BYU Vocal Point

Vocal Point was founded in 1991 by two students at BYU, Dave Boyce and Bob Ahlander.[1] Boyce and Ahlander became introduced to modern a capella while visiting the Eastern United States, where a capella had become popular among colleges.[2] Jill Petersen-Lex became the group's first Artistic Director as the group hoped to introduce the Western United States to contemporary a capella.[2] The three held auditions in the fall of 1991. Although the group intended to have eight members, a double-quartet, they could not choose between two singers so they accepted both and became a group of nine.[3] In 1992, the group recorded its first album, "If Rocks Could Sing" on cassette.[4] In 1994, Vocal Point was absorbed into BYU's School of Music.[5]

The group won the ICCA semifinals for the 2003–04 and 2004-05 competitions, but the group chose to not participate in the finals in New York, because they took place on Sundays.[3] In 2004, Vocal Point performed eighteen shows in Nauvoo, Illinois, for three weeks at the Joseph Smith Academy Theater.[6] James Stevens became the group's director in 2004, directing the group until 2012.[7] In 2006, Vocal Point received three Pearl Awards from the Faith Centered Music Association for "Best Sacred Recorded Song of the Year", "Best Group Recording Artist of the Year", and "Best Performing Artist of the Year" for their newest album "Standing Room Only".[8][9]

Vocal Point performed at BYU's Homecoming Spectacular in 2006.[10] The same year, they hosted a reunion concert for Vocal Point's 15th anniversary.[11] Competing in the 2006 ICCA competition, the group was awarded first place in the quarterfinals and semifinals before winning first place at the ICCA finals in the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York [12]

Directed by Buck Mangum, in early 2011, Vocal Point again competed in the ICCA.[11] They placed first at quarter finals in Eugene, Oregon. At the semi-finals in Los Angeles, Vocal Point again placed first.[13] At finals in New York, Vocal Point received awards for "best vocal percussionist" to Tanner Nilsson, again "best soloist" to Hunsaker, and second place in the entire competition. The songs they competed with in their set were Michael Jackson's "Beat It," Michael Buble's "Meglio Stassera," a Polish hymn entitled "Infant Holy," and Louis Prima's "Jump Jive an' Wail."[14]

In 2011, Vocal Point competed as part of season 3 of NBC's reality TV series, The Sing Off. The members of the group that competed in the show were Michael Christensen, McKay Crockett, Keith Evans, Tyler Sterling, Tanner Nilsson, Robert Seely, Ross Welch, Ben Murphy, and Jake Hunsaker. They were accompanied by Stevens.[8] As a result of their participation in the show, the group was featured in a CNN article discussing how the group represented BYU and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[15] Since 2012, a previous member of Vocal Point, McKay Crockett, has served as the group's producer and artistic director.[16] Vocal Point has performed the United States national anthem at Utah Jazz games. On tour in the United States, their concerts frequently sell out.[2] In 2018, Vocal Point won several CASA A Capella Video Awards including Outstanding Collaborative Video and Best Show Tunes/Soundtrack/Theme Song for "Beauty and the Beast A Capella Medley" featuring Lexi Walker and the award for Best Religious Video for "It Is Well With My Soul".[17]

• Pearl Award for Best Performing Artist (2005)[18]
• Pearl Award for Best Performing Group (2005)[18]
• ICCA International Champions (2006)[19]
• ICCA Second place (2011)[19]
• Fifth place on NBC's third season of The Sing Off (2011)[20]
• Regional Emmy Award in the Arts/Entertainment - Program/Special Category (2017)[21]

Discography from 2004 to present was retrieved from BYU Music Store.[4]

• If Rocks Could Sing (1992)[22]
• Instruments Not Included (1994)[23]
• Fatter Than Ever (1996)[23]
• Mouthing Off (1999)[23]
• Grand Slam (2003)[23]
• Standing Room Only (2004)
• Nonstop (2008)
• Back In Blue (2011)
• Lead Thou Me On: Hymns and Inspiration (2012)
• Spectrum (2014)
• He Is Born (2015)
• Music Video Hits (Vol. 1) (2016)
• Music Video Hits (Vol. 2) (2018)
• Vocal Point (2020)

• List of collegiate a cappella groups in the United States
• Noteworthy (vocal group), the all female BYU a-capella group

• Official Site