Thirteen chips, seven schools, one stage.
After being named the champions of the Mid-Atlantic Semifinals in the International Competition for Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), the Buffalo Chips are taking their talents down to New York City to shake up the competition in the ICCA Finals.
On Saturday, the University at Buffalo's all-male a cappella group will go head to head against six other colleges at the prestigious Lincoln Center to battle for the honorable title of Grand Champion. With their chilling harmonies, incredible energy, and impeccable chemistry, the Chips blew competitors away at the semifinals held at Rutgers University in late March, advancing themselves to the international competition for the second year in a row.
But the success of achieving a ticket to the finals was no easy task, especially with the obstacles the group was forced to face at the beginning of the fall 2010 semester. Crucial members had moved beyond the group, leaving the Chips with five very empty and impressive shoes to fill.
With the addition of three promising new members in the fall semester and three more in the spring, little did the Buffalo Chips know of the exciting singing season that was quickly approaching. They expanded to 13 voices strong, each member contributing a unique element to the a cappella family.
"[We have] so many different personalities," said Matt Gibb, a senior geography major and business manager of the Buffalo Chips. "But we're all best friends and more like brothers by this point."
With different personalities comes a variety of majors. All the members exercise an array of interests ranging from the arts to the sciences. None of their majors, however, is music.
The element of brotherhood is prominent throughout the Chips' performances, as the chemistry between them ignites impressive compatibility. With all the time they spend together, a brotherly bond is near inevitable.
In preparation for the ICCA competitions, the group used the space of dance studios to practice three times a week for two- to three-hour sessions. Though the Chips polished their performance for hours, blending the elements of singing talents with choreography, the time they are given for the competition is a mere 12 minutes.
"It's hard work sometimes," said Dan Stafford, a junior psychology major and music director of the Buffalo Chips. "Sometimes you get fed up working on three songs. But you come back with success, and it feels amazing."
Stafford and Gibb were active in the Buffalo Chips last year ,when they were crowned semifinal champions for the first time. Though there was some concern at the beginning of the fall semester pertaining to the absence of past members, the new additions to the Buffalo Chips have made incredible contributions to the group. Some would even argue that the chemistry between this year's Chips is more potent than last.
"It felt really sweet [to win semifinals] last year, but this year it was amazing because of all that we had gone through in the beginning of the year," Stafford said.
Cory Mikida, a freshman aerospace engineering major, was one of the three new members to join the Buffalo Chips in the fall. Soon after collaborating with the group, he realized that one of the most valued elements was teamwork.
"There's the importance of being a cohesive group," Mikida said. "[The semifinals were] a collective experience. It's not ‘I won,' but it's ‘We won.'"
The Buffalo Chips are all thrilled to have advanced into the finals, as the accomplishment reflects the hard work each member has devoted to the group. The Chips will compete against The Acabelles from Florida State University (last year's second-place finishers), Pitch Slapped from Berklee College of Music, Vocal Point from Brigham Young University, The Stereotypes from Washington University in St. Louis, The Melodores from Vanderbilt University, and Cadenza (the United Kingdom's winners of the Vocal Festival) from Cambridge University.
In the week following the ICCA Finals, the group will be hosting its spring concert on Friday, April 22 in Slee Hall.
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