If you want to see how they construct and perform a song where you can see and hear what each of them brings to it , I'd recommend their recent live video of ' Bohemian Rhapsody ' . But any song you choose to react to will blow you away . In their earlier video's you will see Avi Kaplan , their original bass singer who also provided vocal effects most singers would find difficult to reproduce ! Avi left in 2016-17 and they found Matt ( white jacket in this vid ) who was one of their biggest fans and taught himself the bass parts to all their songs ,but who can also hit some real high notes ! Their Christmas song catalogue is huge and could keep you busy until Summer 😉
Pentaholic here. Subscribed to see more Pentatonix! You're in for a treat! Bohemian rhapsody official video, Daft Punk was their first grammy award, Hallelujah is amazing, even rap with cant' hold us!
Welcome Welcome Welcome to the worldof Pentatonix!!! Girl!!! You are in for a fabulous treat! There's no other group as good as Pentatonix!! Their video catalog is so extensive that it will take you a long time to see and hear it all. And all of it is so good. My recommendation for your second song is 90's Dance Medley. The sounds they are able to make are unbelievable! Also, you must do one of their latest releases...Seal's "Kiss From A Rose 🌹". This is one of the best videos they have ever done. It is also being considered for a Grammy nomination. So it is definitely worth a reaction. Yeah, do the Seal song next please. Great reaction! Thank you for giving PTX a listen! I'm a new subscriber here for more Pentatonix reactions. Hope you are doing well. Sending you love from Texas ❤❤
Subscribed. I had to get your subscriber number to 667😉 Great performance and reaction! My favorite performance of this song. If you would like to explore more and expand your channel, may I suggest a reaction to BABYMETAL. They are unique and have a worldwide fan base (The One). Their music has a positive and uplifting message. They have a fun and awesome performance: BABYMETAL - PA PA YA!! (feat. F.HERO) (OFFICIAL) Or: MAYA【Live Blu-ray/DVD「BABYMETAL BEGINS - THE OTHER ONE -」"BLACK NIGHT"】 Or to showcase the lead singer’s amazing voice: BABYMETAL - Monochrome - Piano ver. / THE FIRST TAKE 🖖 ❤
This is nothing like Disturbed’s version. It’s NOT a cover of Disturbed’s cover. It’s there own version of Simon and Garfunkel’s original song. So many more songs to check out. Imagine, The Prayer, Bohemian Rhapsody, Daft Punk Medley, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, plus tons of Christmas music. Perfect time to start checking them out. ❤
Welcome to the rabbit hole of Pentatonix. They do many covers, a lot of their own original songs, they completely own Christmas. They do some outstanding mashups/medleys/evolutions of other artists or music in general. Most of what they do is totally a cappella, but sometimes they give Kevin (the beat boxer) a chance to cut loose on the cello. If instruments are used, they will be visible in the video.
Pentatonix a "brief" background. They won The Sing Off in 2011. They made a guest starring appearance on America′s Got Talent as non−competitors a couple of years after that. The founding members are:- Scott Hoying (tall blond guy, natural baritone but has an impressive five−to−six octave range, can go all the way up to high tenor and down to bass, sings the bass lines when the usual bass singer takes the lead);
Kirstin "Kirstie" (Rhymes with "Thirsty") Maldonado (the only female member, natural mezzo soprano, but can go down to low alto and as high as upper soprano, also can sing in whistle notes that are off the scale); For a time in 2018 between the group’s tours, had the female lead on Broadway in the production of “Kinky Boots”. Mitch Grassi (a true contra−tenor, can hit high notes in his chest voice with ease and go WAY higher in his falsetto, also with ease); Avriel "Avi" Kaplan (dark beard and long hair), true basso profundo, trained as an opera singer, also can go up into the tenor range; and Kevin "KO" Olusola (beatboxer extraordinaire, also is a world−class cellist who plays cello on some of their songs, has a beautiful high tenor voice and gets occasional lead vocal solos as well, graduated pre−med from Yale and speaks several languages including Mandarin Chinese). Kirstie, Scott & Mitch grew up together in Arlington, Texas, and began performing together as children in local youth musical theater. They ended up in high school together and performed in the choir. While there, they formed an a cappella group called The Trio which had several performance videos go viral on UA-cam, most notably a cover of Lady Gaga′s "Telephone". The three of them are best friends and consider themselves to be almost siblings. Scott & Kirstie (who were a class year ahead of Mitch) both graduated high school in 2010 and went their separate ways to different colleges, Scott at USC and Kirstie at Oklahoma. While at USC, Scott joined a USC−based a cappella group called the SoCal VoCals, where he met alumnus Ben Bram, who was now an arranger and vocal coach for the NBC TV show The Sing Off, an a cappella competition show. Ben convinced Scott to get The Trio to audition for the show. The three reunited (Mitch had to skip high school graduation ceremonies to go) in Los Angeles for the audition. They found out that the rules had changed, so they needed at least five members to audition. Ben put them together with Avi (a native of Visalia, California), who he knew from Avi′s performing days at Mount San Antonio College in California. They found Kevin (from Kentucky) through one of his UA-cam videos that had gone viral featuring him playing the cello and beatboxing at the same time, a talent that Kevin coined as "Cello−Boxing". Kevin arrived in Los Angeles literally the day before the audition! Scott came up with the name "Pentatonix" after the pentatonic scale. They performed a re−arrangement of "The Telephone" for the audition and passed, despite having been together as a five−piece group for less that 24 hours! They won The Sing Off that season (all of the performances are available on UA-cam), in which they received a substantial cash prize AND a record contract with Epic Records. They pooled their prize winnings together and all moved to Los Angeles, and all got apartments right next door to each other in the same building. But just a week later, Epic dropped them because the marketing people didn′t think an a cappella group could sell records. Instead of giving up, they were determined and began recording their own songs on UA-cam, hiring Ben Bram as their producer and arranger. These usually consisted of the five of them sitting on a couch and performing cover songs live. Several of the videos went viral, and Sony (the parent company of Epic) decided to give them another chance by placing them on one of their smaller labels, Madison Gate. They released two secular EPs and one Christmas EP on Madison Gate, all of which were strong sellers. But when their cover of a medley of songs by Daft Punk not only went super−viral, but also won them their first Grammy, they were promoted all the way up to RCA Records, Sony′s top label. They began writing and producing their own songs in addition to their covers, began putting out a Christmas album just about annually (which has become their best−selling genre), and have had multi−platinum album sales, sold−out world tours, and have won two additional Grammys. Avi began getting burned out with all of the touring and heavy recording schedule, was suffering from anxiety and personal problems, and learned that his mother had been diagnosed with cancer in 2017. He announced he was departing from the group and taking some time away from the music industry. Matt Sallee (from Baltimore) joined them in September 2017. He did only become official when they renewed their RCA contract in February 2018, but he recorded with them in September as a featured artist and went on their Christmas tour as a featured artist, as well. When he attended the audition for the group, he had already mastered the Bass part for most if not all their past catalogue. He was successful and has proved that he fits in well with the group. If you think there have been other changes to the line up - look again. This is the ONLY change. Kirstie and Mitch are like chameleons and change looks frequently. It is an often debated subject among the Pentaholics as to