The singing
sweetness of a male’s voice has made girls scream, cry and
faint. Except this time it is not The Beatles, it’s not Elvis
and it’s not Justin Timberlake. It is Appalachian State University’s
very own male a cappella group, Higher Ground.
With the addition of six new voices this semester, the group of
16 has evolved into something they never imagined they would become,
sophomore management major Jordan B. Lee said last Tuesday.
Several doors have been opened for the group, among them the opportunity
to record in Falls Church, Va., earlier this year at Q Recording
Studios, where the likes of Boyz II Men and Dave Matthews Band have
been known to record.
Higher Ground then sent their CD, titled “The Streets of Philadelphia,”
to the “Best of College A Cappella” (BOCA).
Competing against several thousand groups across the nation, only
100 groups are selected to come to New York City and perform on
the coveted stages of Broadway.
Although Higher Ground was not selected in the top 100, their position
as first alternate still remains an honor and keeps them in the
running should another group be unable to participate.
“It is disappointing, but we will work every year to obtain
the honor of participating in BOCA, and I am confident that we will
be an even stronger group when we make our next CD,” said John
C. Pendley, a junior management major, last Tuesday.
Higher Ground sings a variety of different songs, among them “L.A.”
and “Theory of a Kiss” by the popular band Weekend Excursion,
of which some group members are Appalachian Alumni.
“After receiving permission to perform and record a cappella
versions of their songs, Higher Ground is looking forward to the
possibility of performing with Weekend Excursion in the near future,”
Pendley said.
Even with Higher Ground’s recent achievement of club status
and their unarguable rising success and popularity around campus,
resources are still limited.
After being informed they could no longer practice in the Sadie
Hunt Broyhill Music Center because they are not affiliated with
the Mariam Cannon Hayes School of Music, their two-hour Monday and
Wednesday night practices are now spent compensating for lack of
space and sound in the lobby of Justice Residence Hall.
“This group is my favorite part about Appalachian. We will
make do with what we have got,” sophomore biology major Travis
H. Evans said last Tuesday.
For more information about Higher Ground, visit http://www.hg-app.com. |
