Breaking mental health barriers with collegiate a cappella: the benefits of teamwork

“This is our escape.” That could be a line from a horror movie, or the tense climax of a heist film, or it could be the words of Northeastern University’s Jess Garcia, president of the school’s student-run acappella group Pitch, Please. Placing third in the 2023 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella Finals (ICCA) was no small feat for the group, but the prestige gained from it wasn’t the only thing they were after. “I’ve had a really great experience with the group . . . it’s like, my favorite thing that I’ve done in college. Just having a designated space . . . and being super passionate is always refreshing,” said Garcia. Their passion for music is what brought the students together, but it’s their achievements as a group that make the experience worthwhile. While being a part of an activity you’re passionate about doesn’t have to involve competing internationally, the performers of ICCA show how any extracurricular group participation could be the emotional outlet young adults need.

On the evening of March 26th, I watched the Varsity Vocals ICCA Northeast Semifinal at the Berklee Performance Center. As I entered, I could feel the excitement radiating from the audience, the anticipation high. Not only was I sitting in one of the front few rows, but I was right behind the judges. From the moment the first a cappella group opened their mouths, stepped their first step, and belted their starting line, none of us viewers could deny the power of the electric performances on stage. One that stood out, in particular, was Pitch, Please!, which went on to win the Northeast Semifinal with some of the best songs of the evening.

Their energy and passion as a group were so powerfully prominent on stage that I couldn’t help but wonder: How do they do it?

I spoke with Jess Garcia, a soloist from Pitch, Please! who performed their opening song “Meteorite,” about what it was that made their show so gripping. I found out that it wasn’t just their skill that wowed the audience members, but something a little more behind-the-scenes: “When people watch us sing together, you can really tell that we genuinely love each other, it’s so nice to see that come across.” From the moment she joined the group in her freshman year, Garcia was hit with intense care. Members walked her home, checked in on her, and supported her through hardships in her life. ”Having that much of a time commitment is stressful, but having it be both a musical and social escape just adds more to your life.”

Although they placed third in ICCA Finals, their group wasn’t always that successful. They had never made it this far before, some of the oldest members have never made it past the quarterfinals. According to Garcia, the four-month-long preparation certainly piled on the pressure, and not only on their social lives. “The hardest part is dealing with stamina and keeping your voice healthy for that long. Your voice is a muscle, so if you overwork it, it’s gonna get tired.” As president of the group, she’s worked with other group members to help keep the group energy up, physically and emotionally, but this led her to ask difficult questions. “How do you deal with things you can’t control? We had people who are really not feeling well on finals day. Should they take a rest? Should they be upset? How do you keep it from mentally inhibiting people’s performance?” One of the best ways to handle these problems is by thinking through with the group members, and doing what’s best for their health. It’s what’s brought the group as far as they have come, learning how to work together to solve issues surrounding their performance.

But this isn’t the only valuable lesson to be learned from working as a team. “It’s taught me so much,” Garcia said “That has even helped me in like, jobs and random other parts of my life, that have nothing to do with music. And it’s just a fun context to be gaining those kinds of skills.” Fables and stories have taught us that growth in life skills takes hardship and pain, and that is accurate to some extent. But what better way to face that than with a group of loving, hardworking friends? And the benefits are endless. “It’s helped me find jobs that helped me with like, administrative tasks. I know how to negotiate rates, I know how to write like a professional email, I know how to deal with, like, all kinds of TV and streaming, professionals in the entertainment industry. I’ve grown so much professionally.” Through the a cappella group, she gained all of these important skills in a fun, exciting way, something that this generation has been lacking.

If a solution for rising mental health issues is found in positive group activities, why isn’t it more popular? Well, that’s because it could be one of the scariest things for many young adults to do: “Be vulnerable. Even just within yourself, acknowledge yourself for who you are, and don’t be ashamed of the things that bring you passion and happiness.” Even if it’s something small, according to Garcia, finding love in something can give back so much more than you’d expect. Friends, jobs, and emotional strength; all are side effects of acting on your passion. Trailblazers like Garcia are real-life examples of the impact of successful teamwork, and how it shapes the young adults of our generation.