just how soon we introduce the "Beginners Guide" as we don't want to overdo the introduction. This is a compilation of snips of a whole load of songs which PTX have released. It highlights each member with some of their solos and then a brief history in video. It is quite long - 14+ minutes and is a little dated now (Feb 2020) but is a good watch ua-cam.com/video/lDxIfwfCmQE/v-deo.html&pp=ygUdYmVnaW5uZXJzIGd1aWRlIHRvIHBlbnRhdG9uaXg%3D. After a year away from music, Avi has now returned as a phenomenal solo artist in the Folk/Americana/Roots genre. Ben Bram has been in charge of their production, including arranging and directing from the beginning. He is often referred to as the sixth member. Scott and Kevin are major players in the arrangements, but every member contributes. A good watch is "The Recording of Evergreen" where a camera was invited into the studio for the second week of recording/ Also, all members are songwriters for both Pentatonix and their own solo work. Ed Boyer who mixes everything of theirs (even the HWB Livestream) is the one who pulled Ben Bram into the sing off in the first place. They have Grammy wins for Daft Punk Medley, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Jolene featuring Dolly Parton. They were nominated for a 4th Grammy for their album Evergreen, but didn't win. Another nomination for Holidays Around the World album in the 2024 list! Kirstie became a new mum which caused a pause in touring after their Evergreen Christmas tour 2021. Mid March 2023 Kirstie has announced that she is engaged to Ben Hausdorff, their videographer. They married 22/04/24! They have a star on the Hollywood walk of fame installed in February 2023. They are the only a capella group with a star! They came 3rd in the 2023 Masked Singer performing as "California Rolls" being unmasked in May 23. Things you need to know because if you get these wrong Pentaholics will come after you with pitch forks and torches! Ha Ha!! 1- There is NO Auto-Tune; what you hear is actually what they sing. They really are that good. One exception is the 90's Dance Medley where Cher used autotune as an effect - so they had to. 2- What produces everything that you hear in the video, you see in the official video. If there is an instrument used in the music, you see it on screen. In the 2022 Christmas album, there are some instruments not featured throughout the album. 3- They never release something on video they can’t reproduce with the exact same quality live on-stage. 4. It is "Pentatonix" there is no "The".
I always appreciate when someone puts their history on a new reactor's page. It saves the rest of us from trying to remember. Tell me you do have this somewhere to cut and paste! Thanks for taking the time.
Wow!!! Such great information especially the last bit about things I should know... I don't want to get into trouble for saying the wrong thing (like I did about it being a cover of Disturbed! ) 🤣Thank you!
Welcome to the incredible world of Pentatonix ( PTX for short), the world's best a capella group. They've been around for about 13 years now and have a massive trove of pieces to explore...some covers and some originals. This group has won 3 Grammys (so far) and have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, plus a few other awards. This piece is a mix between David Draiman's dark and powerful rendition and Simon and Garfunkel's folk style original. Many of PTX fans describe it as : S&G wrote their's as a warning, Disturbed sang it with anger that the warning hadn't been heeded and PTX sings with hope that the warning will finally be listened to and dealt with. The members are: 1st singer: Scott Hoying, baritone 2nd singer, Mitch Grassi, countertenor 3rd singer, Matt Sallee, baritone/bass 4th singer, Kirstin ( prefers Kirstie) Maldonado 5th member: Kevin Olusola, beatboxer, tenor, cellist. Maybe, just for yourself, you should check out the original by S&G. Some suggestions for what to PTX pieces to explore next: Daft Punk medley, Evolution of Michael Jackson, New Rules/Are You That Somebody?, Coffee In Bed (original), Bohemian Rhapsody (live version), O Holy Night ( newer version), 90's Dance Medley, Kiss From A Rose, Say Something, Shallow, Amazing Grace.
4:58 I think this is my favorite Scott moment in any of their songs. The way he comes in and takes command of the song with such stability in his voice never ceases to amaze me.
You should check out the original from Simon & Garfunkel. We had a lot of great music from the 50's-60s. That was the music was fun & Innovative With amazing talents.You would be doing yourself a great favor. Any song from Pentatonix is wonderful. They have hundreds of videos.
Simon and Garfunkel were a folk/pop duo in the 60’s and 70’s. They have several classic hit songs beside this one, like “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Homeward Bound,” “Cecilia,” and “Mrs Robinson.” They broke up the duo after a time and both went solo. Paul Simon was particularly successful as a solo artist and has several amazing hits, you’ve probably heard the song “You Can Call Me Al” with the lyrics “If you’ll be my bodyguard I could be your long lost pal. I can call you Betty, and Betty if you call me, you can call me Al.” Other examples are “Kodachrome” and “Still Crazy After All These Years.” Many people have suggested that Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence” was meant as a warning, Disturbed’s cover is like the anger that the warning wasn’t heeded, and Pentatonix’s version is the hope for the future. I like that, and it is very in keeping with the vibe of each of the three groups. I really enjoyed your reaction! Subbed for more PTX!
Thank you for sharing. I don't recognize those lyrics for "You Can Call Me Al" but I'm famous for not remembering any lyrics whatsoever! 🤣Interesting about the theory that the song was a warning!
They have a huge Xmas catalog so buckle up, lol. Their versions of carols are different than anything you've heard before. A couple of good ones to start with are 12 Days of Christmas and O Come All Ye Faithful...you'll see what I mean, lol 😊
Pentatonix (#PTX)has been around since 2011 when they won a TV competition, the Sing Off. There has been one change in the band since then, the original bass (Avi) left in 2017 and in 2017-18 Matt joined the group as the bass. There is a lot to see and listen to, you can't go wrong with any of it. But be aware, all the same members aside from the previously mentioned bass change.
If you are open to great acapella groups, home Free is another one you should check out. I love PTX and I also love home Free. A good song to start you off with them would be "Catch me if you can" or "Love me like that" also "Listen to the music"
1st: Enjoyed that reaction!! 2nd; Welcome to the deepest rabbit hole in music-dom. All versions of this song are great and very different. You coming in at the right time they OWN Christmas music. Heavenly choirs opening up, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight", "Imagine", Hallelujah" (their original video has more views than all the other A Capella groups entire catalogs; and those are some great groups) For EDM "Love Again", Great feels; Their original songs "Happy Now", "Sing", "Coffee in Bed". PTX 3 Grammy's many gold and platinum albums...on and on..
Loving your infectious enthusiasm. Welcome to the deepest rabbit hole you will find yourself in. Keep bringing PTX reactions and your sub base will grow
I don't know how long they tool to perfect this but it took several hours to film. Don't look at the bright light behind them but watch the ever changing shadows on the floor.
The bell tones are a Pentatonix specialty! Check out their mash-up of New Rules x Are You That Somebody. Re the bats on Mitch's hand - he's pretty tatted up all over; Kirstin and Scott (the tall blond) also have a lot of ink - you can see some of Kirstin's on her right arm. I concur with 90s Dance Medley - upbeat in both mood and tempo. You can also find the great live version of that from the 2022 Hollywood Bowl concert. if you want to see how they do it without any studio technology,. Then go back in time to when they were just a bunch of kids with a television contest win (The SIng-Off, 2011) and a vision. You can find the Sing-Off performances, here on UA-cam or start with their Grammy-winning Daft Punk medley and their famous recording of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.
