There are a variety of available choir classes at the high school including Varsity Voices, Women’s Chorus and Concert Choir. These are all great options for students looking to be involved in music during school. However, often overlooked is the a cappella group From the Top, led by choir director Jack Phillipson.
In contrast to the other choirs which are offered as classes, From the Top is an afterschool group. Practices occur in the choir room 6:00 – 8:30 pm on Mondays and Thursdays.
“We have practices pretty late at night so it’s a nice way to unwind after a long day,” Junior and a cappella group member Abigail Martin said.
From the Top has existed for three years. The a cappella group competes once a year at a competition called the International Competition of High School A Cappella. The first year, they placed first at the quarter-finals. Their second year, they didn’t compete and instead created a six-song extended play, similar to an album, which is yet to be released to the public. This year they placed fourth at the quarter-finals.
“This year, we were in Ohio, so it was one of the first overnight competitions,” said Martin. “I don’t have one bad experience from that trip.”
Martin has been a member of the a cappella group for two years now. As a sophomore, she was the youngest member and found the experience quite stressful. Now that she’s more comfortable, Martin finds the choir to be less nerve-wracking.
“I was definitely really intimidated at first because I was afraid that everyone was going to be so much better than me,” Martin said. “This year, I have a lot more people who are in my grade, and a lot more friends. So it’s been really fun.”
Martin is also a member of Varsity Voices. Martin feels a lot more responsibility is put on her shoulders in a cappella as compared to Varsity Voices.
“You have to learn the music yourself,” Martin said. “It teaches you to be a better sight-reader and it just helps you to be better at singing overall.”
In order to join the a cappella group, you must be currently taking a performing arts class such as band or choir. Auditions are once a year during September where hopeful members are asked to sing two songs of contrasting genres in order to show their range. Additionally, students must sing their vocal parts, such as bass, tenor, alto, or soprano, of two different pre-arranged songs. It’s not just the students who find tryouts stressful, Phillipson also feels the pressure to build a successful choir.
“If I hear someone who has a really bright and powerful voice and someone who has a more of a dark and smooth voice, I have to create in my imagination how these voices are going to sound together,” said Phillipson. “The biggest challenge is figuring out which combinations work.”
In his years of directing the group, Phillipson has experienced changes through the years.
“It’s been more of quality over quantity because there aren’t as many people in choir,” Phillipson said. “But that brought up a lot of individual talent so it’s more solo and individual strength-based now.”
Phillipson instructs the other three choirs in addition to a cappella and agrees that a cappella has more responsibility given to the students. He distributes the assignments this way so that he can critique the stylistic choices more than in a traditional choir.
“I give the a cappella group a lot more of their own leadership,” Phillipson said. “Giving that kind of individual responsibility to the group gives me a lot more freedom to direct in an artistic way.”
The group also performs at invitationals in addition to competitions. Their most recent performance was the high school’s “Pop Concert” which took place May 10th and 11th.
