'I Will Survive!' Vox Audio is back with new director and pop, rock, disco show in Canton

CANTON − Vox Audio will return to the stage for two concerts this weekend and perform an array of songs from stars such as Billie Eilish, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Billy Joel and Sam Smith.

Songs will cross genres from pop to rock to disco and focus on a theme of resilience, said Carol Olson, executive director of Sing Stark, which includes Vox Audio, a local a cappella singing group.

"We're Still Standing" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday on the Main Stage of the Cultural Center Theater at the Cultural Center for the Arts, 1001 Market Ave. N in downtown Canton. Employers Health is the presenting sponsor of the concerts.

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Tickets, $20 for adults and $12 for students, can be purchased at https://www.singstark.org/ or by calling the box office at 330-452-4098.

'A vocal celebration of standing tall in the face of adversity.'

This marks Vox's Audio's first performance in about a year. Mickey McGroarty is the group's new music director.

McGroarty succeeds Brian Kieffer, who now is music director for Stark County-based a cappella group Vocal Fusion.

Vox Audio promotes itself as Canton's original pop a cappella vocal ensemble.

Formed in 2018, Vox Audio was inspired by groups such as Pentatonix and the "Pitch Perfect" movie franchise. Vox Audio auditions singers and uses tonal color, imitation of instrumental sounds, harmonics and beatboxing to showcase vocals without musical accompaniment.

This weekend's shows are a "vocal celebration of standing tall in the face of adversity," a Sing Stark news release said. Olson said the future should be bright.

"It has taken a while to come out at the other end, and we've had funding cuts," Olson said. "It's been a long run, and I think (McGroarty) just wanted to put together a program that was about resilience."

Songs by The Beatles, Queen and Destiny's Child

"We're Still Standing" will feature songs such as "What Was I Made For," by Eilish; "Attention," by Charlie Puth; "I Will Survive," by Gloria Gaynor; "Survivor," by Destiny's Child; "With a Little Help From My Friends," by The Beatles; "We Are the Champions," by Queen; "Drag Me Down," by One Direction; "And So It Goes," by Billy Joel; and "I'm Still Standing" by Elton John.

Songs will vary in tempo and sentiment, McGroarty said. Gregorian chants are worked into Sam Smith's, "Lay Me Down."

"We're going for the full gamut of human emotion," he said.

Sixteen singers are in Vox Audio, a combination of residents from Stark and Summit counties. Three beatbox vocalists are in the group, including a female, a first for Vox Audio. Beatboxing uses the voice to mimic percussion and other sound effects.

"We just have such a great mix of singers and vocalists," Olson said. "It's an exciting genre and one that really invites all generations."

Twin brothers in the group sing bass.

"It's utterly unique," McGroarty said of the twins "And I ask them to sing on all of my projects."

McGroarty said a cappella is a special musical experience.

"It's a unique and personal and intimate and vulnerable instrument," he said of the vocal style. "... You bare your soul to someone on stage that you don't necessarily do when you are playing piano or playing guitar or even conducting."

New director is also composer, arranger

McGroarty earned his master's degree in choral conducting from the University of Akron, where he also earned his bachelor's in music. He's currently the choir director and organist at Church of Our Saviour Episcopal in Akron.

The 27-year-old Akron area resident also teaches choir, organ, voice, piano and fundamentals of music as an adjunct professor at Hiram College.

"A cappella was really my way into being a music director," McGroarty said.

McGroarty is also the former award-winning music director of Nuance, the all-male a cappella group at the University of Akron.

A published composer, some of his arrangements have been performed outside the country, including Germany, Olson noted.

McGroarty has arranged some of the songs for the "We're Still Standing" concerts.

"He just brings so much talent," Olson said.

'Music can make the world better.'

McGroarty said what also excited him about the new opportunity is Sing Stark's other vocal groups, including The Resilience Choir, Sing Out Stark and Senior Sing, which is open to those 55 and older.

Sing Out Stark is comprised of LGBTQIA+ and allied singers. The Resilience Choir is a singing space designed to support Stark County residents facing hardships such as food insecurity and homelessness.

"I was just really drawn to this notion that music can make the world better," McGroarty said.

"I had the opportunity to play piano for The Resilience Choir … and it's so inspiring," he said. "And I'm really hoping that moving forward we can use Vox Audio to kind of bolster and support (Sing Stark's) other ensembles."

Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com. On X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram at ed_balint.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Vox Audio a cappella show in Canton features Beatles, Sam Smith songs