As others have said, PTX has a long history and a huge catalogue of work, covering many genres of music and a bunch of fabulous original songs. Within the last month they have released new updated live versions of 2 of their classics: Hallelujah and Bohemian Rhapsody. Their originals of both are fully produced music videos with their original bass, Avi Kaplan, with millions of views. The new live versions with Matt Sallee as bass are also amazing and show their vocal maturity. They have hinted at a new live version of this, Sound of Silence, to come, as well as of their classic (Grammy-winning) Daft Punk medley. A new original Christmas song is coming this Friday, Nov 1, called "Meet Me Next Christmas", written for the Netflix movie of the same name that will premier Nov 6. The story of the movie is a Christmas rom-com that revolves around getting tickets for a sold out PTX Christmas Eve concert, and PTX does appear in the movie. Others have given you plenty of good suggestions for other things to react to, but you really can't go wrong with anything that they've done, including lots of music that is on albums without official music videos (they are on UA-cam with "Yule Log" videos or visualizers). They are genuinely good people who are a family of choice in spite of being very different from each other. They love to goof around, and you might also enjoy some of their "PTXperience" videos that show them behind the scenes on tour. 2014 and 2015 tours are on thier "PTXvlogs" channel. 2018 and 2019 are on their official channel, and there are other clips from other tours on some fan channels that have been compiled from their social media.
This was a studio recording that they then shot for the video. The “bell tones” in this one mimic Paul Simon’s beautiful folk-style guitar work. I’d recommend looking at either of their recent re-releases of Hallelujah or Bohemian Rhapsody. To answer your comment on how much they have to have going on in their heads, these last are one-take recordings in which you can see a lot of closed eyes as they keep the count, hear the others and sing their lines. And they tour like crazy.
This is the best a capella group in the world. There are other top ones as well - Voctave, Home Free to name a couple, but these are the best. Watch anything they do.
Halleluja, go to the one that is the most requested. Hope you like Christmas songs. After Halleluja go to the Christmas songs because there's a lot and all of them are great.
Not a cover of Disturb. Much more a cover of the original. They are the only acapella group to win 3 Grammys, nominated for 4. You really should go down this rabbit hole. Your mind will be blown .
Nominated for five Grammy Awards ("Holidays Around the World" (2022) was their fifth nom. "Evergreen" (2021) was their fourth. You know the three for which they won.) We'll see if they are nominees for "O Holy Night" next month.
Welcome Welcome Welcome to the world of Pentatonix!!! Girl!!! You are in for a fabulous treat! There's no other group as good as Pentatonix!! Their video catalog is so extensive that it will take you a long time to see and hear it all. And all of it is so good. My recommendation for your second song is 90's Dance Medley. The sounds they are able to make are unbelievable! Also, you must do one of their latest releases...Seal's "Kiss From A Rose 🌹". This is one of the best videos they have ever done. It is also being considered for a Grammy nomination. So it is definitely worth a reaction. Yeah, do the Seal song next please. Great reaction! Thank you for giving PTX a listen! I'm a new subscriber here for more Pentatonix reactions. Hope you are doing well. Sending you love from Texas ❤❤
New subscriber, here in the hope that you will continue with Pentatonix! You picked a good one to start with in Sound of Silence! They have a couple of new live videos to check out if you are so inclined - they recently released two live versions of previous covers, Hallelujah and Bohemian Rhapsody (yep, that one) and they have a live VEVO video of a cover of Seal’s Kiss From a Rose that will knock your socks off. I can also recommend a couple of official videos, including The Prayer and Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King. I found the group during the Covid lockdown, and they provided so many hours of good music to help me fill the time. They’ve been a band for a long time so there’s lots on UA-cam. A gentle correction: Any later rendition of a song is said to be a cover of the original, so Disturbed and PTX versions would both be covers of the Simon and Garfunkel original no matter the timeline. I really enjoyed your discovery of Pentatonix, thanks! Peace from Ohio …
Intro to the members: Scott Hoying: The tall blonde guy who does the first verse. He is a baritone, but has a wide range and can do the bass line when the bass has the lead. Mitch Grassi: Does the second verse. He is a countertenor, the rarest male voice type. He has an exceptionally wide range and can go all the way from baritone to soprano range. Matt Sallee: Does the third verse. He is the newest member of the group, joining in 2017. He is the bass and has a choir background. Kirsten Maldonado: The only woman in the group, she is a mezzo-soprano. She, Scott, and Mitch have known each other since they were kids. Kevin Olusola: The beatboxer. He can beatbox and play the cello at the same time. He is also fluent in Mandarin and went to Yale.
For sheer visual pleasure, "Over the Rainbow". For vocal purity, "The Prayer". For absolute fun, "The Grinch". For live pleasure: "Seasons of Love" "Winter Hymnal"
These numbers are a bit out of date, but still mind blowing...Their UA-cam channel boasts over 20 million subscribers, yielding more than 6 billion video views. ... ... Pentatonix - Hallelujah (Official Video).
I loved your reaction. Every now and then I wish I could go back and rediscover PTX. Your eyes showed how much you were caught up in their magic. I suspect that you might become a Pentaholic.
You should also check out Home Free and especially my favorite of the three, Voiceplay. All three groups have hundreds of videos and all are great so it's very hard to pick favorites.
Subscribed. Welcome to the world of Pentatonix! You are in for a treat with their extensive music catalog. We will enjoy the journey with you. Beware, their label’s copyrighting is a bear, so you may need to pause a lot and use image filters. Giving a lot of credit plus Pentatonix links in your description might help. Recommend their video of O Holy Night.
Welcome to the Pentatonix rabbit-hole! I hope you'll spend some time exploring this amazing group! I'm afraid I'm a little bit irked. Why does everyone seem to think that any version of The Sound of Silence created in the last 10 years is based on Disturbed's version, rather than a cover of the original? I could maybe understand it a little bit for those who seem to think that Disturbed's was the original, but if you know who created the original, why is any newer version of the song anything other than a cover of the original?!? It makes no sense to me.
Thank you! I think you're right- it doesn't make sense to have a cover of a cover. 🤣 I'll scold the guy who gave me the wrong information. 🤣🤣🤣 I liked what someone said in another comment that this was a cover of Simon and Garfunkel and a response to the Disturbed version.
Seriously, they are the Absolute Very Best at what they do. You have an amazing journey ahead of you. They have No Bad Songs. ONLY BETTER AND BETTER. Have fun.😄
Welcome to the PTX rabbit hole. A little late to the party, but better late than never! Next: „Hallelujah“ and „Daft Punk“ or their „90ies Dance Medley“!
and the rabbit hole begins. Pentatonix best stuff is all their christmas albums. You have to react to!! also have to react to Hallelujah and Imagine covers. if you like Acappella stuff you need to check out Voiceplay as well!!!
