Male a cappella singers present a ‘Sharp’ new group

This fall, the East Campus piano lounge has become home to Columbia’s newest a cappella group, Sharp. An all-male group comprising six sophomores and four first-years, Sharp has been honing its combination of soul and Top 40 for much of the first semester. The group performed at the Chinese Student Club’s annual Night Market in October and plans to begin recording and holding concerts in spring 2012.

Zach Vargas-Sullivan and Daniel Murcia, both CC ’14, founded Sharp in September and held the group’s first practice on Oct. 16. Both used to perform in the coed a cappella group Notes and Keys and then chose to form their own all-male ensemble, in what Murcia described as a “spontaneous decision.”

Thus far, the group has spent most of its time building up a repertoire. The Night Market performance was intended as a preview for the Columbia community. “This is our wood-shedding period,” Murcia said. “We have a very strong group, but we haven’t had that much time to plan.”

Murcia and Vargas-Sullivan said they sought to fill a niche on Columbia’s campus. “I feel the name sort of says it. We sing a specific type of music—we present ourselves a certain type of way,” Vargas-Sullivan said.

“The whole idea kind of started as, ‘Let’s start this group of well-dressed gents,’” Murcia said. “We have this kind of suave aesthetic, and we have a 360-degree commitment to it.” The group’s polished feel is reflected in its tightly arranged harmonies and mixture of Motown and pop.

Sharp is the second all-male a cappella group on Columbia’s campus, but its members stressed that their group has no intention of competing with Kingsmen. Previously the only all-male a cappella group, Kingsmen inspired controversy earlier this semester over fliers for its fall preview show. “The Kingsmen have a very specific audience and entertainment value,” Murcia said. “There’s a comedic aspect to their stage presence. They do what they do best, and we obviously don’t want to replicate that.”

Though Sharp is not eligible for official student group recognition until fall 2012, Murcia and Vargas-Sullivan hope to be fully active by spring semester. The group can be found on Twitter and is in the process of developing a Facebook page. After holding auditions in the spring, Sharp plans to begin releasing new tracks online regularly in addition to holding live performances.

Whether on MP3 or in person, Columbians can expect to be hearing more from these “well-dressed gents” very soon.