The best I’ve seen highlights the very best in collegiate a cappella, as seen in the admittedly biased and limited view of the author.

This time, we share the best opening song to an ICCA set.

Over the years, Ithacappella has developed into one of the east coast’s top a cappella acts, and a perennial threat in the ICCAs. They have had plenty of memorable performances in competition, but no better opening selection than their 2008 rendition of “Get Ready” by The Temptations.

“Get Ready” is just such a smart opener. It’s upbeat and fun. It’s lyrically applicable, warning the audience and competition that they should get ready, because the group is on its way and packing heat. Furthermore, it’s the kind of song that will appeal to a wide audience, and mostly likely leave the judges warm. It’s old enough to be familiar to the more aged onlookers, but fresh enough in folks’ memories from car commercials and whatnot that you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t know it—though they might not have thought of the song in years (better yet!).

In addition to being a good song selection, the guys executed the heck out of it. There was plenty of movement, with choreography that may have grown repetitive, but was nonetheless fun and engaging. The soloist was dynamic. The group was on. This isn’t the sort of song that really wows you with dynamics, or knocks your socks off with the complex arrangement, but it doesn’t have to be, and it’s the groups way of acknowledging that it will be accessible and draw everyone in from the start before moving on to more holistically impressive things. Great opener.

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The best I’ve seen highlights the very best in collegiate a cappella, as seen in the admittedly biased and limited view of the author.

This time, we share the best use of a really ‘different’ song I’ve seen.

The scene is the 2009 ICCA Finals. We’re more than halfway through the evening’s competitors, and the men of Mt. San Antonio College Fermata Nowhere have already gone a long way toward stealing the show. Clad in their matching orange jumpsuits, the guys roused the crowd with Sergio Mendes’s “Magalenha,” then stole our hearts with Secondhand Serenade’s “Fall for You.” Those first two songs were enough to place them as favorites to take that year’s ICCA crown, but what was coming next simply out of this world.

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The Best I’ve Seen highlights the very best in collegiate a cappella, as seen in the admittedly biased and limited view of the author.

This time, we share the best incorporation of attire into performance.

There are many different ways in which to incorporate what you wear into a cappella performance. A group like Yale’s Dukes Men put on tuxedoes and put on a certain air of distinction. A group like Potsdam’s Pointercounts wear baseball jerseys, and exude an aura of fun and team spirit. Still yet, you have ensembles that put their threads to functional use, like Brigham Young Noteworthy in 2007, wearing black shirts, green ties and pink undershirts, and adjusting their configuration slightly between each song of their championship winning set. It’s entirely possible, though, that I have never seen a more fun, creative, and purposeful employment of attire in a set than what The Buffalo Chips pulled off in 2008.

On the surface, The Chips wore matching baseball tees—a simple enough uniform, demonstrating their unity and a casual tone. But where the real magic came in was the back of the shirts, each with a letter printed on it. Observant onlookers might notice that the letters, combined and de-scrambled, would spell out “BUFFALO CHIPS.” For those who were not so observant, the guys spelled it all out at the end of their ICCA set.

Indeed, in one fluid motion, the entire group spun its backs to the crowd after their last song, spelling out the group name for all to see. It was funny, it was different, and really, what better way to leaving a lasting visual impression on the audience and judges than by putting your name right out there? It was a very smart choice, and subtly indicative of the level of thought and preparation that went into the set. No onlooker could spot the guys carefully arranging themselves on stage for that moment, and there’s no doubt that, had they messed up their ordering, it would have been an unmitigated disaster. They pulled it off—still singing their hearts out, performing the heck out of their choreography up to the very end, before spinning around, making it look effortless, and leaving the crowd with that final image. It was best use of attire I have seen.

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The best I’ve seen highlights the very best in collegiate a cappella, as seen in the admittedly biased and limited view of the author.

This time, we share the best collegiate a cappella performance venue I’ve seen

Hosmer Hall at the State University of New York college at Potsdam is an exceptional performance space, and specifically so for a collegiate a cappella competition. It’s spacious enough to accommodate a large crowd, and yet small enough to have a bit of a homey feeling to it. The hall includes elevated seating in the back to make sure everyone can see. There’s a sizeable stage enough stage to accommodate plenty of movement, or creative positioning. The sound is quite good, highlighted by acoustic paneling along each wall. Finally, the hall itself is quite aesthetically pleasing, with a sharp, clean look, highlighted by royal blue and pine coloring. It’s the best space I’ve seen for collegiate a cappella performance.

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Newsline: In case you missed it, USA Today had an article on the recent growth of a cappella in the mainstream. In addition, The Best Week Ever Blog covered the same topic at the end of last week. Be warned, their outlook on a cappella has not necessarily improved since the last time they addressed the topic.

The best I’ve seen highlights the very best in collegiate a cappella, as seen in the admittedly biased and limited view of the author.

This time, we share the best solo I’ve seen in collegiate a cappella.

It has become a cliché in NBA basketball—a vertically challenged broadcaster watches a gifted player soar to the hoop, and throw down a gravity-defying dunk, then comments, “Just once in my life, I’d like to do that.” This line couldn’t help but come to mind, watching University of Delaware Vocal Point’s Alfredo Austin take flight with Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke” at 2007 ICCA quarterfinal at Lafayette College. This solo was the perfect combination of silky smooth vocals, stage presence, and a certain it-factor. Simply put, Austin owned the stage, showing a perfect ease and confidence, not to mention the smile of showmanship to help win the crowd to his cause. He rightfully earned outstanding soloist honors for the night, thought the group did not progress to the next round of the competition.

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