Laura Schwartz is a senior majoring in biological anthropology, the business director of the GW Pitches, and a SPA! Her hobbies include knitting, napping, and photocopying.
‘Tis the season – I’m sure you’ve all gotten (and ignored) seven zillion Facebook invites to seven zillion winter a capella concerts. So you might be wondering, what’s the deal with GW a capella, anyway? Do we really make music with only our mouths? (Yes, although clapping and snapping is sometimes a component too.) Do we all want to be Anna Kendrick when we grow up? (Pretty much.) Who gets involved with a capella and why would you want to? (Because it’s awesome!)
Believe it or not, a capella existed before “Pitch Perfect”. (Aca-scuse me?) In fact, as the business director of the GW Pitches, I can tell you that we’ve officially had that name since 1996, so no, we didn’t get the idea from the movie. But thanks for asking. Have we seen “Pitch Perfect” about a zillion times? Oh yeah. Is the world of GW a capella anything like Hollywood’s version? Not much, although there are probably more similarities than we’d like to admit. (Singing on public transportation. Lots of that.)
GW a capella is its own kind of quirky. In the last few years, our community has grown to include three co-ed groups, two all-female groups, and one all male group. The UHP is well represented, including Matt Ricci in the Troubs, Julie Buchsbaum and myself in the Pitches, and others. Most groups have auditions in the fall and spring, with no experience required, and concerts open to the public at the end of every semester. We all sing together officially twice a year (Acapellapalooza in the fall and Battle in the spring) and unofficially lots of other times. If you’re in the middle of a group of a capella singers, someone will start spontaneously beatboxing. It will happen. Just go with it.
(Pitches get-together)
Many of the groups on campus are also involved in community service, taking part in events such as Relay for Life and Dance Marathon. In the past, the Pitches have donated concert proceeds to organizations such as the American Cancer Society and Camp Kesem GW. This semester, our concert will be a benefit for the Michael Lynch Memorial Foundation, which provides scholarships to the children of firefighters and other victims of the 9/11 attacks. If you’d like to support your fellow UHPers, the Pitches, and the Michael Lynch Memorial Foundation, our winter concert will be on Saturday, December 6th at 7:30pm in the United Church (aka the German church on G St). For more information, check out the Facebook event here. Wear your favorite holiday sweater and come check out what we’ve been working on all semester!
(Acapellapalooza)
