All-vocal group Rockapella concludes parent’s weekend at SU
Gyasi Barber said he melted inside when he first heard George Baldi III’s voice.
Baldi, the bass singer for Rockapella, performed Sunday with the rest of his group at the Schine Student Center as a conclusion to SU’s Family Weekend.
Rockapella also listened to on-campus a capella groups Orange Appeal and The Mandarins.
‘They were so tight, and it was hard to tell who was singing what,’ said Barber, a junior music education major and bass singer for the all-male Orange Appeal a cappella group. Barber said Orange Appeal learned how to use their voices to keep the group together from Rockapella.
‘I want to bring that back to our group, which might be tough since there are 15 of us in Orange Appeal,’ he said.
Rockapella performed a series of songs from their past albums, while mixing in some brand new ones. It was not just the flow of their dynamic voices that brought Rockapella to life; it was their fluid choreography that made the concert more of a theater performance.
Scott Leonard, the high tenor and main songwriter of the group, said the combination of their movements and vocal techniques define the originality of Rockapella.
‘One of the reasons we work so well together is that we aren’t trying to sound exactly like instruments,’ Leonard said. ‘We’re human, so why not fit in words that add to the song and doesn’t necessarily replicate the sounds of a drum set or bass guitar.’
The group performed their own classics, like ‘People Change,’ as well as famous covers such as ‘Stand by Me.’ The group has not recorded a studio album six years, but they have still been writing new material, said mouth-drummer Jeff Thacher.
The group showcased ‘California Sad-Eyed Girl’ Sunday; an unrecorded song that has grown in popularity among fans via live shows and the Internet.
Rockapella also performed their classic ‘Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?’ which was followed by a standing ovation from the audience.
Leonard said they performed the song live before every episode of the children’s TV show of the same name. Yet neither Leonard nor any of the current group members were ever on the show.
Prior to the group’s show, Syracuse University’s five a cappella groups had the once-in-a-lifetime chance to sit down and talk with the band about the art of vocal performance.
SU a cappella group The Mandarins performed and then were critiqued by Rockapella. For Leonard, the session was a time to text on his iPhone while facing the audience. But for junior voice performance major Alicia Bronzetti, of The Mandarins, it was an incredible learning experience.
‘It was really very nerve racking,’ Bronzetti said. ‘I’m really glad we got to do that because not a lot of colleges get to do that. The feedback that they gave was really helpful. There is a lot we can bring back to the group and what we can work on.’
Bronzetti also added that she learned a lot from Baldi, who has been with the band since 2003. Baldi said that he visualizes specific colors with each song to make them unique.
‘When I’m singing the ‘doo-doos’ I’m thinking of different colors,’ Baldi said. ‘Every song has its own color, and I build my voice around that. When you’re focusing on using just your resonance it’s, it’s just cool.’
