The Role of the Performer(s): Pentatonix

A common question that anyone is asked in life is what kind of music do you enjoy listening to?

 I have always considered myself open to any type of music genre. I can always find something I enjoy about every type of music I have listened to. I have an optimistic outlook on everything in life and try to find the best in every experience and situation. However, when I was first introduced to the music genre called, a cappella when I was younger, I struggled to find the bright side of it. I have never really found a barbershop quartet appealing to listen to. Simply put, this genre was just not my cup of tea. 

That feeling changed when my husband showed me the group Pentatonix, for the first time. I loved their rendition of any song they covered, their playful demeanor, along with their fun word puns, what is not to love? This particular music group has not only transformed this genre but has brought it to a level higher than ever before in history. 

 (Original Group members, left to right; Avi Kaplan, Kirstie Maldonado, Scott Hoying, Mitch Grossi, Kevin Olusola)

Quick Music Background:

Each member of Pentatonix has certain attributes and specialties that alone are great, but altogether their sound is amazing, almost magical. Knowing this it is no surprise each member has deep roots in the musical arts from their younger years. Members Mitch Grossi, Scott Hoying, and Kirstie Maldonado all grew up together and went to the same high school in Arlington, Texas. 

During their college years, with Hoying's persistence, the three agreed to audition for a singing talent show called, "The Sing-Off Show".  Before the audition, Hoying went on a search for the groups missing pieces. The group soon added a talented, bass vocalist,  named Avi Kaplan. The fifth and final member, Kevin Olusola, specializes in two music forms, the cello, and beatboxing, which he has combined to create a new genre, called celloboxing.

A day before The Sing-Off Show auditions, all five members finally meet face-to-face and in honor of the five-note pentatonic scale, named their new project, Pentatonix. The newly formed group went on to battle for the winner's title against two other entertainment groups, and came out on top! 

Pentatonix grew immensely popular over the next coming years, with this popularity, they began to change the public's view on all a cappella groups. Since then the group has covered so many different, popular songs, along with it came three grammy awards three years in a row. 

"Like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood on American Idol, Pentatonix has proven that TV competition shows can uncover enduring stars."- States Bill Lamb from Liveaboutdotcom.

Musical Works & Analysis

Song Title: "Somebody That I Used To Know"

Composer: Gotye 

Date of Release: July 5th, 2011

Country of Origin: Near Melbourne, Australia

This song was the first song I ever had the pleasure of listening to. I enjoy this video purely because it is in a classroom showing how talented they truly are. Each member's vocal range and sounds complement the other members of the group beautifully. Throughout Pentatonix music covers they have several musical elements that are consistent with their sound.

Melody is key to Pentatonix's unique music by using only their vocals chords, they create sounds that use a combination of a beat, tempo, rhythm, pitch, intervals, scales, and range. They also focus their choice of musical works by choosing songs that have strong lyrics and phrases, making their melodies some of the best, not only in their genre but in the entire music industry. 

In Pentatonix's rendition of "Somebody That I Used To Know" their vocal timbre is very apparent. Each member of the group has a specific vocal role to play within the group to make the perfect sound. Throughout their years together, they continue to widen their range and their roles, learning more complex vocal classes. 

Such member Kirstie Maldonado is now considered a mezzo-soprano, filling the soprano and alto roles. Kevin Olusola's main role at the beginning of this project was the beatboxer or a vocal percussionist but has developed more into a tenor vocal role when needed. Along with group members, Avi Kaplan is considered the bass vocalist with a 3-octave note range, and Scott Hoying plays the role of the baritone but also has a 4-octave note vocal range. Rounding out the group with Mitch Grossi, he fills the role of the main tenor, but he has an impressive vocal range of 5-octave note vocal range. Altogether they complete the 5 notes per octave, the pentatonic scale! 

Song Title: "Daft Punk"

Composer: Daft Punk

Date of Release: November 4th, 2013

Country of Origin: Los Angeles, United States

Without a doubt in my mind, this is my favorite work done by Pentatonix! ❤️

This song won the group their first Grammy in 2014 for best arrangement, instrumental, or a cappella. In this particular piece, Pentatonix combined Daft Punk's songs "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger," "One More Time," "Get Lucky," "Digital Love," "Technologic," and "Television Rules The World."

Their use of harmonic textures in this piece sets it apart from every other a cappella group ever seen before. They create sounds with their vocal cords to make instrumental sounds and adding in lyrics to create a homophonic texture suited for each individual work done by Daft Punk, adding sharp chord stabs and instrumental sounding fillings to melt all the songs together seamlessly. 

The next musical element bringing life to this Grammy-award-winning track is its form. I have been listening to the artist Daft Punk since I was around ten years old, and I was very familiar with every song Pentatonix used to create this song. As such, I know that they focused on the form of this piece more so than their other cover songs. They used a perfect blend of the original song's melodies, music patterns, chorus, and verse lyrics to create this brilliant concoction that I'm sure Daft Punk themselves were proud of!

Closing Statement

Pentatonix changed the way I looked at the a cappella music genre. Before they took the world by storm, I had no interest in this genre but as many have said, these five individuals breathed new life into this music category. With their creative and talented abilities, they brought an inventive outlook and changed most of the world's opinion on the a cappella genre. With performers like Pentatonix, old music can feel just like a familiar first-time experience. The music industry needs performers like them to keep music as fresh and alive as possible, even if it's not considered brand "new".  

Thanks to Pentatonix for bringing new life to an old art form!

Sources:

1.)  Pentatonix Biography and Profile | By Bill Lamb | Updated February 17, 2019 | Published by LiveAboutDotCom

2.) Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye (featuring Kimbra) - Songfacts | By Songfacts Editors | © 2021 | Songfacts®, LLC

3.) Singers Avenue - (Get To Know) Pentatonix | By Singers Avenue | Published on 25 Nov. 2014 | © 2014-2021

4.) Pentatonix Official Website | By PTX Official Editors | © 2021 - Pentatonix Official Website | All Rights Reserved