There’s a certain something in a cappella singing — the art of performing unaccompanied choral pieces — and a local group formed just prior to the start of the pandemic is filling the Coachella Valley with that something.
What it is: Alan Scott, director and founder of Coachella Acappella, the only all-female a cappella group in the area, explains that the style “uses only the voice box, lips, teeth and tongue to shape the music,” telling stories with familiar words and providing new meanings for the listener.
- “A cappella has a special kind of magic that is unlike any other kind of music because you are the instrument yourself.”
Fateful beginning: Shortly after the group was started, the pandemic struck. “We rehearsed for a few months and then we were forced by Covid into meeting virtually,” Scott says.
The benefits: Sherri North, who sings with the group and also works as management team director, says the chorus has been a fun way to get back into singing after more than two decades of being away from it.
- “It’s such a peaceful moment,” she says. “The music takes my mind off the hustle and worry and brings happiness to me.”
Credit where it’s due: For North, Scott is the person making it all happen.
- “He is a fantastic director to work with, who prides himself in bringing empowerment to women, to be and do our best.”
More information: Anyone interested in singing with the group can contact Scott for an audition through http://www.coachellaacappella.org/. The only requirement is that you are able to maintain a tonal center — in other words, carry a tune. And Scott makes it clear that “I make the auditioning experience comfortable and those auditioning can sing anything they choose.”
