SHA! cappella

by Nina Goldman

When I was asked to sit in on a recent SHA! cappella rehearsal, I tried not to get too excited. I had heard so many great stories about this Bronxville High School a cappella (singing unaccompanied by musical instruments) group, that I didn’t want to raise my expectations too high. There was no need to worry. My expectations were not only surpassed, but listening in on a SHA! Rehearsal completely made my day.

The group consists of six girls and seven guys ranging from freshmen to seniors. Their director, Jay Spadone, calls them “a great group of kids” with whom “it’s been wonderful working with.” Many SHA! members cite it as a great way to make friends of all ages and grades. They all seem to get along really well, and were very welcoming when I came to their rehearsal, even trying to recruit me.

One of the best parts of SHA! is how much they seem to love what they are doing. “I absolutely adore it. It is my favorite after-school activity,” says sophomore Karly Redpath. She also called it “absolutely magnificent.” Everyone else seemed to feel the same way, taking time out of their busy schedules to harmonize with other people with beautiful voices.

And the music that they make, without the aid of any instruments, is truly beautiful. Singing songs such as “Blue Moon”, “Stand By Me”, “Kiss the Girl”, “Loch Lomond”, “I Feel Good”, and, my favorite, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”, SHA! sings with skill, coordination, and character. The character of this group is perhaps the best part. When some of the tenors (Thomas Dawson and Jack Begert) and a bass (Chris Palermo) began to dance together during what Jack called their “best rendition ever” of “Stand By Me”, it made the song just that much better. Spontaneous dancing occurred during most of the songs sung, ranging from movements matching the lyrics to the Macarena. In between songs, the group chatted and joked amongst themselves, with Jay making futile attempts to keep order. The antics were highly entertaining for me, being an outside viewer and not used to them. “There is nothing wrong with prancing”, “dungeon! *lights go off*”, “control your ADD” and “tenors are not spoiled!” were all actual quotes from just one rehearsal, and they represent a small percentage of the shenanigans. However, in reality, the group is more organized than they first appear (the rehearsal location moved several times after everyone arrived, until the group ended up at a singer’s house), and senior Lauren Harrington does a great job of keeping them all together.

As proof of their hard work paying off, SHA! cappella sings at functions ranging from charity events to multiple memorial day parades to an event at the Bronx Zoo to the National Anthem for the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

“Nobody sings a cappella unless they’re really cool,” says junior Thomas Dawson. Though I am unsure of exactly how this group defines “really cool”, if you like to sing they would certainly like to have you try out. SHA! is holding auditions on Wednesday, May 20th at Christ Church at 7 00PM. All are welcome. Jay says to “please bring a song if you have one.” “…and cookies,” added an unidentified SHA! member. Though that is obviously a joke, the group does like cookies. “The best cookies in the world,” says sophomore Jack Begert, “come from Sara Winant [a sophomore alto in SHA!]” Cookies, however, are not the best thing about SHA! What is best about this truly talented group is the amazing music that they pull out of thin air.

More information can be found on SHA! cappella's website: http://shacappella.com/