A capella contest at Cutler Majestic

Emerson radio station WERS-FM on Sunday, April 7, will sponsor the eighth annual All A Cappella Live! collegiate a cappella competition at the Cutler Majestic Theatre. The event, produced and hosted by Emerson students involved at the radio station, is expected to draw a crowd from around Boston.

Hosted by Danielle Pointer ’14 and Maria Vivas ’15, regular hosts of the WERS weekend program All A Cappella, the show features five collegiate groups battling for the top prize of $750. 

This year’s lineup includes the Chorallaries of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brandeis VoiceMale, the Wellesley Widows, the Harvard Opportunes, and Columbia Nonsequitur, featuring special guests Emerson Achoired Taste, The Newtones, Emerson A Cappellics Anonymous, and Ball in the House. Competitors will be judged by Boston professionals Naveed Easton ’12 (former music director of Emerson Noteworthy), Dan Campagna (producer for Fermata Town), and Brendan Buckley (Boston Lyric Opera teaching artist), then cast their vote in the theater to decide who brings home the big check.

Pointer has been with the show for nearly two years, and has found herself constantly “fangirling” over what the collegiate a cappella scene in Boston has to offer.

“It seems like the sort of thing that appeals to a niche audience… until you see it live,” she said. “All A Cappella Live! is the kind of thing I still admire about music, and I'm blessed to be a part of something so phenomenal.”

Vivas’ work on the a capella programs has made her an avid fan of the genre, and she has even joined Emerson Achoired Taste herself and will perform the All A Capella Live!  

“The show is really coming on its way,” Vivas said.

Attendees can expect some intense competition from the best and the brightest in a cappella today, and the family-friendly fun that has become a tradition in WERS programming with shows like All A Cappella, Standing Room Only, and The Playground. Tickets are still available at aestages.org, and more details about the show can be found at wers.org.