The members of #Pentatonix. In this song: • First verse, tall blond guy: Scott Hoying, lyric baritone. In describing a man's vocal range, "lyric" means that the actual range exceeds the nominal range. In Scott's case, he sings everywhere from fairly low in a normal bass range through a normal tenor range, with an excellent falsetto on top. In live performances Scott typically takes over the bass harmony line when their bass has a solo. • Second verse, dark haired guy next to Scott: Mitch Grassi (pronounced Grah'-see, emphasis on the first syllable), contratenor. Mitch has a range of just over 6 octaves, but he's most comfortable in his higher registers. He switches between chest voice, mixed voice, and head voice seamlessly, and is known for his ethereal high solos. Everyone in Pentatonix says he has the best voice of any of them. • Third verse, black guy in a white jacket on the far left: Matt Sallee (pronounced Suh-lee', emphasis on the second syllable), lyric bass. In addition to being the newest member (more about that later) of Pentatonix Matt is also the youngest member, and I'm told that bass voices improve with age. It's hard to be certain just what Matt's range is right now, because it seems to be growing on a daily basis. More about that later. • Fourth verse, the only woman in Pentatonix: Kirstin (also called Kirstie, which rhymes with thirsty) Maldonado, alto and soprano. Kirstin sings anywhere from a low alto (though not contralto, which is the female equivalent of baritone) through coloratura soprano, the highest female range. And she has whistle notes on top of that which are off the charts. Lately Pentatonix has begun referring to her as an "alto soprano." • The fifth member of Pentatonix is the black guy on the right: Kevin Olusola (pronounced Oh-loosh"-oh-luh', primary emphasis on the second syllable, secondary emphasis on the fourth syllable), beatboxer extraordinaire. Kevin is generally too busy being the entire percussion section to sing, but when he does sing he has a lovely tenor voice that occasionally dips into the uppermost reaches of baritone, and he's known for the beauty of his falsetto. He's also a pretty good rapper. Kevin has perfect pitch. He began piano lessons at age 4, cello at age 6, and alto saxophone at age 10. He beatboxes while playing the cello, a technique he calls "celloboxing." He performed at Carnegie Hall twice when he was a teenager, once on the cello and once on the saxophone. He graduated from Yale in 2011 with a pre-med major and had been accepted to Yale Medical School before he decided to become a professional beatboxer instead of a brilliant surgeon. He speaks five languages fluently: English, French, Spanish, German, and Mandarin Chinese. He's one of the kindest people in the world, and when he laughs he makes the whole planet seem like a brighter place. • The original five members of Pentatonix were Scott, Kirstin, Mitch, Kevin, and Avi (pronounced Ah'-vee, emphasis on the first syllable) Kaplan, lyric bass. Avi is an operatically trained basso profundo - his lowest notes have blown out speakers in live performances - but his range extends to somewhere in the middle of a normal tenor range. But in 2017 Avi found it necessary to leave Pentatonix, for a variety of personal reasons. He has since gone on to have a very successful solo career, and I strongly recommend subscribing to his UA-cam channel, which you can find here: youtube.com/@AviKaplanMusic Matt, Avi's replacement joined in either late 2017 or early 2018 (depending on how you figure it) and has now been with Pentatonix longer than Avi was. To find Matt's current range I recommend listening to a a recent live performance of "Hallelujah," though you may want to watch their official video of "Hallelujah" first so you can hear what it sounded like with Avi. You can find the recording with Matt here: ua-cam.com/video/Se0BmDdZuX0/v-deo.html Matt's arrangement of the second verse seems to be designed to show off his full range, which is fantastic. His lowest notes don't blow out speakers the way Avi's have done (though they may within a year or two), but on the high end his falsetto can match Kevin's. I believe that Matt has the greatest range of any member of Pentatonix, past or present (though Scott is close to matching him). The appearance of Mitch and Kirstin tends to vary greatly from one video to another, so people will frequently think they see someone new in Pentatonix when it's really Kirstin or Mitch. With these two, go by their voices, not their appearance; their voices don't lie. To be clear: Avi is the ONLY member who's left Pentatonix and Matt is the ONLY member who joined later.
@@KatetheGreat0521 You're quite welcome. I first discovered Pentatonix about seven months after my husband passed; their music has been very helpful in dealing with my grief, so I tend to be passionate about them.
Where #Pentatonix came from: Kirstin, Mitch, and Scott all grew up in Arlington, Texas. All of them were involved with community musical theater as children, and Mitch met both Scott and Kirstin there (separately) when they were still pre-teens, and became friends with each of them. However, Scott and Kirstin didn't meet each other until they were fourteen and in the same high school class. All three were choir geeks (duh), and they quickly became best friends in high school. And if you're wondering what was in the water in Arlington in the early 1990s that three such remarkably talented people should all be born in such proximity, you aren't the only one. There was some kind of singing contest to meet the stars of _Glee,_ and the three of them wanted to enter, so they formed a trio which they named "The Trio." (I know; not very imaginative. They're somewhat better with that now.) They lost the contest, but they kept The Trio together anyway; they performed at school functions and occasionally on local television. Pentaholics still refer to these three as "the trio," and the trio is the heart of Pentatonix. Kirstin and Scott were a year ahead of Mitch; they graduated in 2010, when Mitch was still in eleventh grade, and both went away for their freshman year of college. Kirstin went to the University of Oklahoma (with a full ride scholarship!), and Scott went to the University of Southern Califonia. Scott is a very outgoing person, so he immediately began looking around for extracurricular activities where he could meet people and make new friends, and he found an award-winning amateur a cappella group named SoCal VoCals, which he joined. While there he met a former member named Ben Bram, who at the time was a coach on NBC's a cappella competition show named _"The Sing-Off."_ A cappella groups would audition for the show, and those that passed appeared throughout the season. There was a panel of three judges, all professional musicians, who would critique each performance. Along the way some groups would be eliminated, narrowing the field, and at the end of the season viewers would be invited to vote on a winner. The winning group would receive $200,000 and a recording contract with Epic, a minor subsidiary of Sony, the show's sponsor. Scott was intrigued. He thought The Trio could be competitive, and if they could get a recording contract they could have a career doing what they most loved, with the people they most loved. So he talked to Kirstin, who thought his idea had promise, and at the end of their first year of college the two of them headed back to Arlington to be there for Mitch's graduation and to talk with Mitch about Scott's idea. Meanwhile, back in Arlington Mitch had been having a very difficult year. His best friends weren't there, and as an out-of-the-closet young gay man with an unusually high voice he was being seriously bullied. And unfortunately, since the bullying was ostensibly for his voice he was quickly developing the notion that there was something wrong with his voice and that no one would want to hear him sing. So when Scott presented his idea Mitch was on board; it was a way to get away from the bullies. He had doubts about his ability to carry his weight in the group, because of the bullying, but he was willing to try, and if Scott and Kirstin said they could win, well, maybe they could. So with everyone agreed, Scott called Ben Bram to find out how to arrange for an audition, and this is where they met their first setback. _The Sing-Off_ had a size requirement; the minimum size allowed was five. The Trio needed two new members and a new name. They were stumped. Ben suggested that they'd profit from adding a rhythm section: a bass and a beatboxer, and he knew the perfect person to recommend for the bass, a guy named Avi Kaplan. They talked to Avi, and he