February 21, 2023 — Our high school's Chardon Topp-notch A Cappella 9-member vocal ensemble (l to r in photo:
Noah Gerlica, Selah Rogers, Fritz Streiff (director), TJ Decipeda, Cole Hess, Grace George, Colin Snider, Vince Piotrkowski
Paige Nells, Morgan Strlich-Waybright), which debuted in fall 2022 and adopted its official name this weekend, was immersed in the world of high school a cappella Feb. 17-18 at the Nordonia A Cappella Festival held at Nordonia High School in Macedonia.This impactful and inspiring learning experience was made possible for the Hilltopper vocalists by the generosity of the Chardon Crescendo Club. Chardon Topp-notch A Cappella enjoyed festival performances by high school groups and professionals, including groups from Las Vegas and Orlando. The format was reminiscent of "Pitch-Perfect" or "The Sing-Off".
The festival also included many workshops through which our students learned about barbershop musical style, vocal percussion strategies, DIY recording resources, and careers in the music industry.
One of the workshops was specifically catered to Chardon Topp-notch A Cappella. Students sang arrangements of Billy Joel's "She's Got A Way" and Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain".
CHS choir director stated, "Much was gained from these master classes. The coach commented on our students' musicianship as a strength. They blend beautifully and stay in coordinated tempo and tuning. There were many takeaways to consider going forward."
Chardon Topp-notch A Cappella currently consists of three sopranos, two altos, two tenors, and two basses and looks forward to adding a vocal percussionist to the ensemble to up the energy and cohesion.
Mr. Streiff stated, "This type of ensemble is attractive because it is a smaller group without limitations of acoustical spaces. The pop music of this genre also is fun to listen to and popular with the general public."
The group looks forward to continued growth and exposure in our school and community!
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Contact:
Kelly Misch
Communications Director
Chardon Local Schools
440.286.0409