Pitch Perfect and Glee, move aside: there is a new a cappella squad in town. Make way for Nada Cantata because they’re “acca”-mazing!

Nada Cantata is a new co-ed a cappella ensemble at Central.

After placing second at International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) quarterfinals with an outstanding vocal percussion, Nada Cantata hopes to continue their winning streak in the semifinals of ICCA and beyond.

Since Nada Cantata’s unofficial start in spring 2010, the group has been on the radar of the a cappella scene, but the members of this year’s group have stepped up their game.

“We have always been friends and close—like family-ish—but after winning at quarterfinals, we are closer than ever. I think this makes us stronger,” said Josh Basher, senior information technology and administrative management major.

The current 2015-2016 roster of Nada Cantata consists of 11 members, six ladies and five gentlemen from both inside and outside the music department.

This year, Nada Cantata has revolutionized their sound with the help of leader Theo Olsen, junior music major.

Members of the ensemble classified their current sound as having a jazz influence.

Olsen is the mastermind behind all of Nada Cantata’s arrangements. He has firsthand experience taking apart and rearranging songs to make them his own.

“We try to create moments in each song we sing. It shouldn’t just sound like the original off the album,” Olsen said. “If there is one thing I want people to take away, it is I want them to hear us doing something different.”

After the ICCA quarterfinal win, featuring arrangements of “Circus” by Dirty Loops, “Drunk in Love” by Beyonce, “All the Things You Are” by Swingle, “Eden” by Sara Bareilles and “Hold My Hand” by Jess Glynne, the members of Nada Cantata feel confident they have what it takes to advance in the next round.

“We are really powerful vocally, so we are basically able to do anything,” said Aly Henniger, senior vocal performance major.

Nada Cantata loves to give a good show.

“I personally think that, as a group, we are sassy and it comes out in the music. When we hit our choreography, it’s pretty bomb and fierce,” Basher said.

Nada Cantata is currently preparing vocals and choreography for the ICCA semifinals, which will take place on March 19 at George Fox University in Newberg, Ore.

Besides participating in this national event, Nada Cantata will be hosting a spring a cappella concert at Central.

They will be inviting ensembles from University of Washington, as well as Central alumni groups.

Nada Cantata hopes that students will enjoy watching their own ensemble perform and see what other a cappella groups are about as well.

Nada Cantata will also be performing at Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle.

“Right now, we are just trying to get Nada Cantata out there so people know who we are,” Henniger said.