was very interested, so that took care of the bass, but where to find the beatboxer? Ben didn't have any suggestions. So in desperation they typed "beatboxer" into a UA-cam search box and the first hit they got was a black guy playing a classical piece on the cello and beatboxing at the same time. And all of them said, "Wow! He's the one! How can we get in touch with him?" They were in luck. At the time UA-cam had something called UA-cam messages, which would allow private messages between members (now discontinued), so they sent Kevin a private message: "Hey! We really love your stuff, and we wonder if you'd be interested in flying across the country to join four strangers to audition for an a cappella competition show on television?" And Kevin messaged them back: "Normally I'd be there in a heart beat; I love a cappella and have been in a cappella groups before. But right now I'm studying for my final exams for my pre-med major from Yale." Oh. That sounded pretty definite; better keep looking. So they kept looking, and they found someone, but he was no Kevin Olusola. Oh well; you work with what you have. And two weeks later Kevin messaged them again: "Good news! I just graduated. If the gig's still open I can fly out." He arrived the day before their audition. Mitch had to skip his graduation ceremony to attend the audition. But even with just a day of rehearsal they still passed the audition; they were in. Oh, yes, the name. Pentatonix is named for the pentatonic scale, which has five (penta) tones just as Pentatonix has five (Penta) singers. In other words, it's a fancier way of saying they're now "The Quintet." 😂 Pentatonix appeared throughout season three of _The Sing-Off,_ and eventually won. All those performances are available on UA-cam and are well worth watching, preferably in order so you can see how they grew throughout the season. Some of them are as good as anything they've done since (which is saying a lot) and are only available in those old videos. (Note: If you decide to react to these, be sure and watch the versions that contain the show's introduction of Pentatonix just before the performance, and the judges' critiques of the performance, and any comments Pentatonix made backstage.) So, they'd won _The Sing-Off,_ complete with recording contract. Time to move to California permanently and begin recording. And a week later Epic reneged on the contract, saying that they didn't know how to market a cappella. But at this point Pentatonix weren't willing to give up; they *wanted* that career they'd been working toward. So they pooled their winnings and lived frugally. The four men shared two apartments, to cut down on expenses. They arranged music and rehearsed every day, and when they had a song ready they used their iPhones to record themselves anywhere they could find good acoustics, and sometimes in places with acoustics that were just okay. And they posted to UA-cam. Their fans from _The Sing-Off_ quickly found them there, and subscribed, and they began to get more views and more subscribers, and to pick up a few patrons. In fact, they were going viral. And Sony noticed, and approached them with an offer: Perhaps Pentatonix would like a recording contract with Madison Gate, another minor subsidiary? Hmmm. 🤔 Would they like a recording contract? Might have to think about that, for a second or two. Darn right they'd like a recording contract! And then came "Daft Punk Medley," and Pentatonix won their first Grammy. And again, Sony took notice, and approached Pentatonix: "We've been thinking about it and we believe you might find a better fit with our flagship label, RCA. Are you interested?" They've been with RCA ever since. They go on tours world wide and perform to sold-out venues. They put out at *least* one album a year, frequently more. One has gone Gold and one has gone Platinum twice. They have three Grammys and recently received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. And they are the only a cappella band to have won so much as *one* Grammy, or to be represented on the Walk of Fame. The most important part of this story is the fact that Pentatonix began with The Trio, three best friends so close to one another that they might as well be family. And from the very beginning, everyone who has joined with them to form Pentatonix has been incorporated into that family-of-choice. As a family, Pentatonix takes care of all its members. One of the things this means is that everyone gets time in the spotlight. Pentatonix has no lead singer. Yes, some songs call for a lead, and when that happens Pentatonix chooses the member whose voice best suits the song. This is one way that everyone gets time in the spotlight, and it means that no one is burdened with having to always be the lead. And when songs don't require a lead, Pentatonix frequently has each member solo on one or more verses. The members of Pentatonix are able to set their egos aside because each of them is already receiving as much acclaim as any healthy ego could need. And that leaves them free to concentrate on taking care of both the people they love and the music they love. This focus on doing whatever is best for the music is, in my opinion, *the* thing that makes Pentatonix greater than the sum of its parts. And their focus on caring for one another is the reason we like them as people, not just as singers.
Gosh this is interesting especially about the 3 of them meeting in high school! It reminds me a little of Ben Affleck (and his brother) and Matt Damon all meeting in high school and being so successful. Thank you for the information and I love what you said at the end- "This focus on doing whatever is best for the music is, in my opinion, the thing that makes Pentatonix greater than the sum of its parts."
As many have said, Pentatonix and Disturbed BOTH did covers of the ORIGINAL by Simon and Garfunkel. They originally recorded an acoustic version in 1964... it was re-released in 1965. The rest is history. And yes...WELL before your time. The song is considered by most to be a classic. Now to Pentatonix. They are (arguably) the most popular a cappella group on Earth. Many consider the "big four) of a cappella to be Pentatonix, Home Free, Voice Play, and Voctave. All are amazing in their own way. What they have in common is incredible talent. You'll get plenty of suggestions and requests. As I am watching this on 10/31/24, you have 767 subscribers. Okay, now 768. 😊 If you do more cappella reactions, you'll have 3000 subscribers within a few months (my prediction). I enjoyed your reaction enough to subscribe on my first listen... so good luck!! One small piece of advice... don't talk about (or worry about) your lack of musical expertise. You have good ears. You enjoy what you hear. You express your enjoyment well. We die-hards LOVE watching newcomers be blown away by what they hear. Just do it (where have I heard that before?).
Where have you been? Take a deep deep dive into the Pentatonix rabbit hole,you haven’t heard anything yet. They say that they do upgrades to songs. They are amazing
"Sound of Silence" was originally sung by Simon and Garfunkel, an American folk rock duo in the 1960s. It was written by Paul Simon, and they first released it in January, 1966. In the nearly 60 years since then, it has been covered by numerous bands and singers, including, as you know, both Disturbed and #Pentatonix. Disturbed released their cover first; in many ways Pentatonix's version is a response to Disturbed. There has been much speculation about the meaning of "Sound of Silence." Because it was released shortly after President Kennedy's assassination, many people thought it was about that. Some people think that Paul Simon foresaw the internet. Some people think it's set in the aftermath of a global catastrophe, either nuclear war or climate change; this is apparently the view of Disturbed. But Paul Simon did talk about this, and here's what he had to say: "…we have people unable to touch other people, unable to love other people. This is a song about the inability to communicate." However, since so many people hear the song as a warning of planetary disaster, the best version comparison I've heard goes like this: Simon and Garfunkel warned us. Disturbed is angry that we didn't heed the warning. And Pentatonix says that it isn't too late - we can still save the planet if we're willing to make the effort. Is Pentatonix right? I don't know. But I'm *certain* that if we just give up we lose, so I'm with Pentatonix on this one. If they're wrong and it's already too late, at least we'll go down fighting for our planet, and that beats the heck out of the only other option I see, writing an angry suicide note.
