On Jan. 23, the department of music hosted NC State’s Wolfgang A Cappella concert at the Stewart Theatre in Talley Student Union to showcase the group’s talent and give the audience a taste of summer in the middle of winter.
From songs like “Bartender” by Lady A to “Treat People with Kindness” by Harry Styles, the group had the audience captivated and thoroughly entertained. Each song was performed with unique choreography and a wide range of instrumental and background vocals.
The concert also featured a lively guest performance from Fusion Dance Crew, a multicultural hip-hop dance group at NC State. They performed exciting choreography to a mix of upbeat songs as well as ballads from artists like Adele.
Wolfgang A Cappella put this spectacular show together with just eight official rehearsals before performing for students, friends, family and the general public.
Wolfgang A Cappella music director Sarah Wells, a graduate student in anthropology, expressed being particularly grateful for the group and their hard work in preparation for the concert.
“We just kind of work as a unit when we sing,” Wells said. “That’s really hard to achieve, and I’m really proud that we were able to do that in the time that we had.”
To everyone’s surprise, Wolfgang alumni joined the current group onstage in song, a tradition unable to be carried out for a long time due to the pandemic.
“There’s such a strong bond even like years after being in Wolfgang,” Wells said. “We’ve had several alums who’ve come to every rehearsal since January just to help us out, so it’s very much a family that lasts forever.”
The show also included a lighthearted interview-style video of Wolfgang members answering questions like, “Who is most likely to think a lifeguard saving them is also trying to hit on them?”
Wolfgang A Cappella President Kelly Daughtridge, a graduate student in social work, emphasized the group’s effort to provide a happy atmosphere for the audience.
“I hope it added some humor to everyone’s lives, because that was kind of what we were going for … just trying to make everyone laugh and smile,” Daughtridge said. “So I’m hoping that we accomplished that.”
The group also dedicated time to formally introduce their “wolf pups,” or members of Wolfgang who have never performed a live concert. The concert concluded with the reveal of which audience members won raffle prizes — Wolfgang T-shirts and an 8-foot tall blow up snowman with a surfboard, to name a few.
“I also am hoping that any students in the audience are interested in a capella now, because maybe they didn’t know what it was before,” Daughtridge said. “And now they see it and they’re like, ‘You know what, I want to be a part of that.’”
All students interested in joining Wolfgang A Cappella can reach the group directly via email at [email protected] to find out more about upcoming auditions. Videos of students’ singing skills are encouraged and welcomed even after the official audition dates of Jan. 25 in Talley 3223 and Jan. 26 in Talley 1240. Both auditions run from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
