A student-run a cappella group has officially arrived at CHS.
Jack Coleman, student director and sophomore, said the idea for the group came from Shea Rhoutsong, student director and junior.
“(Shea) approached me about it, and I found the idea of a department-independent choral group very promising,” he said. “It just seemed like a cool prospect, and CHS really didn’t have an a cappella group.”
Auditions took place in February, and from them, Coleman and Rhoutsong finalized a roster.
“We got to hear some really great voices, and I think we’ve got a pretty good start for what will hopefully become a significant part of CHS culture,” Coleman said.
According to him, at this point the group plans to rehearse on Wednesdays and perform in the choral department’s spring concert. The challenges thus far are clear, he said, but the directors are doing their best to deal with them.
“Getting organized, creating a harmonious working environment and song choice are all very difficult, especially in the beginning,” he said.
According to choral director Lamonte Kuskye, the idea of a student-run group is not totally new at CHS, as students directed Greyhound Sound during spring of 2012.
Kuskye said his feelings about a student-run group depend on the purpose of the group in question.
“If you’re trying to be competitive, I would hope that by working with a faculty member, you’re going to get the highest grade of training. If it’s student, they don’t have the experience yet,” he said. “If it’s more of a for-fun activity, I think it’s awesome that students are getting together.”
However, Kuskye said, he is supportive of any new opportunities for students to sing.
“I think (the a cappella group) is cool because I think it’s another chance for kids to be involved and to sing,” he said. “I think everybody should sing.
Coleman said the idea for the group was unrelated to the popularity of “Pitch Perfect,” a 2012 film featuring several impressive a cappella performances.
“We were very keen on something in the vein of ‘Straight No Chaser,’” he said. “It has nothing to do with ‘Pitch Perfect.’ Our name is a pun created before the film was released, and we have forbidden the mention of that movie in our meetings (because) we just get really annoyed when people suggest that we created the group because a cappella groups were popularized by a movie.”
For now, Coleman said, the goal of Pitch, Please! is to “have fun, sing well and make something beautiful.”