THE EXTENT OF MY COLLEGIATE A CAPPELLA EXPERIENCE

The a cappella world (or “acaworld” – get used to that prefix) is largely, though not entirely, driven by collegiate groups. “The Sing-Off,” if you remember, had three or four of them. Many of the successful professional groups, especially the newer ones, grew from collegiate a cappella graduates (or “aca-alums”) who really wanted to keep going.

I went to BYU. I was not a member of Vocal Point, which was founded the year I returned to BYU from my mission. I didn’t even try out. And why not? Because I had this belief that Vocal Point and pretty much anything else vocal at BYU were dominated by a super-exclusive clique of highly trained singers, all members of the Men’s Chorus or Concert Choir, and all I had ever joined was the no-tryout-required University Chorale one semester of my freshman year. I may have been wrong. Looking back, that vague unease was a lousy reason to just not even try out and give it a chance.

However, one day, I got a phone call from a stranger who had heard from someone whose name I didn’t recognize that I sang bass. They were looking to start a quartet. I joined. We met, I think, weekly in the founder’s 7 square-foot dorm room in Helaman Halls. The other three members all knew each other and had a habit of talking amongst themselves as people who know each other are wont to do.

I remember one practice in particular where the three of them were discussing how to end our Calypso version of “Cupid,” since Sam Cooke ends it in a fade out. I broke in with my suggestion. They actually took the suggestions, but their approval was kind of backhanded somehow… they were either surprised I was there or surprised I had somehow managed to make contribution, musically stunted as I was, I don’t know what. It felt like the latter. In any case, I felt even more an outsider than ever, and I never went back. I decided then it was no use joining any a cappella groups / quartets again, concluding the Brethren was only so awesome because we were all best friends first and singers almost as an afterthought. Almost, but not quite – we did work hard, after all. But as far as I was concerned, if it wasn’t those four people, it wasn’t going to happen.

That's called being a wussy little baby, and it led to 20 years of not being in anything but the occasional musical. I don't endorse those excuses anymore.