It takes talent but talent without disciplined vocal development by singing scales and learning vocal placement, building breathe support, and general musicianship and the list goes on for the ability to produce such music by a group.
If you have decided to explore more Pentatonix music I suggest you start toward the beginning with their official Hallelujah video and then work your way forward with Daft Punk, Bohemian Rhapsody etc so that you can see and experience their growth as an extremely talented a cappella group. You will see that one member, their bass (Avi) did leave the group and is currently pursuing a solo music career. He was replaced by an equally talented Matt who remains with the group today. I also highly recommend that you check out their Christmas music which is extraordinary, beautiful and unparalleled.
Long time fan of Pentatonix and other new groups. Home Free, Voice Play, Voctave, Lindsey Stirling, Imagine Dragons, Steam Powered Giraffe, just to name a few. Love it when people react to these for the first time. Kevin (KO) is legendary. He's the beat boxer of the group. He has his own YT channel if you wish to look it up. Matt, the bass singer, is new to the group. Avi, their previous bass singer recommended Matt. Avi has gone on to establish his own music channel. He remains on good terms with the group, and left because of personal reasons. Given you are new to reaction videos, recommend you check out the groups I listed. Mind you. they all blew me away the first time I ever heard them. Lindsey Stirling colab with Pentatonix - Radioactive, cover of Imagine Dragons, also listen to the original. Home Free - Man of Constant Sorrow. Pentatonix - Jolene colab with Dolly Parton Home Free - American Pie, cover and colab with the original artist Don McClean. Anything with Voice Play and "The Nightmare Before Christmas" music. Also their cover of "My Mother Told Me" is really good. Just a few suggestions to get you started.
A solo, actually. Just Paul singing and playing acoustic guitar. Released on the album that preceded “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme” which, if memory serves, had the first S & G sung (folk) version-which Columbia re-released with instrumental backing as a pop song which gave them their first huge commercial hit. Paul was not well-pleased as the new orchestration was done without consultation and presented as a fait acomplís. Commercially Columbia was clearly right. Musically…
If you think HIS voice is low, check out some of their older videos with Avi Kaplan singing... that boy has blown out speakers in some of the venues they played in, to the point they had to start bringing their own speakers with them.
You just fell into a very large, but incredible rabbit hole! Some info about Pentatonix, the original members are Scott: The blonde in the middle, Mitch: The guy with the mullet and the higher pitched voice, Kirstin: The beautiful woman to the left of scott, and the only woman in the group. Keep in mind also that Kisrtin and Mitch both change their hair very often. Kevin: The black man on the right doing the percussion, and Avi: Not in this video, but the original bassist of the group. In this video, you saw Matt, the other black man on the left, who replaced Avi as bassist due to Avi's desire to pursue a solo career. Weather you see Avi or Matt will depend on when the covers you're watching are from. Some of my personal favorite covers of theirs that I think you should react to are: Hallelujah, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Say Something, Daft Punk, Shallow, Bohemian Rhapsody, Jolene w/ Dolly Parton, Mad World, Imagine, and The Prayer.
Great reaction! Welcome to the PTX rabbit hole . The more PTX you do the more PTX fans will follow. Check out Amazing Grace. Kirsty has a part where she goes higher like 5 or 6 times! It's insane the range she has. You'll love it.
No matter if You are going for a cover - sorry - upgrade, or an original, or one of their many christmas songs ... it's allways a pleasure. I would recommand their version of "Halleluja" or "Imagine" (original music video). So You can see - and more important - hear their first bass Avi Kaplan, who leaved the group in 2017.
Do " Amazing Grace " " Hallelujah " " Daft Punk " " Can u feel the love tonight " " The Prayer " '" Imagine " " Jolene " " Oh Holy Night " " 90's Dance Medley" and more/ U won't be sorry. Their so good
You will be amazed at any of their songs you do and the Pentaholix will come for it but I would like to suggest one I haven't seen recommended in a long while. It's live and laid back. FIRST listen to the original GOLD by Kiara, if you can stand it. THEN listen to their cover and see how they can take a techno mess and amaze you.
Hallo. Welcome to our world. They are THE Acapella group. Just subscribed for more Pentatonix. We Pentaholics love love reactions. The Pentaholics will give you more information. Remember, only 1 person -Avi Kaplan - left amicably. Avi . In all the other videos you will see Matt - the bass since 2017- the guy in the white jacket. This group is stunning! Please Please do Hallelujah next - the official video and later their new Hallelujah with Matt as base. So there are no new members it just sometimes looks that way because Kirsten and Mitch - high pitched voice the smaller guy change their appearances so much. Greetings from South Africa
Dankie! You are correct! The Pentaholics are very generous with their information... I've learned so much reading the comments!!! I have several very good friends from South Africa.
You also should check out these other 2 Acapella groups : Home Free & Voiceplay. Along with Pentatonix (PTX for short) these other groups ALSO competed on the same acapella vocal show the Sing Off! PTX won the season they competed, Hone Free won their season and Voiceplay came in second to Home Free the same season… ALL 3 groups are considered TOP TIER of Acapella. 😃also, this was NOT a Disturbed cover,its a Simon & Garfunkel cover.lol,you should DEFINITELY listen to the original Simon & Garfunkel version!!! 😃🎶❤️✌🏻
Pentatonix has never released a bad version of anything, as far as I’ve heard. They are absolutely worth going down their rabbit hole. But as good as this version is……the lyrics are a warning. And the most blood-curdling version of that warning is Disturbed’s cover. It’s metal, but not in the way you might think. React to the live version on “Conan” rather than the studio version; both are good, the live version is live, and sparkles.
They both are covers of S&G. This one is very similar to the original but with 5 amazing singers. Disturbed has their amazing version of the song but very different from the original. Pentatonix is indescribably crazy good and hard to compete with in composition, raw ability, lead singers, backing vocals, etc…with a huge catalogue of popular songs and I think three Grammys now.
Welcome future Pentaholic. Just a heads up, with Christmas not too far away, this group rules Christmas music. One thing about the group you will eventually notice, the guy all the way to the left ( Matt ) the one on bass, he replaced Avi Kaplan who was their original bass singer until he left the group for personal reasons.
Not a cover of Disturb's version. They do covers from the originals. Won the SingOff in 2011, with the original bass Avi Kaplan. He left in 2017 with the new bass being Matt Sallee. Listen to Hallelujah. In my opinion, the best accapella group.
Absolutely loved your reaction! Pentatonic are going to roast and chastise you severely for referring to this as a Disturbed cover but don't let that stop you from going down this rabbit hole of Absolutely Amazing songs. You should Absolutely do their cover of Imagine next, I'll be here for every reaction!!!!!!
I really encourage you to do something live next. Maybe one of the Evolution of Videos they have. Years ago they did Michael Jackson if you want a throwback, or they did Ariana Grande and Rihanna more recently (still years ago though). Kiss From A Rose is Amazing. 90's Dance Medley isn't live but so awesome. You can also try some of their original music. Can't Sleep Love, Run to You, Rise. Have fun!
