Accafellas
Encyclopedia
The Accafellas are an all-male, collegiate a cappella
group from Michigan State University
in East Lansing, Michigan
. Founded in 1996, the group typically has eight (occasionally nine) singers. The Accafellas have released five CD's to date, and are currently producing a sixth. Their arrangement of Jason Mraz
's You and I Both
appeared on the Best of College A Capella (BOCA) compilation in 2006. In 2010, The Accafellas performed their arrangements Walking in Memphis
by Marc Cohn
and Would You Go With Me
in Nashville, Tennessee
before the CMA Music Festival
with Josh Turner
.
The group often sings at events on the campus of Michigan State, dorms, weddings (often of Accafellas' alumni) as well as various locations around the nation. The group has performed at The White House, as well as Michigan
Governor Jennifer Granholm
's personal residence.
twice a year, where Phil is a highly regarded choir teacher.
In 1997, the Accafellas released their debut album, Accafellas Volume I. It is currently out of print.
In 1998, at the University of Michigan
’s Monsters of A Cappella concert, the relatively new Accafellas received a standing ovation from a pro-wolverine crowd.
In 2000, the Accafellas released a second album, appropriately "Accafellas Volume II".
In 2004, the Accafellas released "Accafellas Volume III". The album feels much more produced than the first two albums, and would be a great influence on future Accafellas' members as a high-quality album to strive to outdo.
In 2006, the Accafellas released "Accafellas Volume IV". Their version of the song You and I Both
originally by Jason Mraz
appeared on the Best of College a Cappella compilation that year.
On April 4, 2009, the Accafellas released "Accafellas Volume V". The album was recorded at Ryan Wert's Elm Street Recording Studio in Lansing, MI. Ryan Wert claimed that Volume V was "The most ambitious of the CD's (he's) recorded."
On June 11, 2010, the Accafellas performed the song Would You Go With Me
with Josh Turner
in Nashville, Tennessee
, at his fan club party before the CMA Music Festival
.
In Addition, The Accafellas have competed in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
(ICCA). They have won awards at these competitions for their arrangements and soloists, most notably advancing to the regional semi-finals in 2008.
's The Sing-Off
. They advanced to the interview stage of the show, and were filmed performing Eric Clapton
's Wonderful Tonight
outside of the audition venue. The group was in negotiations to fill out contracts to possibly become one of the eight contestants on the show, but declined to advance further in the process due to members' previous commitments to college coursework.
Collegiate a cappella
Collegiate a cappella ensembles are student-run and -directed singing groups that perform entirely without instruments. Such groups can be found at many colleges and universities in the United States, and increasingly worldwide....
group from Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
in East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...
. Founded in 1996, the group typically has eight (occasionally nine) singers. The Accafellas have released five CD's to date, and are currently producing a sixth. Their arrangement of Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz
Jason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
's You and I Both
You and I Both
"You and I Both" is a song by Jason Mraz released as the third and final single from his debut album Waiting for My Rocket to Come.-Track listing:# "You and I Both" # "Common Pleasure" # "You and I Both"...
appeared on the Best of College A Capella (BOCA) compilation in 2006. In 2010, The Accafellas performed their arrangements Walking in Memphis
Walking in Memphis
-Cher version:"Walking in Memphis" is the first European single by American singer-actress Cher from her twenty-second studio album, It's a Man's World. It was released in the end of 1995 by WEA. The song was performed in some shows in Europe, and in her tours since the Do You Believe? Tour.-Song...
by Marc Cohn
Marc Cohn
Marc Craig Cohn is an American folk rock singer-songwriter and musician.- Personal life :Cohn was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from Beachwood High School in Beachwood, a Cleveland suburb. He then attended Oberlin College....
and Would You Go With Me
Would You Go with Me
"Would You Go with Me" is the title of a song written by Shawn Camp and John Scott Sherrill, and recorded by American country artist Josh Turner. It was released in April 2006 as the second single from his album, Your Man. It is the first track on Your Man.-Reception:The song went on to become...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
before the CMA Music Festival
CMA Music Festival
The CMA Music Festival is a four-day music festival centered around country music hosted each June by the Country Music Association in Nashville, Tennessee...
with Josh Turner
Josh Turner
Joshua Otis "Josh" Turner is a country music singer and actor signed to MCA Nashville Records in 2003, Turner has released four studio albums for the label. The first of these was 2003's Long Black Train, whose title track was his breakthrough single release...
