Worst A Cappella in the USA

November 4, 2007 10:07 AM

I'm writing an article on the proliferation of student-run a cappella groups on college campuses. Unfortunately, quantity does not equal quality. There are several competitions which give awards to the best groups regionally and nationally. But does anyone have opinions on which are some of the worst a cappella groups in the U.S.?
posted by jsteffensen to Society & Culture (6 answers total)

Have you been following the "worst a cappella" competition on IvyGate?

http://www.ivygateblog.com/blog/2007/11/the_worst_a_cappella_group_finals_chord_on_blues_face_new_challenge.html
posted by mccxxiii at 10:19 AM on November 4, 2007

Response by poster: That's a goldmine. Thanks, mccxxiii.
posted by jsteffensen at 10:43 AM on November 4, 2007

I suppose it depends on your definition of "worst," but if you mean "probably can't sing," check out Arrr!!!, Brown University's a-capirate group.
posted by awesomebrad at 11:26 AM on November 4, 2007

Yeah, not sure what happened to that link, but here it is: http://www.arrr.net/
posted by awesomebrad at 11:31 AM on November 4, 2007

I am a professional musician in a (mostly) a cappella group, and I am a judge of many of these competitions, collegiate and high school and professional. Most a cappella, at all levels, is awful. College groups are out to have a good time and sing some popular tunes of the day. There's often not a lot of emphasis placed on skill and artistry, and these are college students who are mostly not going to go on to be professional musicians. The good stuff, the truly transcendent stuff, is out there, and I could easily guide you to it if you're interested. It would easier to do that than to point out the bad ones, since most are bad.

Some potential resources:

The Contemporary A Cappella Society
Recorded A Cappella Review Board forum

I think you'd be better off posting at these places, since you'll get people there who REALLY know the inside of a cappella, for better or worse.

I'd be happy to talk to you further if you're interested.
posted by FlyByDay at 6:02 PM on November 4, 2007 [1 favorite]

I knew a member of Arrr -- the group's kind of gimmicky and a lot of fun, but the level of musicianship is still high. Or that's how it was when she was a member, anyway.
posted by booksandlibretti at 6:31 PM on November 4, 2007