The annual VoiceJam A Cappella Festival returns to Walton Arts Center April 12-13, bringing “Pitch Perfect” talent to Northwest Arkansas for two nights only. The aca-filled weekend begins with a headlining concert by Take 6, the multi-Platinum® a cappella sextet dubbed “the baddest vocal cats on the planet” by Quincy Jones. These 10-time Grammy Award® winners will take the stage with their funky grooves that combine gospel, jazz, R&B and pop on Friday, April 12 – and tickets are just $10!
The Festival continues with the VoiceJam Competition on Saturday, April 13, where eight vocal groups from across the country will harmonize, beat box and battle it out for the title of champion. Only one will be crowned the winner. Join us to cast your vote for Aca-Fan Favorite! Tickets are $27.
Tickets for the Take 6 headliner concert and the VoiceJam Competition are on sale now. Want to experience it all? Purchase a combo ticket for just $29 by adding tickets to Take 6 when you buy tickets to the VoiceJam Competition. Your price will update automatically.
We asked each of the eight talented VoiceJam competitors to answer a few questions for a behind-the-scenes look at their process, experience and inspiration.
THE AMATEURS – WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, ST. LOUIS
What’s in your repertoire?
We don’t have a specific genre or theme that we stick to. Our repertoire is specific to the current iteration of the group, but we often lean towards pop, some R&B and jazz pop. Some recent songs we’ve performed at our concerts have been “Bass Song” by Eryn Allen Kane, “Lacy” by Olivia Rodrigo, “Georgia” by Phoebe Bridgers and “Pretty Please” by Dua Lipa.
GREEN TONES – UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS
What’s one thing you want people to know about your group?
One thing we want people to know and see within our performance is how dedicated we are to our craft. We all love music and a cappella is another outlet to show and express that love. With every performance or recording, we hope to show the passion we have as a collective for music and making art.
VOCAL POINT – UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
Do you have any pre-show rituals or warm-ups?
Before competitions we have a tradition called “VP letters.” Each member writes a personalized letter to someone else. On the day of competitions, we give our letters to each other, and it is so special! Having a personalized note of encouragement, happy memories and inside jokes from every current member brings the loving energy of Vocal Point to maximum capacity. It reminds us why we do what we do with the people around us and creates an infectious energy that cannot be duplicated.
FINAL MEASURE – UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
Does your group work with precisely notated music, or do you improvise?
We typically work with precisely notated music. The group is comprised of members with various backgrounds and majors ranging from business, acting and vocal performance to marketing and more. Most of the group members have experience in precisely notated music from musicals, show choir and semi-professional chorale.
PFC – MACARTHUR HIGH SCHOOL, SAN ANTONIO
Do you have any pre-show rituals or warm-ups?
One of our pre-show rituals is the “Hokey Pokey” which has been a tradition since before any of us knew what PFC was. Another ritual is that all our members wear a gold glitter stripe on the left side of their face. This has been a tradition since 2020, when PFC wore it at the International Competition of High School A Cappella and performed a set that meant a lot to us all.
VOICES – UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
What’s in your repertoire?
This semester we’re working on a lot of things! A Duke Ellington medley, “Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart;” a couple of Jacob Collier pieces; Eric Whitacre’s “Lux Aurumque;” Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies” and “Smile;” Santana’s “Yaleo” and Take 6’s “So Much 2 Say.” We’re also keeping a couple of pieces from Fall 2023, including Highline’s “How High the Moon” and “The Nearness of You” by Norah Jones.
VOLT – UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, KNOXVILLE
How did you come up with the name for your group?
Volt was chosen as the name for our group to represent our school by incorporating “Vol” for the Volunteers. The word “volt” was also chosen because it displays the idea of constant energy being produced, which was an objective for the group when it originated.
TRILLIUM – DALLAS/FORT WORTH
What songs, artists or genres of music are you currently listening to on your personal playlists – give us your top 5!
We love R&B, pop and some alternative. Top 5 songs: “Don’t Lose Sight” by Lawrence, “Something New” by Kristen Cruz, “Flintstones” by Jacob Collier, “Late Again” by Peter Manos and “Change” by Djo. We also just recently came out with a music video, “bet u wanna” available now on all streaming platforms and YouTube.
VoiceJam Festival Schedule
VoiceJam Headliner Concert – Take 6
Friday, April 12 | 8pm
Tickets $10
Saturday, April 13 | 9am-5pm
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
Saturday, April 13 | 7:30pm
Tickets $27
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