Great reaction! You should check out Geoff Castellucci's version of this song. Geoff is the bass singer for the accapella group VoicePlay. I PROMISE you will not be prepared for his voice. He is the smoothest and "bassiest" bass singer out there but also sings high tenor with his 5 octave range (A0-A5). In his videos, he layers himself and sings all the parts.
Great reaction 😊 The 3 in the middle do most of the main vocals/harmonies. Guy on the right beatboxes (and on a few songs plays the cello whilst beatboxing). Guy on the left sings bass (the really low notes that sound like a bass guitar).
what song should i do next?
If you want to see how they construct and perform a song where you can see and hear what each of them brings to it , I'd recommend their recent live video of ' Bohemian Rhapsody ' . But any song you choose to react to will blow you away . In their earlier video's you will see Avi Kaplan , their original bass singer who also provided vocal effects most singers would find difficult to reproduce ! Avi left in 2016-17 and they found Matt ( white jacket in this vid ) who was one of their biggest fans and taught himself the bass parts to all their songs ,but who can also hit some real high notes ! Their Christmas song catalogue is huge and could keep you busy until Summer 😉
Pentaholic here. Subscribed to see more Pentatonix! You're in for a treat! Bohemian rhapsody official video, Daft Punk was their first grammy award, Hallelujah is amazing, even rap with cant' hold us!
Welcome Welcome Welcome to the worldof Pentatonix!!!
Girl!!! You are in for a fabulous treat! There's no other group as good as Pentatonix!! Their video catalog is so extensive that it will take you a long time to see and hear it all. And all of it is so good.
My recommendation for your second song is 90's Dance Medley. The sounds they are able to make are unbelievable!
Also, you must do one of their latest releases...Seal's "Kiss From A Rose 🌹". This is one of the best videos they have ever done. It is also being considered for a Grammy nomination. So it is definitely worth a reaction. Yeah, do the Seal song next please.
Great reaction! Thank you for giving PTX a listen! I'm a new subscriber here for more Pentatonix reactions.
Hope you are doing well. Sending you love from Texas ❤❤
hallelujah and imagine!
Subscribed. I had to get your subscriber number to 667😉 Great performance and reaction! My favorite performance of this song. If you would like to explore more and expand your channel, may I suggest a reaction to BABYMETAL. They are unique and have a worldwide fan base (The One). Their music has a positive and uplifting message. They have a fun and awesome performance:
BABYMETAL - PA PA YA!! (feat. F.HERO) (OFFICIAL)
Or:
MAYA【Live Blu-ray/DVD「BABYMETAL BEGINS - THE OTHER ONE -」"BLACK NIGHT"】
Or to showcase the lead singer’s amazing voice:
BABYMETAL - Monochrome - Piano ver. / THE FIRST TAKE 🖖 ❤
This is nothing like Disturbed’s version. It’s NOT a cover of Disturbed’s cover. It’s there own version of Simon and Garfunkel’s original song. So many more songs to check out. Imagine, The Prayer, Bohemian Rhapsody, Daft Punk Medley, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, plus tons of Christmas music. Perfect time to start checking them out. ❤
You left out their breathtaking cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. That's a definite "must listen" if you are going down this rabbit hole
Thank you for clarifying that this is NOT a cover of Disturbed's cover.
Thanks for letting me know! I really appreciate it... great suggestions too!
That's twice this week I heard they did a cover of disturbed 'sound of silence' super disappointing and completely wrong!
hallelujah....the official video will blow your socks off
Great! I can't wait to hear it.
Welcome to the rabbit hole of Pentatonix. They do many covers, a lot of their own original songs, they completely own Christmas. They do some outstanding mashups/medleys/evolutions of other artists or music in general. Most of what they do is totally a cappella, but sometimes they give Kevin (the beat boxer) a chance to cut loose on the cello. If instruments are used, they will be visible in the video.
I would love to listen to one with a cello! I absolutely love that instrument.
You just dug yourself into a Pentatonix rabbit hole. It doesn't matter what song you see later. They are all great
🤣🤣🤣
This is the most awesome talented arrangement of singers ever created!
They are truly amazing and to find each other and create such amazing sound is incredible!
Pentatonix a "brief" background.
They won The Sing Off in 2011. They made a guest starring appearance on America′s Got Talent as non−competitors a couple of years after that.
The founding members are:-
Scott Hoying (tall blond guy, natural baritone but has an impressive five−to−six octave range, can go all the way up to high tenor and down to bass, sings the bass lines when the usual bass singer takes the lead);
Kirstin "Kirstie" (Rhymes with "Thirsty") Maldonado (the only female member, natural mezzo soprano, but can go down to low alto and as high as upper soprano, also can sing in whistle notes that are off the scale); For a time in 2018 between the group’s tours, had the female lead on Broadway in the production of “Kinky Boots”.
Mitch Grassi (a true contra−tenor, can hit high notes in his chest voice with ease and go WAY higher in his falsetto, also with ease);
Avriel "Avi" Kaplan (dark beard and long hair), true basso profundo, trained as an opera singer, also can go up into the tenor range; and
Kevin "KO" Olusola (beatboxer extraordinaire, also is a world−class cellist who plays cello on some of their songs, has a beautiful high tenor voice and gets occasional lead vocal solos as well, graduated pre−med from Yale and speaks several languages including Mandarin Chinese).
Kirstie, Scott & Mitch grew up together in Arlington, Texas, and began performing together as children in local youth musical theater. They ended up in high school together and performed in the choir. While there, they formed an a cappella group called The Trio which had several performance videos go viral on UA-cam, most notably a cover of Lady Gaga′s "Telephone". The three of them are best friends and consider themselves to be almost siblings.
Scott & Kirstie (who were a class year ahead of Mitch) both graduated high school in 2010 and went their separate ways to different colleges, Scott at USC and Kirstie at Oklahoma.
While at USC, Scott joined a USC−based a cappella group called the SoCal VoCals, where he met alumnus Ben Bram, who was now an arranger and vocal coach for the NBC TV show The Sing Off, an a cappella competition show. Ben convinced Scott to get The Trio to audition for the show. The three reunited (Mitch had to skip high school graduation ceremonies to go) in Los Angeles for the audition.
They found out that the rules had changed, so they needed at least five members to audition. Ben put them together with Avi (a native of Visalia, California), who he knew from Avi′s performing days at Mount San Antonio College in California. They found Kevin (from Kentucky) through one of his UA-cam videos that had gone viral featuring him playing the cello and beatboxing at the same time, a talent that Kevin coined as "Cello−Boxing".
Kevin arrived in Los Angeles literally the day before the audition! Scott came up with the name "Pentatonix" after the pentatonic scale. They performed a re−arrangement of "The Telephone" for the audition and passed, despite having been together as a five−piece group for less that 24 hours!
They won The Sing Off that season (all of the performances are available on UA-cam), in which they received a substantial cash prize AND a record contract with Epic Records. They pooled their prize winnings together and all moved to Los Angeles, and all got apartments right next door to each other in the same building.
But just a week later, Epic dropped them because the marketing people didn′t think an a cappella group could sell records.
Instead of giving up, they were determined and began recording their own songs on UA-cam, hiring Ben Bram as their producer and arranger. These usually consisted of the five of them sitting on a couch and performing cover songs live.
