The successes of the movie “Pitch Perfect” and the TV show “The Sing-Off” prove that a cappella groups, ensembles that sing without instrumental accompaniment, are more popular than ever. After winning the third season of “The Sing-Off,” Pentatonix became an internet sensation and has YouTube videos with more than 25 million views. Central itself is part of the a cappella craze, with four a cappella groups involving both boys and girls. Of these, Enchords, which has been around since 2005, is the only co-ed group.
With a name that combines “encore” and “chords”, Enchords is comprised of 13 students: seven girls and six boys. Led by three seniors – Julia Roskopf, Sophia Araya and Kendall Olsen – Enchords meets every Thursday at the home of one of the captains to learn and rehearse songs to be performed at the four annual choir concerts. These leaders choose songs that they know will challenge the group, but also allow them to have fun while performing. Recently, Enchords performed Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal,” arranged by a fellow member.
“Kendall [Olsen] arranged it,” Roskopf said. “She wanted to do the glee version and she recorded herself singing each part to help us learn [them].”
Arranging music, or adapting music to create harmonizations, is a method used by Enchords in some of their pieces. Araya, who has been on Enchords for four years, remembers that her freshman year Enchords would “listen to a song and arrange it as a group.”
Although Enchords performs at choir concerts, Araya pointed out that “[students] don’t have to be in the choir class to be in Enchords.” In fact, Roskopf herself has never taken a high school choir class.
“I think that should be known,” Araya said. “It’s a way to get to know people that are interested in the same thing as you.”
Auditions to join Enchords are held at the beginning of the school year, where “[students] have to sing a song of their choice and match a pitch, and then sing the Star Spangled Banner with [an Enchords member] doing a harmony to see if they can sing in a group,” according to Roskopf.
Even though the singing is the most important part about Enchords, the social aspect ties it together.
“It doesn’t really feel like we’re working,” Roskopf said. “It feels like we’re hanging out and making music.”
Enchords last performed in Central’s holidy-themed choir concert held Monday, Dec.16 in the auditorium.
