Shout! An A Cappella Musical

Student 1: I really like Shout! It's a really interesting story. It's really fresh, and I think if you're doing the full two hours of the show or a half an hour, you're still going to have a good time doing it.

Interviewer: Was there ever a point where you went, "Oh my god, we're never going to do this"?

Student 2: Yes. [laughter]

Interviewer: When was that?

Student 2: There were points, probably back in the beginning. We'd listened to some of the stuff and I just sat there like, I hope we can pull this off. I hope that we all work towards this one common goal, and sometimes it's hard because we are a high school and there's always going to be something going on with people. There's always going to be drama. For a while I was really scared, but once we got into the swing of things, once we started, and once the CDs came, we were off and running and I didn't question it.

Interviewer: If you had one piece of advice for somebody who is doing this musical, what would it be?

Student 1: Practice, practice, practice, and practice some more.

Student 3: Just don't be intimidated, and rehearse a lot.

Interviewer: [laughter] Practice, practice, practice. Excellent. Very good.

Student 2: Keep your head high. Don't let it bring you down, because there are always going to be points in the show where you're just going to be like, this is never going to work, it's never going to end. But it does. And it's so rewarding at the end, because you have people on their feet because you just did an a cappella show.

Student 4: Just be confident. Just have fun with it.

Student 5: There are songs that you definitely need to commit to. You need to work on them and make sure that you know your part well, because there's a lot of harmony. So it would just be good to know your part.

Interviewer: What have you learned about singing a cappella after doing this?

Student 2: It's hard. It's very challenging, but if you set your mind to it, that's the thing. As a group, we all said we're going to do this and we're going to make it great. I would never have done an a cappella show before. I would have said, "No thanks, I'll pass." I like my orchestra and I like my track. But because I'm here, I said, why not do it? This could be a great year. So going into it, it's very challenging, but the rewards are huge.

[Sung a cappella by Kathleen, as Kate]

My brother Andy
Older with sandy brown hair.
Smile full of dimples
Quick with a wink, he'll
Always be there.
That's what he said.

Before he felt the dread.
The dragging down of lead.
The pull and the trance,
Desperation dance.
The need to drown
Everyone around
Turned upside down
That's what he did.

My brother Andy
Older with sandy brown hair.
"I swear I'll never miss,"
He said, "don't worry, sis. I
Want to see your Fred Astaire."
That's what he said.

Before the needle war
The punch, the kick, the roar.
The lies he told.
The money he stole.
And every time
The very last crime
Promises grimed.
That's what he did.

My brother Andy
Older with sandy brown hair.
And I try not to care.
But.
My heart is full of tears
For my brother Andy.