BYU Vocal Point and The Sing-Off

Music has always been a huge part of my life.

While I’m a fan of many different types of music, a cappella music in particular holds a very special place in my heart.

I’d spent much of my youth listening to a cappella music (Voicemale, Inside Out, Moosebutter). I would listen to some of my favorite songs from these groups and attempt to write out the sheet music with my older brother Brett so we could learn and perform them with our friends, which we did end up doing on several occasions. As I got to my last few years of high school, I became very involved in choir and musical theater performances and spent a lot of time with my friends Jared, Carter, Mason, and Cody, just to name a few. We would spend considerable time making up arrangements of songs and finding opportunities to perform.

After attending BYU for a few years I decided I would audition for BYU’s nine-man a cappella group: Vocal Point. I didn’t make it the first time I auditioned, but I tried again the following year and was lucky enough to get in! I was getting towards the end of my BYU education, so I knew my time wouldn’t be long with Vocal Point, but I was ecstatic about it nonetheless.

The brotherhood that forms from every year of a new Vocal Point group is amazing. This happens naturally of course purely out of a lot of time spent together doing something we all love. Throughout my first year with Vocal Point, we not only put on a lot of shows, but we also participated in ICCA’s (International Championship of Collegiate Acappella) which brought us to the finals in New York where we placed 2nd overall. We then went to Nauvoo during the summer to perform for a few weeks (a yearly Vocal Point tradition at the time). So we’d already spent a lot of time together.

While touring in Nauvoo, a unique opportunity arose for Vocal Point to be a part of NBC’s 3rd season of their a cappella competition TV show, “The Sing-Off.” Similar to “The Voice” or “American Idol” but all a cappella. We sent in an audition tape and were selected as one of 16 groups to perform that season. I was so excited. I didn’t fully understand what this all meant. Originally I thought it would be a great summer vacation in California! I’d get to be on TV with Vocal Point and perform, and in our spare time see some fun sights, go to the beach, maybe even visit Disneyland!

Nope.

What it actually meant was living together with my Vocal Point brothers in the Double Tree hotel in LA for several months towards the end of the summer and on into the fall semester. We were basically prisoners, shuttled from the hotel to the studio with occasional stops in between for food, and that was it. When school started in the fall, we were flown back and forth from LA to Salt Lake as we were still filming episodes of the show. This not only meant that we spent even MORE time together as Vocal Point (driving each other crazy occasionally), but we also spent an enormous amount of time with all of the other competing groups.

It definitely wasn’t a vacation, but it was a blast!

From rehearsals for opening numbers, to sharing vans commuting, goofing off backstage at the studio and hanging out after hours at the hotel, as the weeks passed we all became friends as a Sing-Off acapella community. To this day there is a Sing-Off Season 3 Facebook group where I get to see occasionally what everyone is up to and maintain contact. Yes we were competing against each other, but the atmosphere was always positive, kind, encouraging and loving between all the groups. In fact I remember when we first got there, Deke Sharon, the show's musical producer, emphasized this by saying: “When people turn on the TV at home and come across The Sing-Off, you want them to stop and watch. They’re only going to do that if they like what they hear and see. Then they’ll listen to you when it’s your turn! If they don’t like it, or a group doesn’t sound good, they’ll change the channel and never listen to you!”

It was in the show’s best interest to make sure everyone sounded their absolute best and performed well. Every week we had choreographers and music producers making the rounds between all the groups in the hotel to assist in making this happen. And all of them were amazing to work with. Even the judges of the show, Ben Folds, Sara Bareilles and Shawn Stockman, generally gave positive and valuable feedback after each number. If there were critiques, they were handled with care and always followed up with something positive. There were no put downs, insults, or any negative drama from anyone in the show.

When groups started to get eliminated and sent home, this was a genuinely sad experience for everyone and every week a tradition started of getting together for a send off and saying goodbye. This meant hanging out at the hotel, laughing, performing songs for each other, etc.

The most memorable performance ever for me was the night Vocal Point got eliminated. Not the televised performance (although that was definitely memorable), but the send off performance back at the hotel afterwards with the remaining groups. We all ended up on the large balcony of the hotel, and Vocal Point put on a show. We threw everything we had at them. From fun and silly songs in our repertoire like 12 Days of Christmas, to more spiritual stuff like Nearer My God To Thee, Savior Redeemer, and Infant Holy Infant Lowly. They had seen us perform our assigned songs from The Sing-Off producers, but it was a special and powerful experience to share with these remaining groups what Vocal Point was really all about. It’s hard to put into words the feeling in the air from that night. The remaining performing groups with us (Afro Blue, Urban Method, Dartmouth Aires, and Pentatonix), all of them incredibly talented performers and singers, and they all gathered around and cheered us on as we sang our real swan songs. It was sad to be leaving and likely not see any of them again, but I wouldn’t trade that night for anything.

This past summer I was able to participate in BYU Vocal Point’s 30th Anniversary Reunion show at the Salt Lake City Tabernacle. I was able to reunite with most of my Vocal Point brothers from my year as well as those that came before and after me to Vocal Point. We rehearsed intensely for a few days and put on a fun performance, but more than anything I loved seeing and spending time with these wonderful men. The positive and happy atmosphere was infectious and an amazing spirit was among us.

We all vary in backgrounds, careers, personalities, and changing physical appearance, but we all unite in music and performing together. There is nothing greater than a group of loving people doing what they love together.

Vocal Point's mission statement is "To enlighten the hearts and minds of those within the sound of our voice to the filling of their souls with joy." Joy is why we do what we do. Whether on a hotel balcony with my Sing-Off family or at a reunion with my Vocal Point brothers, soul-filling joy was overflowing.

To enlighten the hearts and minds of those within the sound of our voice to the filling of their souls with joy.

Also, you can watch "Vocal Point: 30th Anniversary Concert" that was just released today on BYUtv.