The a capella trip took place from March 3rd and March 4th in Kentucky. The Mt. Vernon two a capella groups, Formation and Locked out, participated in a showcase, met many other a cappella groups, and took classes to learn more about music.

This was my second and unfortunately last year doing the trip. Compared to last year, the convention was vastly different. There were more people, more classes, and more opportunities to learn. The overall energy was amazing. The best part of the trip was seeing so many people in love with the same thing, music,  and sharing joy with people they met for the first time.

All of the groups that performed were absolutely fantastic. They gave it their all on the stage, pushing out their emotions towards the crowd. It was like going to an actual concert. There is something about going up on stage and seeing so many faces who want you to do well, who are rooting for you even though you have never even spoken to them. It is an adrenaline rush that can never be matched. It is unique and addicting.

“My favorite part of the trip,” said Alexus Johnson, 12,”was spending time with the people I care about and doing the thing I love, which is singing.

The classes we took were very helpful. Some of them introduced how to do vocal percussion, while others focused on group unity and how to stand out as a group. Each acapella group that performed in the competition then had a masterclass with a judge to focus on the performance, and what was great or what needed to be worked on. For me, I did not learn much since I am the vocal percussionist and our teacher focused mainly on vocals. But, after the class, I could tell our group did an amazing job and learned something new.

“I learned how valuable friendship is,” said Johnson. “I forget how happy I am to have these people until I spend so much time with them.”

Since it was my last year going, I wanted this year to be the ultimate trip. It was. I had so much fun hanging out with everyone. Both Formation and Locked Out are like family to me. I know that they will only continue to grow for years to come.