Cal Poly’s a cappella group, Take It SLO, is partnering with Fermata Nowhere (2009 winners of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella) and Cal Poly improv-comedy group, Smile and Nod, for a special collaborative event called “Improvapella” this Friday.
A percentage of the proceeds from “Improvapella” will support the upcoming “Relay for Life” event at Cal Poly. Tickets will be five dollars at the door.
President of Take It SLO and business administration senior, Amy Lebetsamer, said this is the first time they have collaborated with Smile and Nod to form a show combining the arts of a cappella singing and improv-comedy.
“Smile and Nod has opened events for us in the past, and we’ve opened events for them, but we’ve never joined forces to perform together,” Lebetsamer said. “It will be a great mix of music and comedy.”
Take It SLO, the only a cappella group at Cal Poly, was established by a group of music students in 2003 when they decided they wanted to do a different kind of singing. The group now consists of approximately 15 students, ranging from those studying vocals to aerospace engineering majors.
They have been featured at venues throughout San Luis Obispo county including Hearst Castle, the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center and Farmers’ Market, and have traveled to Santa Barbara, Northridge and Los Angeles for other performances. Take It SLO sings a variety of original music arrangements from pop songs to “those classic tunes that you can’t get out of your head.”
Cal Poly’s improv-comedy group, Smile and Nod, has been practicing comedy skits in conjunction with the a cappella talents of Take It SLO for “Improvapella.”
Featured guest Fermata Nowhere is a comedy-oriented a cappella group from Mount San Antonio Community College. Though they will not be collaborating on skits with Take It SLO and Smile and Nod, Lebetsamer said the group is fun to watch and will provide a middle-ground for the event.
The group, from a small community college in southern California, has made a name for themselves as one of the best a cappella groups in the world. Fermata Nowhere made history performing in the Broadway Theater in New York City last year, becoming the first community college group to win the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella.
Fermata Nowhere sings everything from eight-part Renaissance motets, to barbershop, to rock ‘n’ roll and hip-hop. With increasing popularity over the last few years, they have been busy thrilling audiences with their lively performances in venues from New York to Alaska, and now, to San Luis Obispo.
“Fermata Nowhere is definitely one of the most enjoyable a cappella groups in the nation to watch,” said mechanical engineering sophomore and member of Take It SLO, Jacob Stringfellow. “I am really excited to be part of this event.”
Take It SLO singer and psychology freshman Caitlin Fuller said the show will have people on the floor laughing.
“It will be amazingly hilarious and tons of fun,” Fuller said.
The event will feature two back-to-back shows beginning at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at the H.P. Davidson Music Building in room 218.