By Kirstin Roble                                    

The story is something of a fairy tale really. In 1986, four men founded the all-male a cappella group, Rockapella, to rather humble beginnings. Headlining performances on street corners in New York City – their favorite, Columbus and 74th, parked them right in front of a Häagen Dazs – they earnestly crooned their best covers, often Barbershop and doo-wop, to any passerby who’d have a listen. Their blend was impeccable, and this talent didn’t go unnoticed for long. Literally picked up off the pavement, Rockapella got real gigs on real stages, evening attracting the notice of a producer who got them a spot on the television show “Spike and Co.: Do It A Cappella,” hosted by Spike Lee.

Flash forward to several years later. These guys are now bonafide rock stars, selling out stadiums. People of all ages scream with excitement, singing along. Middle-aged, minivan-driving women act like teenagers, yelling the name of their favorite member.

Rockapella tours all over the world. They average a grueling 75 to 100 concerts a year and boast a huge fan-base ranging from kiddos to retirees, and are making the trip to Decorah, Iowa for the very first time September 12. Rockapella’s 7:30 pm show at Luther College’s Center for Faith and Life will kick off the 2009-2010 Center Stage Series. Concertgoers can expect to hear the barbershop and doo-wop of street-corner yore but also contemporary rock and pop, and often Rockapella’s own compositions. But while some things have changed, the pristine blend and energy (possibly brought on by several cans of Diet Mountain Dew they reportedly down before a concert) is still there, and they still do it all a cappella (without instruments). Sound eclectic? It’s kind of hard to fit them in a box.

“Our music is a genre of its own. We are a brand of our own kind of a cappella,” says Scott Leonard, Rockapella producer, writer, and arranger. “What is really awesome about the style of music that we have is that it is something that has spiraled out into other a cappella groups.”

While wholly entrenched in life as a musician now, Scott never originally intended to pursue music as a career.

“I went to Florida – the University of Tampa – to play baseball,” explains Scott in a phone interview. “But,” he admits, “ I burned out and tried the music program, just to be involved.”

That passing involvement turned into something bigger than even Scott had imagined. During college, he sang at Disney World. Post-graduation, he headed to Tokyo Disneyland and was eventually offered a record deal. But it was when we returned from Tokyo in 1991 that he got the deal that would really change his life: a chance to sing with the group, Rockapella.

Now, 18 years later, he’s not only performing with the now five-member group, he’s writing and arranging many of their songs.

“A lot of it is nothing like what people have heard before. The arrangements are often unique, showcasing the wide range of talents of each person in the group,” he says. “Each guy inspires a different set of lyrics. George, the bass, sings the R&B style, smooth sexy songs. John, our newest member, tap dances – he’s like Sammy Davis Jr. – Kevin, he has a really beautiful tenor voice, this ingenue vibe. Jeff, he’s our ‘drummer.’ He does vocal percussion which is amazing.”

Leonard’s appreciation for the different stems of his group’s individual styles may stem from his own musicial upbringing. Though he never intended to major in music, Leonard grew up with an apperciation for it. I spent many, many afternoons listening to my mom’s record collection, Scott recalls. Her records comprised many styles and I think that’s how I started really liking music. From her.

Still don’t think you’re familiar with Rockapella’s music? How about “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?” Yes, that’s Rockapella. The group participated in 295 episodes of the PBS children’s geography game show, ending their involvement in the early 1990s. For all of the current members of Rockapella but Scott, “Carmen” was before their time. Bringing various experiences and talent to the group, the other members – Kevin Wright (tenor), George Bald (bass), John K. Brown (tenor), and Jeff Thacher (“drums”) – have all become part of Rockapella in the last five years.

 “I’ve been here the longest, so I see myself as kind of the grandfather of the group,” Scott says with a laugh.

Whether you’re a grandfather or a grade-schooler, this show will strike a cord. Even the college-aged set is getting anxious for the a cappella group to hit the stage.

“You have no idea how excited I am about Rockapella coming to Luther,” says Luther College senior Andrew Hillertz. “I’ve seen them live and it’s an awesome show. They’re such great performers. It makes a great experience for the audience. I can’t wait to get my tickets.”

Kirstin Roble is a senior voice pedagogy major and classics/english minor at Luther College. When not singing or studying singing, Kirstin enjoys taking part in a number of different activities such as reading, writing, and the occasional run. A member of the executive board for the Performing Arts Committee at Luther, Kirstin is ecstatic to see Rockapella and the Reduced Shakespeare Company at Luther this fall!

Tickets – youth (4-18) $15, individual $24, and senior citizens (65+) $22 – are on sale September 3 and will be available for purchase at Luther’s Box Office or by calling 563-387- 1357. More info at centerstage.luther.edu. Learn more about Rockapella at www.rockapella.com.