I just finished Mickey Rapkin's book on collegiate a cappella, "Pitch Perfect," and it conjured a host of feelings, from warm, fuzzy memories of my own time in a college a cappella group, to memories of a different sort -- the personality clashes and pettiness that also went with it.
And that's precidely the point. Rapkin's book is an excellent look at the current college a cappella scene through the eyes of three groups - Divisi from the University of Oregon, the Hullabahoos from the University of Virginia and the Tufts Beelzebubs. Written in a hip, savvy style, "Pitch Perfect" shows all sides of a cappella, from the innocent pleasure of singing to the cutthroat internal politics that often go with it - all filtered through the Animal House side of college life that these groups are in the thick of. It's a whip-smart book with humor and pathos, and a good read.
I read it, in part, because our annual College A Cappella show is coming up in Brattleboro on Feb. 7, and to my wildest delight, my old group, the Trinity Pipes, are coming. Add them to a powerhouse lineup that also includes the Beelzebubs, the Brown U. Jabberwocks and six other groups, and it's going to be a wild night.
I'm trying to rally old Pipes to come and cheer our team on. If you are one, or know one, tell them to come.