It’s 10 p.m. on Monday. Seventeen members of the Groovestand a cappella group sing a three-syllable beat repeatedly. ‘De-mah-tuh, de-mah-tuh, de-mah-tuh.’ To the naked ear, the group sounds perfect. But for Alanna Rogers, two voices could have blended better.

‘The tenors and altos need to listen to each other more,’ said Rogers, Groovestand’s president and senior acting major.

They practice again. Rogers listens with a critical ear to make sure each note is performed with purpose. Once. Twice. Three times — finally, it’s perfect. She tells her peers, ‘That looked exponentially better, guys. Awesome job.’

Groovestand, Syracuse University’s a cappella group, has been practicing tirelessly for its semifinal performance at Rutgers University this Saturday. It will perform against seven other teams, all vying for a spot at the national competition,hosted by Varsity Vocals in New York City. The group won the International Championships of A Cappella quarterfinal competition Feb. 19 at The College of New Jersey.

The upcoming rivalry is stiff, and Groovestand is taking the semifinal much more seriously than the quarterfinals, said Kieran Siao, business director of the group. As for preparation, it’s all in the little things, he said.

Groovestand practices its 12-minute set over and over, tweaking and fine-tuning each motion, action and voice until it sounds as it should. Rogers analyzes each member’s face and listens intently, making sure everything flows.

‘It even comes down to enunciating words,’ said Mia McClain, co-music director and senior musical theater major. ‘We’re really breaking it down and getting as clean as we can.’

Groovestand last appeared in an ICCA competition in 2007, but none of its current 21 members had experienced such an event until last month’s quarterfinal. Winning gave Groovestand newfound exposure, and other teams, such as the Pittsburgh Pendulums, were impressed by Groovestand and invited them to perform at its invitational, said Siao, a senior environmental major.

‘Winning was unbelievable,’ Rogers said. ‘It was an insane feeling to know our hard work paid off, and people recognized that.’

McClain and Siao scoped out the competition to see their different performance styles through YouTube videos and an a cappella blog. That also helps identify what differentiates Groovestand from the rest.

‘I look at other groups and think, ‘That was really great.’ But we’re completely different,’ McClain said. ‘I’m not really competing with them, I’m competing with myself.’

Groovestand sings a lot of pop, soul, classic rock and R&B, Rogers said. That, paired with the members’ chemistry, is what really creates a unified sound.

‘There’s a soul to us and a unity to our passion, which I think is unmatchable,’ Rogers said. ‘We are a unit, and that is something that really grabs people’s attention. There isn’t one face that is bored. We are so in sync.’

It’s 10:15 p.m. In between songs, group members joke around and laugh with one another. As soon as it’s time to rehearse again, they get into position, ready to perform. Each member contributes his or her own groove to create a unique and united performance that sums up the style of the group.

‘I think we’re just really funky and diverse,’ McClain said. ‘We do Sara Bareilles and Jay-Z in the same set — that makes us stand out and shows the judges that we have something really unique.’

At 10:30 p.m., McClain moves on to the next song, ‘Empire State of Mind,’ to make sure choreography is tight. Then, through what McClain calls sectionals, smaller groups rehearse their voice parts to make sure each is solid.

Their sound can even be affected by the placement of individuals within the ensemble, said Ross Baum, co-music director and junior musical theater major. The formation can change the sound based on the way voices bounce back and forth, he said. With judges picking apart every second of a routine, it’s important to pay attention to even the smallest details.

Given all this effort, when Saturday comes around, Groovestand will be ready to prove itself.

‘Our diverse set list really impressed the judges and showcased our wide range of abilities,’ Rogers said.

Baum hopes to advance, but said he would understand if it didn’t work out this weekend.

‘At this level of the competition, everyone’s so amazing, so it’s no judgment on us if we don’t win,’ he said.

Ultimately, Groovestand will put its best foot forward, Siao said, and it’s up to what the judges are looking for. Each judge prefers a certain style or choreography, he said, and all the group members can do is hope their distinctive identity will carry them to the next round. 

Groovestand will perform with confidence, represent SU and undoubtedly have a blast. But of course, getting to the finals is on everyone’s mind.

‘Of course I want to win!’ McClain said with a smile. ‘I want to see Groovestand sing in New York City.’

mainthia@syr.edu

Published on March 22, 2011 at 12:00 pm