McKay High School a cappella group to compete on finals stage in New York City
Having fun and making good music seem to come naturally for members of the McKay High School a cappella group. They make singing without instrument accompaniment look and sound easy.
What often goes unnoticed is all the hard work and practice they put in behind the scenes.
“Let's go back to where we lost a lot of energy,” choir director Hannah Abercrombie said Tuesday as the students finished rehearsing their set and practicing their bows on stage.
They have been working on the same set since last fall, continuing to fine-tune what is unnoticeable to the untrained eye with three days left until the 2024 International Championship of High School A Cappella Finals in New York City.
Scots-Appella is one of nine groups that will perform Friday at the Town Hall, capping a competitive season that started with more than 225 groups from 29 states.
McKay earned a spot on the finals stage last year with a wild card submission, finishing in second place. This year, it won the West Semifinal in El Segundo, California, to secure a spot.
Nine of the 13 current members performed with Scots-Appella last year. All of them are talented, with each member making the group stronger.
“We’re all very close, and our connections help us make really good music,” said senior Naomi Warren, one of the soloists.
Choreography makes a cappella 'more robust'
Abercrombie is in her first year at McKay as choir director and band teacher. She previously worked with an a cappella group at Douglas High School near Roseburg.
“This is so much more robust with the choreography,” Abercrombie said.
A cappella groups, made popular by the movie "Pitch Perfect" and the NBC show "The Sing-Off," are evaluated in competition not just on their vocals but their visual presentation.
The choreography moves with their music and as senior Adriana Romero put it, "tells a story."
Members agree one of the keys to their success is working together and trusting each other.
“You’re listening for what other people are doing, not just listening to yourself,” senior soloist Zorina Osipovich said.
“If one person drifts away," senior Anthony Del Rayo Larios said, "you can pick it back up."
The group rehearsed in a small circle in the choir room first, then with choreography on stage in the auditorium, before setting up for an evening show to raise money for their trip.
Shen Lor, whose daughter Sienna is a junior with Scots-Appella, said Salem-Keizer Public Schools is helping pay for airfare and lodging. Shen is treasurer for the McKay Music Boosters, who are raising money to cover the group's other expenses such as ground transportation and food through a gofundme account.
A group of McKay staff, including teachers and administrators, are traveling to New York on their own dime. They even had T-shirts made, with design help from the Freckled Bee.
“I thought it would be cool for us to have shirts so they could look for us in the crowd,” said Aimee Leaton, an instructional mentor and English teacher.
Meet the members of Scots-Appella
Kaiden Armstead, junior, baritone
Emily Becerra Preciado, sophomore, vocal percussion
Wilan'dre Bell-Sims, junior, tenor
Anthony Del Rayo Larios, senior, baritone
Kaylee Duenas, junior, alto
Daily Landazuri Avenia, senior, soprano
Sienna Lor, junior, alto
Brookelyn Mann, junior, soprano
Zorina Osipovich, senior, mezzo, soloist
Samuel Riberas, junior, tenor, soloist
Adriana Romero, senior, mezzo
Emilio Zepeda, senior, bass
Naomi Warren, senior alto, soloist
Capi Lynn is a senior reporter for the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips to her at clynn@statesmanjournal.com, and follow her work on Twitter @CapiLynn and Facebook @CapiLynnSJ.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: McKay High's a cappella group preps for finals in New York
