The Sing-Off Live! Tour, an offshoot of NBC's a cappella singing competition, is making its way to South Florida tomorrow. This is the second time they've taken their impressive vocal feats on the road nationally. The popular television show propelled a cappella groups Pentatonix and Home Free into the spotlight and featured popular groups such as VoicePlay, which sang in season four. Of course, with the emergence of Pitch Perfect and the upcoming sequel, a cappella fever has grown to a fever, well, pitch since the program's launch.
We had a chance to speak with VoicePlay's "bass man" Geoff Castellucci about the coolest things about singing a cappella, whether he's seen Pitch Perfect, and the best place to sing without music.
New Times: What is your favorite part about singing a cappella?
Geoff Castellucci: The greatest thing about singing a cappella is that it immediately links you to your audience. Everyone has a voice, and there's something so simple and honest and personal about sharing your own voice in harmony.
Why do you like singing a cappella as opposed to with music?
I definitely enjoy performing with instruments too, but there's something magical about creating music with just the human voice.
I saw your rendition "Once Upon a Dream" from Sleeping Beauty. How was it creating a Disney classic? Also, whose idea was it for the scare at the end?
"Once Upon a Dream" was recorded as a sort of "Halloween greeting card." We really enjoyed Lana Del Ray's interpretation of the song and thought it would work really well as an a cappella arrangement. The scare at the end was our drummer's idea -- he's probably overly excited about Halloween.
What is it like being on tour?
Being on tour is great for all the reasons you'd think it's great: Playing for fans across the country, making great music, seeing places you wouldn't normally get to see. But it can be challenging for some not-so-obvious reasons: Sleeping on a moving bus is never a treat, and being away from home and family can be incredibly difficult.
You are from Orlando, Florida. What is your favorite part about Florida?
After being all over the country, my favorite part about living in Florida is that it never snows. Snow is the worst!
Is Pitch Perfect one of your favorite movies? How do you feel about Pitch Perfect 2 coming out?
I'm gonna out myself here and admit that I've never seen Pitch Perfect. It's on my list!
What's the perfect atmosphere for singing a cappella?
I'd maybe argue that my shower is the perfect place for a cappella (great acoustics, you know), but South Florida is definitely a close second.
How open are you to performing with instrumentals?
I'm an instrumentalist at heart and have always enjoyed performing with bands of all sizes and genres. In fact, there might be a VoicePlay symphony performance in our near future. You'll just have to stay tuned to find out.
Sing-Off Live!, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, at Coral Springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive, Coral Springs. Tickets cost $41.87 to $63.87 plus fees. Call 954-344-5990, or visit coralspringscenterforthearts.com.
