‘Unaccompanied Minors’ Take Carnegie Hall

By MATTHEW MEYER | Reporter

A talented a cappella troupe from the Archer School for Girls is gearing up for the gig of a lifetime, as they ready for a cross-country trip to perform at historic Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Thirteen young singers from the school’s upperclassmen a cappella group—known as the “Unaccompanied Minors”—will perform in the third annual “Total Vocal” concert, set for April 9 and hosted by Distinguished Concerts International New York.

The concert will feature arrangements of contemporary a cappella music from familiar movies and TV shows, like “Pitch Perfect” and “The Sing-Off,” along with plenty of nods to trending pop ballads and throwbacks to the classics.

Seventeen groups from around the country—and even outside the U.S.—have been rehearsing a mutual set of songs for months. On April 9, they’ll all come together and perform the arrangements in massive, collaborative sets.

Unaccompanied Minors director and Archer choir teacher Kate Burns first heard of the “Total Vocal” event in 2013. After her colleagues at a high school in Calabasas participated in the concert and told Burns it was a “life-changing” experience, she knew she had to get her group involved.

As luck would have it, DCINY already had interest: Concert organizers saw an Archer YouTube video—a pithy cover by the Minors, singing Michael Jackson’s “I Want You Back” to their campus’ spotty WiFi connection—and encouraged the group to apply.

“It was a funny video,” said Burns of the clip that opened the door. “The girls are pretty theatrical.”

After submitting an official video application and receiving a spot in this year’s concert, Burns set the group to work, mastering nine different songs that they’ll sing alongside other groups at “Total Vocal.”

Singing as part of such a large, diverse group—both in experience level and region—will serve as a valuable learning experience.

“The girls are going to get to perform with collegiate groups and adult professional groups,” the director told the Palisadian-Post, adding that even simply singing in arrangements with men would be unique for the student-songstresses of Archer’s all-girl campus.

The Minors jet off to New York on Thursday, April 7 for a whirlwind two days of rehearsal with the other groups before Sunday’s big performance.

Though performance prep will fill most of their waking hours, Burns said the group will still have a chance to do “some touristy things,” including catching a Broadway show. Beyond the incredible concert opportunity, the Minors’ director is just grateful the girls, many of whom have performed together for years, will get to spend this time together.

“It’s amazing for them,” Burns said. “It’s just nice to get to spend a large chunk of time together. A lot of them are seniors, so this is sort of a capstone experience of their time at Archer.”