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Higher Ground elevates music with debut recording |
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Tuesday, 04 March 2008 |
by LINDSAY TIGAR
Lifestyles Editor
Without the use of any musical instruments, 18 male members of the Appalachian State University community resonate their voices across campus.
Higher Ground, a male a cappella group at Appalachian founded in 2000, will have a release party for its debut CD, “Wing Night,” Wednesday at I.G. Greer Auditorium at 8 p.m.
“We have everything from Red Hot Chili Peppers to Jimmy Eat World, Earth, Wind and Fire and The Fray,” president of the group and junior music industries studies major Daniel M. Romanoff said.
 The male a cappella group Higher Ground will have a release party for their debut CD,
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“Wing Night,” produced by Liquid Fifth out of Raleigh, will be $10 at the release party, and $15 there after.
Appalachian alumni and Electronic Student Services staff member Jeff W.
Tickle performed with the group during his undergraduate term at
Appalachian, and now serves as advisor of the group and continues to
sing tenor.
Tickle has seen the group transform over several years.
“There have been so many different people involved in the creation of
the CD because it’s been two years and we’ve gone through a lot of
different people,” he said. “So it’s more than just this year’s Higher
Ground or last year’s Higher Ground that’s represented – it’s a
combination of a lot of people’s work over the years.”
More than just a singing ensemble, Higher Ground also considers themselves a close-knit group.
“We’re a tight group of brothers and we love singing together and we
have fun with it –that’s something that distinguishes us from other a
cappella groups,” Tickle said. “…A lot of [a cappella groups] are
serious about their music. They are music majors, all they do is music,
but they don’t have fun together.”
Higher Ground holds auditions at the beginning of each semester for
bass, baritone, tenor one, tenor two and vocal percussion parts, and
they hold rehearsals twice a week.
 Appalachian State a cappella group Higher Ground. Photo by Alisha Park
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“It takes up a lot of time - you have to really want to do it,“ Romanoff said.
For director Paul M. Piracci, a senior exercise science major, the time commitment has helped him be successful in college.
“I’m the kind of person that does a lot better when I have a lot of
things going on at once,” Piracci said. “When I have structure, I can
get things done.”
As director of the group, Piracci arranges the music, prepares
rehearsals and, for the most part, chooses the songs the group performs.
“We like to get a good broad number of genres of songs so we can appeal
to everyone,” he said. “We like to have a country song, a rap song, a
rock song, older songs – just everything.”
Piracci also is a “beatbox,” or vocal percussionist for Higher Ground, and has played the piano since he was four years old.
“I’ve always done [vocal percussion],” Piracci said. “I remember being
really young in elementary school and making really weird noises.”
Piracci has continued to develop his “beatbox” skills through high
school and college, and encourages others to give “beatboxing” a
chance.
Romanoff believes his experience in Higher Ground will help him with his future career goals.
“For me, I’m a music industry major, so it’s given me a lot of
experience for what I might be doing in a job after this,” he said.
“It’s really going to help me, having this on my resume and experience.”
Higher Ground invites students, faculty, staff and community members to attend the release party.
“Higher Ground has really broadened my musical horizons,” Tickle said.
“You learn about all kinds of different music you’ve never heard
before… [The CD] is incredible - it’s the best thing you’ve ever heard.”
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