Role of the Performer - Pentatonix

Pentatonix is an American group of acapella singers originally founded in 2011. The group has produced some original music, but is known for their covers of pop and Christmas music.

Biography:

The group was founded in 2011 when former high school classmates Kirstin Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, and Scott Hoying decided that they wanted to win "The Sing Off", which was a popular show on NBC at the time, with the prize of $200,000 and a recording deal with Sony. Mitch had auditioned for the show directly out of high school, while Kirstin and Scott were both in college to pursue music. In an effort to make time for the show, though, the both dropped out. Since all three shared the lead vocal duties, they were advised to find a bassist and beatboxer to complete the group. Scott met their bassist, Avi Kaplan, through a friend, and the group found their beatboxer, Kevin Olusola, on Youtube. Together, the group won the third season of "The Sing Off", and got a recording deal with Sony's Epic Records, at which point they moved to California. They were subsequently dropped by Epic Records, and focused on their Youtube channel, while distributing albums through Madison Gate Records, also owned by Sony. The group released eight albums together, but just before the release of their ninth, Avi decided to part ways as the tour duties kept him away from his family for too long. He was replaced by Matt Sallee, who is still with the group. Below are two of Pentatonix songs.



The Performer:

While the artist who writes a song chooses what notes to put in it, the melodies and harmonies, the key, and the beat of the music, it is the performer who gives the song its life and feeling. This is the reason that Pentatonix are so popular, even though they mostly cover already popular songs. They add a different feeling and depth to the songs, and usually add some extra harmonies as a contrast to the usual instrument accompaniment. The extra harmonies, as well as different singers, add a depth and beauty to the songs that are not in the original versions, which really changes the song. In addition to this, their acapella approach differentiates them from other cover artists. It shows the unique talents of each member, and allows each of them to add another layer to the song.

References

C. (2018, July 1). Pentatonix Biography – Facts, Early Years & Achievements - CMUSE. CMUSE. https://www.cmuse.org/pentatonix-biography/

Nededog, J. (2011, November 29). The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/nbc-the-sing-off-winners-pentatonix-interview-266936/

Pentatonix - IMDb. (n.d.). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5266637/bio

Wikipedia contributors. (2023, March 14). Pentatonix. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentatonix

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