Patrick Fergus
@Fergus5Fergus
The Lincoln Center at the University of Hartford packed in its 716 seats this past weekend, as it held the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) which hosts hundreds of college a cappella groups from the US, Canada and United Kingdom.
The national stage is a far cry from the smaller scale and personal atmosphere in the Fuller Arts Center, where the Alden Street A Cappella group have become a tight-knit community of passionate music lovers.
Competing with some of the top groups across the country was nothing new for senior and president of the club Danielle Pantano, who has been a part of the ensemble since her first year and has attended three ICCA competitions.
“When we are here on campus, we’re involved in so many other things…and this competition is just our place for a little bit,” Pantano said.
Technically, it’s not just their place though. 400 groups from schools such as UCLA, Michigan State and Northwestern feature over 6000 singers, all vying for spots in the Semifinals at Berkeley University. Many of these groups are working with huge budgets, have students on scholarships for music or performers that are even releasing their own records.
The recipe for a standout show at the ICCA’s is simple. The vocals and the visuals have to be working in unison to create an impressive musical production with a clear thematic idea.
The process of reaching the ICCA’s starts all the way back in November, with a video. Two or three songs to make an impression, and even when accepted, the work is only just getting started.
“The big thing was figuring out that theme and what we wanted to do,” Pantano said. “We wanted something that not only looked good, but really flowed together well.”
With such a broad scope for artistic creativity, Pantano and the rest of the group worked through different combinations. Songs from the same artist, time period or a collection of songs with melodic similarities. The final decision was unique, and that utilized not only an imaginative musical experience, but also featured aesthetically pleasing costumes of choreography.
Donning black costumes with an accented silver, the act pays tribute to artists that passed away due to drug overdoses. Starting off with an inspiring and upbeat version of “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse, moving into “Higher Love ” by Whitney Houston and finishing with “Remember the Time” by Michael Jackson.
“It was really fun because we had so many different elements working together,” said Pantano. “[Back to Black] was more upbeat staccato, keeping up that energy, and then it’s immediately balanced with the Whitney song, which was more of a smooth legato.”
A quality understanding of music theory is important for Pantano in rehearsals. As she grew up playing piano, she is able to understand more complex chord structures to find what sounds good together.
“I’ll usually just read the music and we all try to figure out what works…it’s trial and error until something fits,” Pantano said.
No matter the placement for Alden Street A Cappella, the anticipated annual trip is one they recognize is a privilege to partake in.
“Music is such a big part of all of our lives,” said Pantano. “Having that chance to be with everyone and try something most people never get to experience is super cool.”
With eight seniors set to graduate this May, the club faces some major turnover. The future stability ensemble is a point of emphasis for senior Hannah Shields, the vice president of the club.
“As the board members, it is important for us to leave our club stronger than when we found it and that is exactly what we are accomplishing,” Shields said.
Their thrilling showing in Hartford won’t be the curtain call for the year, as they will hold a Spring concert at the Fuller Arts Center on April 12 and 13, with seven seniors performing for the last time.
Photo Courtesy of Alden Street A Cappella