It’s 7:20 AM and I just finished breakfast: an omelet stuffed with sautéed mushrooms, onions, and cheese. (Ketchup is optional.) It was pretty tasty. Now I can get back to this blog post, which I may or may not finish.
I started writing it yesterday morning. The temperature was 37°F and a cold rain was falling. In the pre-dawn darkness, it seemed like a good time to write.
So I wrote a few paragraphs and thought this is no good and quit. Now it’s 24 hours later. The temperature is 37°F and a cold rain is falling. Mother Nature is in a rut. This may be a good time to write a couple more paragraphs.
I wanted to write about the a cappella singing group Pentatonix (a.k.a. PTX). But there has been so much written about them in the past two years, it may be pointless. So I’ll just hit the high spots and leave the reader to follow up if she/he feels so inclined.
I’ve written about many musicians and bands whose work I’ve enjoyed. The first time I mentioned Pentatonix on this blog was in November, 2013. They’ve exploded in popularity since then.
The group was formed in 2011 when three friends decided to drop out of college in hopes of winning the NBC a cappella show The Sing-Off. Those three were Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, and Kirstin “Kirstie” Maldonado. Through friends, they found their basso profondo, Avriel "Avi" Kaplan. Then they added Kevin Olusola, a beat-boxing musician they found on YouTube.
The group went on to win the third season of The Sing-Off, receiving $200,000 and a recording contract. They have a YouTube channel with more than 7 million subscribers and more than 785 million views. Their YouTube channel is the 12th most subscribed-to music channel and the 42nd most subscribed channel overall.
In 2012 the group released PTX, Volume 1 followed by PTXmas. Their third release, PTX Vol. II, debuted at number 1 on Billboard’s Independent Albums chart and number 10 on the Billboard 200. In 2014 the group released PTX, Vol. III and two full-length compilation albums. Their second holiday release, That’s Christmas to Me, was certified gold by the RIAA and platinum on December 24, 2014, and became the highest-charting holiday album by a group since 1962 and the fourth best selling album in the United States in 2014.
By now, January 2015, they’ve released 5 albums which all charted in the top 20 of the Billboard 200. They had the number one Christmas album in 2014. Their first national tour in fall of 2012 was sold out in all 36 cities. Their second national tour was in 2013. In 2014 they toured the United States, Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom, and South East Asia. They performed on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2015 (video) and on the final episode of Wetten Dass? (video), a long-running entertainment show in Germany. They participated in the 2014 Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, in NBC’s Christmas in Rockefeller Center special (video), in the season 5 holiday special of The Sing-Off (video) and in The Kennedy Center Honors award presentation (video) for Tom Hanks. They were presenters (video) at the 2014 American Music Awards. They’ve won awards from YouTube Music Awards for the song “Radioactive” with Lindsey Stirling and from the Streamy Awards for Best Cover Song, “Daft Punk.” They’ve been nominated for a Grammy Award, which is pending.
You don’t come this far, this fast, unless you are something special, and Pentatonix is (Pentatonix are, if you’re British). They are hugely talented and seem to have the perfect mix of voices. They make distinctive arrangements of the songs they cover and they produce good original material. When I am listening to them, I have to remind myself that five young voices are making all the sounds I am hearing. A cappella: no instruments, just vocal cords.
There are plenty of articles about Pentatonix on the Web, and there are plenty of YouTube videos that show the group performing. I’ll suggest a few clips here that will give you a flavor of their music.
I hope you enjoy the music. And why not live a little dangerously and try some ketchup on your eggs?
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