↑ "Citizen Queen". RCA Records.
  16. ↑ "- YouTube". www.youtube.com.[ dead YouTube link ]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.