Who are the faces behind the 2014 Talent Show’s winning act?
Seniors Chelsea Aubert, Anthony Cubbage, Jacob Gallo, Vincent Recco, and Kristina Stidham took on a unique challenge in their choice of song for their act: an a cappella cover of “Daft Punk” by Pentatonix. With Cubbage as bass, Recco as the percussion system, and Gallo, Aubert, and Stidham switching between melody and harmony, the group aimed to achieve a full sound with only five vocalists. Calling themselves White Noise after the term for background fuzz in recordings, the group began the hard work of learning the intricacies of the song.
“We probably spent our first two or three rehearsals just getting the harmonies down and learning our music. After that, our main goal was to memorize and polish,” stated Gallo, who felt that the music choice, however difficult, was easy to make.
On the rehearsal process, Cubbage noted, “Once you start putting it together in the first stages and get a taste of how the music will come together, you have the motivation to keep moving and it becomes less and less of a struggle to stay focused for the purpose of making music happen.”
The tight harmonies, low register of the bass, and rhythms of the percussion melded into a thoroughly enjoyable a cappella performance in a song that allowed each singer to take the lead and show off their talents.
Recco, the beatboxer of the group, maintained a background beat and added another level to the performance. On cultivating his skill, Recco commented, “I went from just doing random noises, to matching the beat of a song, and to making my own beats. Overall, I think beatboxing is something that comes a little naturally and is improved by playing around with what your voice and mouth can do until you find a beat that you like.”
Following their performance, the members of White Noise were blown away by the audience response: “The audience loved it even more than I thought they would and I feel great about how we sounded as a group. But, it felt so short – I wanted to go back out and perform again!” exclaimed Stidham.
On the first place title, the group recognized the talents of all the acts that came before them, but were ecstatic at being voted the winner of the Talent Show.
“The competition this year was incredibly tough,” commented Gallo. “However, the fact that we were something different, fun, and exciting, as well as our choice of a musically difficult song, is what, I believe, helped to push us into the first place position.”
These students are all fully invested in North Penn activities and other organizations outside of school. Gallo is currently preparing to play Cogsworth in North Penn Theatre’s production of Beauty and the Beast this May 1, 2, 3 and 4, as well as participating in Men’s Choir, Chamber Singers, Ambassadors, Thespian Troupe, and Future Health Occupation Club. Aubert is also cast in the upcoming musical as the motherly Mrs. Potts and is involved in Women’s Choir, Chamber Singers, and Thespian Troupe as the recording secretary. Stidham is the last of the group cast in the musical, playing a townsperson in the village and spoon in the castle. As historian for Thespian Troupe, member of Chamber Singers and Women’s Choir, and career study student for NPTV, Stidham stays very busy. Cubbage is also musically inclined in his activities as a member of jazz band, Chamber Singers, Men’s Choir, Wind Ensemble, Ambassadors, and pit band for the musical. Recco is involved in multiple clubs, including Class Cabinet, Salsa Club, and NHS.
A musical group who filled out a song with only five voices, White Noise is thoroughly grateful for the support of the student body and looks forward to attempting more a cappella arrangements in the future.