.
The group often sings at events on the campus of Michigan State, dorms, weddings (often of Accafellas' alumni) as well as various locations around the nation. The group has performed at The White House, as well as Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
Governor Jennifer Granholm
Jennifer Granholm
Jennifer Mulhern Granholm is a Canadian-born American politician, educator, and author who served as Attorney General and 47th Governor of the U.S. state of Michigan. A member of the Democratic Party, Granholm became Michigan's first female governor on January 1, 2003, when she succeeded Governor...
's personal residence.
History
Phil Johnson founded the Accafellas in 1996 as a freshman at Michigan State University. A MSU student had to be enrolled in Men's Glee Club, and be a sophomore or higher to audition for the only men's a cappella group on campus at the time, the Spartan Dischords. To circumvent this requirement, Phil started his own group, and the Accafellas were born. The Accafellas began with four original members, and soon doubled the number to eight. Phil is still an active alumnus of the Accafellas, who affectionately refer to him as "The Godfather". The group regularly performs in Traverse City, MichiganTraverse City, Michigan
Traverse City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,674 at the 2010 census, with 143,372 in the Traverse...
twice a year, where Phil is a highly regarded choir teacher.
In 1997, the Accafellas released their debut album, Accafellas Volume I. It is currently out of print.
In 1998, at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
’s Monsters of A Cappella concert, the relatively new Accafellas received a standing ovation from a pro-wolverine crowd.
In 2000, the Accafellas released a second album, appropriately "Accafellas Volume II".
In 2004, the Accafellas released "Accafellas Volume III". The album feels much more produced than the first two albums, and would be a great influence on future Accafellas' members as a high-quality album to strive to outdo.
In 2006, the Accafellas released "Accafellas Volume IV". Their version of the song You and I Both
You and I Both
"You and I Both" is a song by Jason Mraz released as the third and final single from his debut album Waiting for My Rocket to Come.-Track listing:# "You and I Both" # "Common Pleasure" # "You and I Both"...
originally by Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz
Jason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
appeared on the Best of College a Cappella compilation that year.
On April 4, 2009, the Accafellas released "Accafellas Volume V". The album was recorded at Ryan Wert's Elm Street Recording Studio in Lansing, MI. Ryan Wert claimed that Volume V was "The most ambitious of the CD's (he's) recorded."
On June 11, 2010, the Accafellas performed the song Would You Go With Me
Would You Go with Me
"Would You Go with Me" is the title of a song written by Shawn Camp and John Scott Sherrill, and recorded by American country artist Josh Turner. It was released in April 2006 as the second single from his album, Your Man. It is the first track on Your Man.-Reception:The song went on to become...
with Josh Turner
Josh Turner
Joshua Otis "Josh" Turner is a country music singer and actor signed to MCA Nashville Records in 2003, Turner has released four studio albums for the label. The first of these was 2003's Long Black Train, whose title track was his breakthrough single release...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, at his fan club party before the CMA Music Festival
CMA Music Festival
The CMA Music Festival is a four-day music festival centered around country music hosted each June by the Country Music Association in Nashville, Tennessee...
.
In Addition, The Accafellas have competed in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
The International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, originally the National Championship of Collegiate A Cappella , is an international competition that attracts hundreds of college a cappella groups each year...
(ICCA). They have won awards at these competitions for their arrangements and soloists, most notably advancing to the regional semi-finals in 2008.
The Sing-Off
The Accafellas auditioned for Season 1 of NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's The Sing-Off
The Sing-Off
The Sing-Off is an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It premiered on NBC on December 14, 2009, and is produced by Sony Pictures Television....
. They advanced to the interview stage of the show, and were filmed performing Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
's Wonderful Tonight
Wonderful Tonight
"Wonderful Tonight" is a song written by Eric Clapton. It was included on Clapton's 1977 album Slowhand and released as a single the following year. Clapton wrote the song about Pattie Boyd, and it is mentioned in her autobiographical book Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me...
outside of the audition venue. The group was in negotiations to fill out contracts to possibly become one of the eight contestants on the show, but declined to advance further in the process due to members' previous commitments to college coursework.
Discography
- Accafellas Volume I (1997) - Out of Print
- Accafellas Volume II (2000)
- Accafellas Volume III (2004)
- Accafellas Volume IV (2006)
- Accafellas Volume V (2009)
- Untitled (2011)