Last weekend a cappella fans had to choose between Purple Haze’s “Not Another A Cappella Show,” Asterik and X-Factors’ “Sausage Fest” and Significant Others’ show, which the group advertised by singing in the rain in front of The Rock.

With the popularity of a cappella music increasing both nationwide and at Northwestern, the 15 groups on campus find themselves planning conflicting concerts, especially in Spring Quarter, when there can be three or four shows a weekend.

The abundance of ensembles has created contentious competition in the past, the groups are learning to work in harmony, even if they still must improve to compete.

“(The competition) keeps us on our toes with being creative,” said Deborah Farr, a member of Aural Fixation. “We have to strive to be at a certain level because all the groups are so ambitious.”

‘A really good fit’

A cappella music is a group singing without instrumental accompaniment. But NU groups go a step beyond simple choral arrangements. They cover popular songs, using voices to mimic drums, guitars, bass and piano chords.

“People are interested in how you can create an entire ensemble out of all human voices,” said Andrew Roberts, former president of the board. “They wonder, ‘How can they do that?’ It’s just a really unique thing.”

Student aficionados say they enjoy the energy the groups put into performing as well as the fresh sound of their voices.

“I really like a cappella because they do really fun things with songs you’ve heard nine million times,” said Victor Limjoco, a Medill junior. “It’s just really fun to hear popular music reinterpreted.”

But not everyone is thrilled about the singers’ pre-eminence on campus.

“I just don’t like it when groups come to the dorms and try to win over the girls,” said Joe Kanter, a Weinberg freshman. “It’s my home, and I feel it’s just disrespectful for them to come in like that.”

About 250 students try out for the groups every fall, but only 30 to 40 actually get picked up by existing groups.

“My friends complain that (the abundance of groups) is overkill,” said Zach Mulert, president of Five Minutes of Fame. “But it’s still not enough to accommodate everyone who wants to perform.”

A bigger pool gives performers a better chance to find a group that fits them. Group leaders say it’s important its singers come together both musically and personally.

Cory Streit, director of Melodious Thunk, said Thunk’s callbacks serve in part to get to know prospective members.

“We sing, blend, get to know each other’s personalities. It’s about how you’re going to fit in a group. It’s going to be quite a commitment and we want it to be a good fit,” she said.

Finding a match is important – both Aural Fixation and Five Minutes of Fame lost members because the group was not a good fit for some.

Mulert said those who don’t find a group that matches their interests often will form their own, adding to the already large scene.

‘Competitive edge’

With so many groups practicing the form, university regulations sometimes make competition necessary.

“Sometimes the university makes it hard because of space and advertising restrictions,” Farr said. “You need a little competitive edge. I wish it didn’t have to be that way.”

But groups say they don’t make rivalry their priority, even though it might seem that way.

Purple Haze and Melodious Thunk often are lumped together as the two best groups on campus. That proximity has created a lot of friction in the past, but group members say it’s much friendlier now.

Still, mentioning Thunk’s self-proclaimed title, “Northwestern’s premier coed a cappella group,” to a Haze member can ruffle some feathers.

“For one group to say that they are the premier a cappella group is a little presumptuous. That is something to be bestowed upon you by others, not necessarily self-declared,” said Stephanie Jacobs, a member of Purple Haze.

But Streit said the title is not meant to have a competitive tone.

“The reason we use ‘premier’ is because it means we are the first – the first group to form on campus. It’s not meant in a way to cause competition,” said Streit, a Music junior.

She said the animosity between groups has lessened from two years ago, when the coed groups competed for audiences and bragging rights.

“There’s no need to be that competitive,” she said. “It’s really encouraging that (the groups) realize and respect each other for what they are now.”

Several groups began performing together to ease the competition for audiences that stemmed from events being double booked. Many groups also have realized that performing with other groups results in bigger audiences, said Kim Guenther, producer of Significant Others.

Events such as the All A Cappella Fest in April, which included performances by five NU ensembles, have gone a long way toward fostering cooperation between the groups, she said.

‘get together and talk’

Groups found a common resource in the a cappella board, created last year to promote communication among 10 groups on campus. The board, which had two representatives from each group, provided Associated Student Government recognition and helped level the playing field.

In fall 2000, the board also ran an open audition that seven groups participated in, but that idea has been abandoned in favor of letting groups run their own tryouts.

The board disbanded after about a year because group members didn’t have time to run their own ensembles and simultaneously keep up an umbrella organization.

But the ensembles learned the benefits of collaboration. The board still meets informally to provide an important forum for communication between the groups.

“We’re still going to meet just to get together and talk,” Roberts said.

‘niche helps define you’

Through working together, some of NU’s a cappella groups discovered it’s better to find a smaller, devoted following than to try to appeal to everyone.

Guenther said she is glad Significant Others found its identity on campus as the only all-female a cappella group.

“A niche helps define you,” she said. “Your audience is generally friends of the group or people intrigued by the idea of the group or their advertisements.”

While students sometimes complain that there are too many ensembles, those who participate say each group has its own place.

But Jacobs said there can be too much of a good thing – the continued expansion of NU’s a cappella scene could lead to more overprogramming.

“Whenever we have huge shows with all the groups, it can get excessive,” she said. “There’s a limit to how much a cappella you can listen to.”