For Immediate Release
August 30, 2023

PMEA All-State Contemporary A Cappella Ensemble

After discussion and action by the PMEA Student Performing Events Council and PMEA Executive Board throughout the summer, PMEA is announcing that the 2023-2024 school year will see the All-State Vocal Jazz Ensemble restructured and rebranded into the new All-State Contemporary A Cappella Ensemble.

Contemporary A Cappella is a style of music popular in the United States, especially on college campuses, since the start of the 20th century with college glee clubs like the Harvard Glee Club and the Yale Whiffenpoofs. In recent decades, Contemporary A Cappella has entered mainstream entertainment in movies like Pitch Perfect and shows like NBC’s The Sing Off, and with artists such as Rockapella, Straight No Chaser, and Pentatonix.

“We are excited to see this ensemble come to the PMEA All-State Festival,” noted Mike Sypien, PMEA Student Performance Events Council Chair. “It is important for the All-State Festival to reflect what is happening in music classrooms across Pennsylvania and the Contemporary A Cappella Ensemble helps us achieve that.”

This style features intricate vocal harmonies and rhythms is often accompanied by vocal percussion and solo basslines that can express nearly any genre of music from pop and hip-hop to rock and jazz.

Audition requirements and materials will be released on Monday, September 11, along with PMEA at-large instrument audition materials. The process and timeline will follow much of what our member directors and their students have been accustomed to for the Vocal Jazz auditions.

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