Indecision isn't always a good thing. But it worked for Vocal Point.
Back in 1991, when then Brigham Young University students Bob Ahlander and Dave Boyce wanted to form a collegiate a cappella group, they wanted eight students — basically a double quartet.
But when they held the auditions, the final place came down to two students. They couldn't decide between them so invited both to join. Vocal Point has had nine members ever since.
"It's an interesting arrangement, but it works great in how we divide up the parts," says former member and current Vocal Point director James Stevens.
So, maybe it wasn't indecision, after all, but inspiration. Because the nine-member group has proved to be a popular performing group at BYU — so much so that the university has adopted it as an official entity — and has also garnered national and international recognition.
The group changes each year as members graduate and new auditions are held. But the nine-member limit has held on, as has the group's commitment to quality musicianship.
Over the years, Vocal Point has recorded a half-dozen albums, won three Pearl Awards from the Faith Centered Music Association, and consistently draws sold-out audiences for its performances.
It twice won the regional semifinals, the 2003-04 and 2004-05 competitions, for the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella. But those groups did not go to the finals in New York City because the event was held on a Sunday.
However, by the 2005-06 competition, things had changed. The ICCA finals had moved to Saturday, and Vocal Point not only won the regional semifinals and went to compete, but it came away with the ICCA championship, recognized as the best collegiate a cappella group in the world.
"They told us we won by the biggest margin ever," says Stevens.
That remarkable run is highlighted on Vocal Point's newest release, a CD called "Nonstop," on BYU's Tantara label (www.TantaraRecords.com), which became available for digital downloads on iTunes, Amazon mp3 and other digital download stores on Tuesday. It will be in stores March 25.
The CD features "showstopping material and top-quality performances" by three Vocal Point groups, says Ben Fales, marketing director for Tantara Records.
And while the CD "boasts the refinement and polish of a studio setting" (it was recorded and produced in Stevens' own studio, in fact), "the groups manage to capture the excitement and vibe of a live show," says Fales.
Included are some of the songs that won the international championship, including "THX/20th Century Fox Fanfare," and the "Spider-Man Theme."
"That was so different and unique from what you usually hear in collegiate a cappella that it took a lot of people by surprise," said Stevens.
The CD also has a couple of songs that were selected for national compilation albums, "Sing, Sing, Sing" and "Super Mario."
"We're very excited to be on those albums," says Stevens. "Hundreds of groups submit songs for those."
Other signature pieces on the CD include "Thriller" and "Sunshine Medley," two songs called "Home" (one by Michael Buble and the other by New Orleans native rocker Marc Broussard). There's a tribute to "Forever Plaid" with "No Not Much." There's a version of "Black Balloon" that "people tell me they can't tell the difference between that and the radio," says Stevens. Plus, the groups celebrate their "Sunday side" with a couple of hymns, "Praise to the Man" and "Nearer My God to Thee."
"People sometimes ask why we don't do an all-hymn collection," says Stevens. "But we want the CD to mimic the concert experience, to share a variety of music. We'd never do an all-pop or all-rock CD, either."
What he particularly likes about this CD, he says, is that "it appeals to all ages. We hear about kids that listen to it 'nonstop' (pun intended), but we also hear from older listeners. It transcends generations. Whole families can listen together."
There's something about a cappella music in general that does that, he says. It has become increasingly popular in recent years.
"It has always been popular with collegiate groups on the East Coast, but in the past 10 years, it has become hip and cool everywhere," says Stevens.
That increasing popularity, he thinks, has come because a cappella music "breaks the barriers. It's a heart-felt way of performing. You hear echoes of revival singing. There's nothing reserved about it. You're not hiding behind a guitar; you have to just stand there and sing. But that creates a connection with the audience."
The very things that make a cappella so popular, however, also make it difficult. All the sounds are created by the human voice, and although the songs you hear on the CD may make you think there is a whole orchestra backing them up, that is not the case.
"We don't have a band to help us keep the tonality," says Stevens. "We have 9 different voices that have to stay on pitch while they are all singing different parts. That's not so hard when you only have four-part harmony, but we routinely throw in seven-part and nine-part harmonies and do it quite randomly."
Because there is no band, rhythm is also a challenge. "And blend is super important, so no one stands out unless he is supposed to," he says. Tonality, rhythm and blend are the main things that groups are judged on in competitions, but choreography is also important.
In recent years, choreography has become a fine art. "Back when I was a member of the group, we basically moved in clumps around the soloist. Now we have guys going in all directions. I won't say we were the only forerunners, but Vocal Point has been one of the innovators of intense choreography. It puts Vocal Point in a whole new league," he says. "We opened once for a Rockapella concert, and one of the guys told me he could not see how we could do the percussion and the moving that we do while singing. It's like chewing gum and walking on acid at the same time," jokes Stevens.
The group did not compete at ICCA this year. "We just kind of felt like we should take a break," says Stevens. "As it turned out, it was a good decision for us economically. Competing is expensive, and with the way the economy is, we are able to be in a good place financially. We have to be self-sustaining. Even though Vocal Point is sponsored by BYU, we can't rely on a bailout."
Local audiences will have a couple of chances to see the group in the near future. Vocal Point will be the opening act for a Noteworthy concert March 21 at the Covey Center for the Arts in Provo, and will be participating in the A Cappella Jam on March 31 in the Joseph Smith Building auditorium on the BYU campus. For times, tickets and information, visit www.byuvocalpoint.com.
"It's just a fun way to make music, says Stevens. "People love to hear the human voice and what it can do."
If you go …
What: Noteworthy, with opening act Vocal Point
When: March 21, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Covey Center for the Arts, 425 W. Center, Provo
How much: $5 presale; $7 at the door
Also …
What: A Cappella Jam, featuring Vocal Point and other groups
When: March 31, 7 p.m.
Where: Auditorium, Joseph Smith Building, BYU
How much: $5 at the Wilkinson Center, $6 at the door
E-mail: carma@desnews.com