Role of the Performer Pentatonix (PTX)
The group Pentatonix (PTX) is a cappella singing group that got their start in 2011 with NBC show The Sing Off. Before the group got their start it was original just Scott, Mitch and Kirstin who all went to high school together in Arlington, Texas and called themselves "The Trio". When Scott was at SoCal and a part of singing group called SoCal Vocals it was suggested to find a beat boxer and vocal bassist to add to the trio because Scott was interested in competing on the show. A friend of Scott's introduced him to Avi and they found Kevin off of YouTube when he posted a video of himself beat boxing while playing the cello. The five of them deiced to audition for the show The Sing Off which is a cappella singing competition and they got in. Pentatonix's won the show in November of 2011 and got a record deal from it but not long after their were dropped from the record label. The group then turned to YouTube to promote their debut independent releases. In 2014 Pentatonix Christmas album sold over one million copies and "one of only three acts to accomplish that feat that year"(Greenburg). In 2015 they took home their Grammy and self-titled album debuted atop of the Billboard charts. In October 2017 Avi Kaplan left the group to spend more time with family and friends and in November of 2017 Matt Sallee joined the group. Pentatonix YouTube chancel now as 18 million subscribers and more than 4.5 billions views.
Matt Sallee, Mitch Grass, Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, and Kevin Olusola
With Pentatonix being a cappella group one of the things they brings to the table is the unique sounds that the group can make with just their voices and mouths. This can be seen in the cover they do in Marry, Did You Know when they start to do polyphony rounds at 1:43. This adds a depth to the sound and a fun sound to the song. The group also does a great job using dynamics during the song when they change between soft and loud sounds. Thru out the song they will start out soft and then start to get louder as the verus goes on. At 2:18 Pentatonix was already loud and started to get softer showing a transition between the two types of dynamics.
In Pentatonix cover of Daft Punk you can really see the Timbre and tone color of the song. It is easy to hear every group members voice and you can really hear Kevin with his beat boxing. Kevin also uses his voice to create different cords and sounds with is voice had a great depth to the song. When Kirstin is singing you can hear that from time to time she will slur from one note to the next and this adds articulation to the song.
One more song because I really like and it has the new group member Matt in it. I love Pentatonix and I love to hear songs that I enjoy in different forms such has Pentatonix does. Cappella is such an amazing way for people to sing to me because it really showcases the persons voice and nothing else to get in the way. Plus I could never imagine being able to do what Kevin does with his voice and being able to make all though different sounds.
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I had never heard Pentatonix, or if I had I had not realized it! They are a very talented group. I enjoy Kirstin's voice in "Daft Punk," and I like that I can recognize whose voice contributes to each part! I did a little research and noticed they have won three Grammy's and actually done lots of appearances on television shows, and even had a cameo in a movie! Great performers!
ReplyDeleteI have also never heard of Pentatonix but it was cool to read a little about them! The sound that each performer is able to create is very different. The tone and pitch in their voices while singing the lyrics cause me to actually feel the words and put them together nicely throughout the song. As a group they were able to perform harmonies, which brought attention to that part of the song. Enjoyed reading this one!
ReplyDeleteI used to love Pentatonix but like many things I lost interest after a while. My favorite thing about this group is that their beatboxer plays the cello! Their voices all blend so well together and the color grading of their videos is very well done.
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