Pitch Please! Acapella groups are very popular on Millikin’s campus and other college campuses as well.
When did this fad about Acapella groups show up? Why can’t musicians just sing with a track or background music?

Choral music and acapella groups have been around since the Renaissance era with madrigals. But acapella music became popularized when television shows such as “The Sing Off” and “Glee” started singing covers in 2009.

Acapella revolution really took off when the film “Pitch Perfect” premiered in 2012. This movies was based off a book titled “Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory,” which includes the real life competition, International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA).

The film was the first of its kind to include acapella music in a big budget comedy without poking fun at its musical style. The film’s idea of a college acapella group battling with other acapella groups in a competition really took off, and the film spawned a sequel this year.

“The Sing Off” winners Pentatonix of 2011 have become an Internet phenomenon. They became the first acapella group to win a Grammy and was signed to a major label, RCA, and they are the highest acclaimed acapella group so far.

Millikin has always been known for creating great acapella and jazz music. A few primary acapella groups that had come from Millikin are 5One and Chapter 6. Chapter 6 is the only acapella to win both the ICCA’s and The National Harmony Sweepstakes. Now, Millikin University is full of aca-people hoping to gain the same success as Pentatonix and Chapter 6.

We currently have three different acapella choirs aside from our choral and jazz programs. Millikin has two male acapella groups, seVen and Note-ified, and one all girl group, Blue Harmony. seVen is an upperclassman student run acapella group that was formed in 2013 by an open audition process that was formed by Millikin alum, Michael Engelhardt. They have been performing at Millikin since their freshman year.

Note-ified and Blue Harmony are new to our campus, but they have already made a big splash in the acapella world at Millikin. Note-ified is made of nine sophomore and freshman students. They recently had a open audition process on campus in a attempt to find new members.

Finally, Blue Harmony is an all girls student run acapella group made up of sophomore and freshman students.  They incorporate a “Pitch Perfect” element in their performances and also use chorography. In the spring they embarked on a tour of high schools in the Chicagoland area. Blue Harmony held auditions for the upcoming semester on September 2.

There is a lot going on campus in the Acapella world at Millikin. Millikin is school full of music, and you are sure to hear one of these groups out and singing around campus. Although we don’t go the Barden University, we still have the aca-spirit at Millikin!