By Erin Guiney

A cappella has Pitch Perfect to thank for its integration into the mainstream. The 2012 musical comedy follows an all-female a cappella group’s journey to the ICCAs, or International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella. Though this movie was fictional, the ICCAs aren’t.

In fact, nine TPA students have put together their own a cappella group, with plans to compete in the high-school level ICCAs. PJ Carmody, the group’s primary tenor and one of the founding members, said that he decided to join because “My friends and I love to sing. What better way to display our talents than to create an a cappella group — a group that uses only our voices as instruments?”

The currently unnamed group, made up of sophomores and juniors, has their first official performance in November, during the Performing Arts Fundraising Concert. “I am delighted that students have taken the initiative to learn and perform beautiful a cappella music!” Dr. Wolfe says. “I look forward to hearing them.”

The group mixes modern pop songs with songs that were popular in the 60s and 70s, and are currently working on one of their audition mashups, which includes Set Fire To the Rain by Adele, and Danny Boy, an Irish folk song that was sung by Cantamus last year. To enter the competition, they need to send in a 9-15 minute audition tape of their mashups, and then the judges will select the top a cappella groups in Arizona to advance to the regional competition in early January. The group’s goal is to make it to the final round, where they will be competing with the top 10 high school a cappella groups in the nation. The ICHSA Finals will be held on April 17 in New York City.

Nasrynn Chowdhury, another of the group’s founding members, says, “I’ve always loved singing and when Erin told me that the Pitch Perfect competition was real and that if you were in the top, you’d be able to perform in New York, I was ecstatic.This sounds really nerdy, but there’s this tingly feeling you get when you’re singing in perfect harmonies with your friends.”

Currently, the a cappella group practices every Tuesday and Thursday after school, and occasionally during high school lunch. Any high school tenor or bass is welcome to audition for the group. Talk to Nasrynn Chowdhury for information or come by the Spanish room after school.