Emmelodics (pictured above) is one of the three all-gender a cappella groups on campus. The other two all-gender groups are Exit 8 and Between the Lines. Southside Boys and Hips ’N Harmony are all male or female identifying, respectively (Xavier Delcid/Photo editor).
To celebrate the leap year, all five of Geneseo’s a cappella groups came together for the “Unbe-Leap-Able Concert” on Friday Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. Students, faculty and other supporters comprised the energetic crowd that filled Wadsworth Auditorium for one musical night. For a small fee of $5, audience members were granted admission to the two-act concert.
One audience member, musical theatre major junior Sandra Kralik, especially appreciated the groups’ unique styles.
“I think my favorite part was how different all of the different groups are,” Kralik said. “Everyone covered a different genre of music.”
Each of Geneseo’s a cappella groups—Emmelodics, Hips ‘n Harmony, Between the Lines, Southside Boys and Exit 8—performed four intricate songs for a total of 20 songs across the show.
Emmelodics opened the concert with Hozier’s “Almost (Sweet Music),” which was arranged by English literature major senior Denis Harnett and featured beautiful vocals from mathematics adolescent education major senior Abigail Griffin.
Freshman Emmelodics member Soleil Rivera said her favorite part of being in the group is the kindness consistently exuded by its members.
“They’re so nice, they’re so welcoming,” Rivera said. “The first time I came in they were so welcoming, they’re still welcoming. I love Emmelodics. They’re such a fantastic group.”
According to one Southside Boys member, English adolescent education major freshman Kieran Thomas, this concert was particularly special. While this was Thomas’s first concert with Southside Boys and his Geneseo a cappella debut, many of the a cappella seniors performed their senior songs, each one featuring a specific graduating senior.
“For me it was my first one,” Thomas said. “And for [the seniors] it was like saying goodbye, so it was kind of cool.”
Thomas’s favorite song of the concert was musical theatre major senior Brett Hammes’s senior song. Hammes—a member of Southside Boys—sang a musical theatre medley. The medley was arranged by and featured a vocally impressive solo from Hammes himself, as well as vocal percussion from biology and mathematics double major senior Julian Lee.
To Thomas, Hammes’s senior song seemed like a crowd favorite. “The audience reaction to that was crazy,” he said. “The sound that they made, they were really hyped after that.”
The audience was extremely engaged throughout the concert, with fans screaming the names of performers, holding up posters and wearing coordinated T-shirts.
“[The concert] was a lot of fun, especially with the audience reaction,” Thomas said. “They were showing us a lot of love, so it was great.”
Kralik also said that the concert was an enjoyable experience for the spectators. “I loved all of the senior songs and Southside Boys so much,” she said.
A cappella’s “Unbe-Leap-Able Concert” ended with Hips ‘n Harmony’s rendition of VV Brown’s “Shark in the Water.” This particular version was arranged by psychology and communication double major senior Jillian Van Leer. The song featured a powerful solo from early childhood/childhood education major sophomore Valentina Scotto and intricate vocal percussion from Van Leer.
The next a cappella concert is May 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the Alice Austin Theater in Brodie Hall.