Pentatonix — The Perfect Quintet

“Pentatonix”

Searching for a truly talented individual is akin to looking for a needle in a haystack: a nearly impossible task that, if completed successfully, leaves the searcher with a sense of wonder and awe. Finding and getting five supremely talented individuals to work in tandem is a feat nearly unimaginable in its difficulty.

By this standard, Pentatonix‘s existence itself is an amazing achievement worthy of commendation; the fact that these incredibly skilled musicians can produce such a dynamic, sophisticated sound worthy of Grammy awards and other, similarly prestigious accolades is a feat in and of itself. The secret to the group’s success lies in its makeup: Pentatonix consists one of the world’s best beat-boxers, an incredibly exceptional bass, a baritone with extreme vocal control, a phenomenal mezzo-soprano, and a supremely talented countertenor. Their combined musical talent yields some of the most incredible acapella music ever conceived.

The beat-boxer of the group, Kevin Olusola, was the first of the group members I discovered online, and he has astounded me from the moment I stumbled across his work. I originally found Kevin because of his cello performances; as a cellist myself, I was immediately impressed by the level of skill and control he possessed over the instrument. Not only was I impressed by his cello talent, I was also impressed by his extreme beat-boxing ability, as well as his skill at seamlessly combining the two techniques into a new art he calls “celloboxing.” Olusola achieved mild fame when a released a video, now deleted, of him celloboxing the song “Julie-O” by Mark Summer.

This video is the reason the original members of Pentatonix (Scott, Kirstin, and Mitch) discovered him and invited him to join the group. It’s very easy to see why Olusola’s beat-boxing abilities piqued the group’s interest: Olusola can mimic an almost unparalleled amount of percussion instruments to an absurd degree. Of special note is his ability to sound like an incredibly realistic snare drum, a sound even the most experienced beat-boxers find difficult to mimic.

Pentatonix

Up until recently, Pentatonix’s bassist was Avi Kaplan, who has an impressively deep and rich vocal range. Kaplan’s voice ranges from E1 to D5, spanning nearly 5 octaves, and remains very rich throughout. Kaplan served an important role in Pentatonix, as his incredibly deep voice served as the backbone for many of the group’s vocal arrangements. Kaplan also possesses the rare ability to “overtone sing,” which is when an artist is able to sing two notes at once. All of Avi’s incredible talents made him an impressive member of Pentatonix’s roster from its inception. Unfortunately, Kaplan left the group in 2017 to pursue other musical interests, and currently the Pentatonix is left without an official bass (“Avi Kaplan”).

The group’s baritone, Scott Hoying, is impressive not because of his vocal range, which at four octaves wide is considered fairly standard, but rather because of the incredible control he has over his voice. Hoying is often affectionately titled “The King of Riffs and Runs,” because of his ability to seamlessly transition between notes at an incredibly high speed while also maintaining each individual note’s unique character and tone. Hoying often sings the melody of Pentatonix’s arrangements because of his vocal control, and his riffs and runs are what make him stand out among the other singing powerhouses in Pentatonix’s roster (“Scott Hoying”).

Kirstin Maldonado, the group’s mezzo-soprano and only female member, has a range similar in length to Hoying’s at about four octaves wide. Despite her relatively standard range, Maldonado is a necessary and important member of the group’s dynamic because of the power behind her voice, her versatility, and her status as the member with the highest vocal range. Maldonado can belt incredibly well at any note in the majority of her range, and her vocal classification of mezzo-soprano allows her to sing both the deeper, richer notes of an alto and the higher, feathery notes of a soprano. As the group’s only female member, she often sings the higher parts of songs and is able to switch easily between harmonic and melodic roles (“Kirstin Maldonado”).

The group’s tenor, Mitch Grassi, is special for an easily discernible reason: his incredibly high and versatile vocal range. Grassi is able to sing the females parts to many songs due to his incredibly well-trained and somewhat feminine head voice, and has received widespread acclaim for his unique vocal sound. Mitch is one of the most recognizable members of Pentatonix, and it’s easy to see why: people introduced to the group for the first time are often mesmerized by both his sheer vocal talent and his unusual voice. Grassi’s voice “fills out” Pentatonix’s roster in a way few other singers could, and is a major reason the group has such uniquely wonderful acapella arrangements (“Mitch Grassi”).

Pentatonix, as an acapella icon, has inspired and captivated the hearts and minds of people the world over. The group deserves all of the success it has received in the past, and even with the recent departure of Avi, I believe it will continue to achieve even greater success in the future.

Mohindra

 

Works Cited

Darthegreat. “Avi Kaplan.” The Range Place. ProBoards, 15 Aug. 2017. Web. 9 Jan. 2018.

Darthegreat. “Kirstin Maldonado.” The Range Place. ProBoards, 23 Mar. 2017. Web. 9 Jan. 2018.

Darthegreat. “Mitch Grassi.” The Range Place. ProBoards, 29 Apr. 2017. Web. 9 Jan. 2018.

Darthegreat. “Scott Hoying.” The Range Place. ProBoards, 11 Feb. 2017. Web. 9 Jan. 2018.

Mohindra, Vijat. “Pentatonix Press Photo.” Billboard, 2017, https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7793029/pentatonix-avi-kaplan-announces-leaving-group.

Pentatonix. “[Official Video] Perfume Medley – Pentatonix.” YouTube, 19 Aug. 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y95B-dZ32uQ.

“Pentatonix.” The Music, 2016, http://themusic.com.au/news/all/2016/06/10/pentatonix-announce-first-australian-and-nz-tour-dates-since-2014/.