On Dec. 7, the Lexington High School Fall Jam featured performances from the seven LHS a capella groups. Fall Jam is the first of three concerts that the a cappella groups will put on this year and marks the debut of new a cappella members.
“Fall Jam is just a really good way to get into the groove because it’s the first jam for everyone. There’s no judgment going around as people are getting settled into their groups and just beginning to get to know each other. People are having fun,” Brian Jia, a junior at LHS and member of Rock Paper Scissors, said.
Many different elements go into Fall Jam preparations. Each group spends time arranging their songs, learning song arrangements, and incorporating both musicality and choreography into their performances.
“We arrange our three pieces of music. Every group does three pieces, and we practice twice every week for about two hours. We try to learn it, get it memorized, get it performable, and make sure the audience enjoys it at the jam,” Jia said.
Finding a good blend among different voices in the group is always a difficult part of the preparation process.
“Trying to create a nice blend and make it sound good all together—that’s probably the hardest part,” Claire Niu, a Junior at LHS and a member of Noteworthy, said.
However, the ability to collaborate with fellow a cappella members in creating great performances outweighs these challenges and motivates the members.
“There’s something really interesting about being in a group where people are able to make music with just their voices and being able to come together [and] create harmonies,” Nyneishia Schneider, a sophomore at LHS and a member of Noteworthy, said.
To polish their performances, groups will seek feedback from each other. Aarav Phadnis, a freshman at LHS and a member of Rock Paper Scissors, talked about combined rehearsals.
“A lot of the stuff we’re doing now is to help prepare. We’re going to start doing combined rehearsals with other a cappella groups so that we can get feedback and some advice from the other groups,” Phadnis said.
Jia enjoys concerts because the groups can sing for a live audience and show the results of their preparation.
“[I enjoy] the thrill of performing. Performing pieces for everyone to enjoy: your hard work pays off,” Jia said.
Brought together by a shared love for music and performing, the members of the a capella community form a close-knit group. Schneider feels that being part of her a capella group creates a strong sense of community.
“We’re like a family and we are really close with each other and became really good friends. It’s just a really welcoming and supportive community,” Schneider said.
