From a former member of one of said a cappella groups...

books:


	• Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory Mickey Rapkin Gotham, 2008 - 275 pages average customer review:based on 7 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Captures The Feel

Mickey Rapkin, who himself sang a cappella with Cayuga's Waiters at Cornell University, covers a year in the life of three a cappella groups, two male, one female. People unfamiliar with this college subculture will get a good introduction to the competitions groups have with each other, both formal and informal, the clash of egos, the battles over trivial issues, and the other social aspects of collegiate a cappella singing groups collectively referred to in his book as "aca-politics."

While one of the groups described is a female group, it is clear that Rapkin is more intimately familiar with the male group experience, which is fine. Female groups have a different social dynamic, and mixed groups (which are barely mentioned in this book) are different from both. I am not bothered by the relative lack of coverage of these other social dynamics since it is clearly not the point of the book to be completely comprehensive, but rather to describe the experience from the point of view of three specific (and very different) groups.

I do have to penalize a star, though, for a number of errors concerning the history of a cappella music. (For example, he refers to The Manhattan Transfer's "Mecca for Moderns" as an a cappella album when, in fact, it contains only one a cappella track.) However, this book is not intended to be a historical tract; it intends to convey the feeling or the experience of being in a group, while at the same time discussing (and not impartially) the merits and drawbacks of the recent commercialization of the art form. To my knowledge, this book is unique for what it does and it is definitely a worthwhile read to anyone interested in music, even if the a cappella scene is somewhat alien.

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From a former member of one of said a cappella groups...

Disclaimer: I want to be up front in noting that I am a former member of one of the a cappella groups chronicled in Mickey's book, so I can't possibly claim objectivity. That said, I also know a great deal about the facts and stories contained within the book (at least as they relate to one of the groups).

Overall, I think the book does a good job of doing something that I've always found very, very difficult - trying to describe the experience of being in one of these groups to someone unfamiliar with the world of collegiate a cappella. The great challenge of trying to portray the strange, entertaining world of collegiate a cappella is that, as the book demonstrates, the experience of any one person or group can and does vary widely based on the character and personality of the group in question. That said, Rapkin does a nice job of giving us a window into the world of these 3 groups, with a tone that alternates between admiration, humor, and a bit of sarcasm.

This book cannot, and does not, cover the full range of issues and areas of collegiate a cappella. It certainly is not a comprehensive history of the topic, nor does it portray every side of every story with regard to the individuals mentioned in various chapters. But truth be told, that isn't the purpose of this book, nor should it be. This book is about telling a story that, until now, has largely gone untold - the story of a unique part of today's collegiate culture that prompts thousands of college students every year sign up for a cappella groups across the country. These groups are often the single most defining element of their members collegiate lives, and the types of memories they create (for better and worse) are well captured in Rapkin's book.

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Hilarious and Heartwarming

Pitch Perfect keeps you hooked from the first page, when you are introduced to the three a
cappella groups Rapkin follows during the 2006-07 school year. The book alternates chapters, one devoted to each group, taking you through the triumphs and tribulations these students face, beginning with auditions for "fresh meat" during orientation week through the conclusion of the spring semester. The songs that are described throughout the story come to life as you read! Not only does the reader instantly feel the campus vibe, but also feels affection for the singers. It's like going back to college! I thoroughly enjoyed the hilarious anecdotes that Rapkin peppers the pages with. Pitch Perfect is an easy read, filled with laugh-out-loud witty one-liners, and is heartwarming too. I can't wait for the next book from this very talented author!

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couldn't stop reading

i devoured this book in one day--today--and was alternately enthralled by the stories of the individual groups, fascinated by the facts i never knew, and laughing my head off at the author's sarcasm and wit.
i have been a big follower of collegiate a cappella for a few years now; both my older brother and i are in groups at our universities and my uncle was a part of Cornell's Hangovers. I have attended countless shows, both professional (Five O'Clock Shadow is my favorite group on the face of the earth) and collegiate, including the ICCA semifinals. needless to say, i thought i had a pretty good knowledge of the world of college a cappella. this book showed me i was wrong, and in the best way! It also made me interested in groups i'd never heard of, and i will most definately be on the lookout for some CDs...
I will also be recommending this to any and all a capella fans i know and just about anyone else who likes a good story.

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reviews: page 1, 2

Pitch Perfect is a behind-the-scenes look at the bizarre, often inspiring world of collegiate a cappella groups.

The first collegiate a cappella group, the Yale Whiffenpoofs, was founded by Cole Porter back in 1909. But what had been largely an Ivy League phenomenon has, in the past fifteen years, exploded. And it?s not what you think. There are now more than 1,200 a cappella groups at colleges across the country. The very best of these collegiate groups square off in the annual International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella?a showdown marked by wrenching close calls and exhilarating triumphs. And, really, where else can you hear Michael Jackson?s ?Bad? in four-part harmony?

In Pitch Perfect, GQ editor Mickey Rapkin follows a season in a cappella through all its twists and turns, covering the breathtaking displays of vocal talent, the groupies (yes, a cappella singers have groupies), the rockstar partying (and run-ins with the law), and all the bitter rivalries. Along the way are encounters with boldfaced names such as President George W. Bush, Prince, David Letterman, Barack Obama, Barbra Streisand, Hillary Clinton, Marisa Tomei, Amanda Bynes, Nick Lachey, Merv Griffin, Jim Carrey, Microsoft?s Paul Allen, John Legend, and Jessica Biel.

At the heart of the narrative are three a cappella groups whose interactions are anything but harmonious: the historic Tufts Beelzebubs, founded more than forty years ago with 40,000 albums sold since?and struggling to record a new album that lives up to the hype; Divisi of the University of Oregon, a relatively new, all-female group attempting to overcome a loss in the 2005 championship; and the University of Virginia Hullabahoos, the so-called bad boys of collegiate a cappella, who will attempt to compete on a higher level this year while retaining their casual soul.

Bringing a lively new twist to America?s fascination with talent showdowns and peerless performers, Pitch Perfect is sure to strike a chord with readers.

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