You might’ve seen the classic 2000s movie Pitch Perfect. Maybe you’ve seen the sequel or the third movie. There’s even a chance you’ve rewatched this amazing trilogy, possibly more than once. But I bet it isn’t the same as Pitch Perfect—GA Edition!
Let’s start with a quick recap of Pitch Perfect: A girl named Becca goes to college (with a horrible attitude). There, her dad forces her to get out and have a social life. That is where she meets and unexpectedly joins the Barden Bellas, a very powerful, all-girl a cappella group. As a Bella, she rediscovers her love for music and appreciates the power of teamwork!
Pitch Perfect—GA Edition is an a cappella class inspired by the Barden Bellas led by two amazing a cappella singers themselves—drumroll please! Ms. Montgelas, assistant head of the Middle School, and Ms. Mullins, MS drama and music teacher. Both were very big a cappella singers in college (Ms. Montgelas even sang in high school), but haven’t done so very much since. Either way, Ms. Montgelas and Ms. Mullins enjoy singing very much and would like to continue doing so in the future. Ms. Mullins and I have watched Pitch Perfect twice, but Ms. Montgelas wins this one: She’s seen it six times! I don’t blame her…Pitch Perfect is a-ca-mazing!
Ms. Montgelas says her hope for the class is for the girls to “get to sing in a different style than the traditional choir experience… I also hope they get to explore a love of music and ‘play’ with music in a totally new way.” Ms. Mullins says, “The biggest skill I hope they will gain is a sense of musical independence both in terms of their ability to hold a melodic line in a small group and their ability to lead the group. That’s why we gave them each a pitch pipe, enabling them to start their songs without our help at all.”
Both teachers are very impressed with how the camp is turning out. Ms. Montgelas says, “We are having a total blast! We are so happy with how quickly these six singers are picking up the music—they are really blending beautifully and I think they are having fun!” While Ms. Mullins says, “We have to give credit to the amazing students who signed up for our camp. Not only are they incredibly talented musicians but they are kind, hilarious, and hard working. Ms. Montgelas and I look forward to coming to rehearse with them every morning— hope we get to run the camp again in future years!” According to the teachers, this camp is aca-awesome. But, do the students feel the same way?
Yes, they do! I interviewed two rising Group VIII students, Antonella Polo de la Piedra and Camila Castano, and they both agreed that their a cappella experience was incredible. They came to Pitch Perfect—GA Edition without ever having experienced a cappella singing before, but by the end of the week, they sounded aca-astounding and realized that they loved singing. Both Antonella and Camila said that they would definitely sign up for this camp next year if it is offered. Their favorite song was “Cups” from the original Pitch Perfect which they had both watched more than three times each! Antonella says her favorite part of her a cappella experience is “hearing the harmonies and how well all of our voices blend together.” Camila says, “It’s really fun and it helps build teamwork skills but also focuses on your own part independently.” At the end they both discovered they loved singing and made new friends. Believe it, it sounds like Pitch Perfect but even better!
I was there to observe a part of the class on the third day of camp, and I wanted to join that camp just by being there for 15 minutes! There was a ton of laughter along with an amazing blend of beautiful voices. Ms. Montgelas and Ms. Mullins were very supportive and helped bring this incredibly fun style of music to GA (which both teachers said was their goal at the beginning of the week). If Pitch Perfect—GA Edition is offered next year, I am sure you won’t want to miss out because it’s aca-amazing… It’s aca-awesome… It’s a cappella!