Several of the videos went viral, and Sony (the parent company of Epic) decided to give them another chance by placing them on one of their smaller labels, Madison Gate. They released two secular EPs and one Christmas EP on Madison Gate, all of which were strong sellers.
But when their cover of a medley of songs by Daft Punk not only went super−viral, but also won them their first Grammy, they were promoted all the way up to RCA Records, Sony′s top label.
They began writing and producing their own songs in addition to their covers, began putting out a Christmas album just about annually (which has become their best−selling genre), and have had multi−platinum album sales, sold−out world tours, and have won two additional Grammys.
Avi began getting burned out with all of the touring and heavy recording schedule, was suffering from anxiety and personal problems, and learned that his mother had been diagnosed with cancer in 2017. He announced he was departing from the group and taking some time away from the music industry.
Matt Sallee (from Baltimore) joined them in September 2017. He did only become official when they renewed their RCA contract in February 2018, but he recorded with them in September as a featured artist and went on their Christmas tour as a featured artist, as well. When he attended the audition for the group, he had already mastered the Bass part for most if not all their past catalogue. He was successful and has proved that he fits in well with the group.
If you think there have been other changes to the line up - look again. This is the ONLY change. Kirstie and Mitch are like chameleons and change looks frequently.
It is an often debated subject among the Pentaholics as to just how soon we introduce the "Beginners Guide" as we don't want to overdo the introduction. This is a compilation of snips of a whole load of songs which PTX have released. It highlights each member with some of their solos and then a brief history in video. It is quite long - 14+ minutes and is a little dated now (Feb 2020) but is a good watch ua-cam.com/video/lDxIfwfCmQE/v-deo.html&pp=ygUdYmVnaW5uZXJzIGd1aWRlIHRvIHBlbnRhdG9uaXg%3D.
After a year away from music, Avi has now returned as a phenomenal solo artist in the Folk/Americana/Roots genre.
Ben Bram has been in charge of their production, including arranging and directing from the beginning. He is often referred to as the sixth member. Scott and Kevin are major players in the arrangements, but every member contributes. A good watch is "The Recording of Evergreen" where a camera was invited into the studio for the second week of recording/
Also, all members are songwriters for both Pentatonix and their own solo work.
Ed Boyer who mixes everything of theirs (even the HWB Livestream) is the one who pulled Ben Bram into the sing off in the first place.
They have Grammy wins for Daft Punk Medley, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Jolene featuring Dolly Parton. They were nominated for a 4th Grammy for their album Evergreen, but didn't win. Another nomination for Holidays Around the World album in the 2024 list!
Kirstie became a new mum which caused a pause in touring after their Evergreen Christmas tour 2021. Mid March 2023 Kirstie has announced that she is engaged to Ben Hausdorff, their videographer. They married 22/04/24!
They have a star on the Hollywood walk of fame installed in February 2023. They are the only a capella group with a star!
They came 3rd in the 2023 Masked Singer performing as "California Rolls" being unmasked in May 23.
Things you need to know because if you get these wrong Pentaholics will come after you with pitch forks and torches! Ha Ha!!
1- There is NO Auto-Tune; what you hear is actually what they sing. They really are that good. One exception is the 90's Dance Medley where Cher used autotune as an effect - so they had to.
2- What produces everything that you hear in the video, you see in the official video. If there is an instrument used in the music, you see it on screen. In the 2022 Christmas album, there are some instruments not featured throughout the album.
3- They never release something on video they can’t reproduce with the exact same quality live on-stage.
4. It is "Pentatonix" there is no "The".
I always appreciate when someone puts their history on a new reactor's page. It saves the rest of us from trying to remember. Tell me you do have this somewhere to cut and paste! Thanks for taking the time.
@@vickiandrews4087 I do have it saved and periodically I edit it with updates.
Wow!!! Such great information especially the last bit about things I should know... I don't want to get into trouble for saying the wrong thing (like I did about it being a cover of Disturbed! ) 🤣Thank you!
Welcome to the incredible world of Pentatonix ( PTX for short), the world's best a capella group. They've been around for about 13 years now and have a massive trove of pieces to explore...some covers and some originals. This group has won 3 Grammys (so far) and have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, plus a few other awards.
This piece is a mix between David Draiman's dark and powerful rendition and Simon and Garfunkel's folk style original. Many of PTX fans describe it as : S&G wrote their's as a warning, Disturbed sang it with anger that the warning hadn't been heeded and PTX sings with hope that the warning will finally be listened to and dealt with.
The members are:
1st singer: Scott Hoying, baritone
2nd singer, Mitch Grassi, countertenor
3rd singer, Matt Sallee, baritone/bass
4th singer, Kirstin ( prefers Kirstie) Maldonado
5th member: Kevin Olusola, beatboxer, tenor, cellist.
Maybe, just for yourself, you should check out the original by S&G.
Some suggestions for what to PTX pieces to explore next:
Daft Punk medley, Evolution of Michael Jackson, New Rules/Are You That Somebody?, Coffee In Bed (original), Bohemian Rhapsody (live version), O Holy Night ( newer version), 90's Dance Medley, Kiss From A Rose, Say Something, Shallow, Amazing Grace.
The lady is Kirstin or Kirstie (rhymes with thirsty).
@@dwfarr , thanks for catching that. It's corrected now.
I beg to differ…Home Free is MUCH better!!!!
Three Grammys! I'm not surprised with how incredible they are! Thanks for the suggestions too.
Another great song that Pentatonix does is. “Kiss from A Rose”
Sounds good! Thank you.
Girl I'm here to watch you be awed every time you hear them. I hope you never lose the surprise of their talent!
Thanks! I'm sure I'll never lose my awe... I have no musical talent whatsoever lol.
Please react to Pentatonix singing
“ The Prayer”. Mitch sounds amazing!!!
I'll tell my team to add it to the list! Thanks for the suggestion!
4:58 I think this is my favorite Scott moment in any of their songs. The way he comes in and takes command of the song with such stability in his voice never ceases to amaze me.
I can’t wait till they drop their live version of this!!!
Thats amazing! Thanks for sharing the timestamp!!!
Thank you for your reaction. NOT a cover from Disturbe! its more from The original Simon and Garfunkel.
You should check out the original from Simon & Garfunkel. We had a lot of great music from the 50's-60s. That was the music was fun & Innovative With amazing talents.You would be doing yourself a great favor. Any song from Pentatonix is wonderful. They have hundreds of videos.
Thanks for clarifying! You can tell I don't know music! 🤣
Simon and Garfunkel were a folk/pop duo in the 60’s and 70’s. They have several classic hit songs beside this one, like “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Homeward Bound,” “Cecilia,” and “Mrs Robinson.” They broke up the duo after a time and both went solo. Paul Simon was particularly successful as a solo artist and has several amazing hits, you’ve probably heard the song “You Can Call Me Al” with the lyrics “If you’ll be my bodyguard I could be your long lost pal. I can call you Betty, and Betty if you call me, you can call me Al.” Other examples are “Kodachrome” and “Still Crazy After All These Years.” Many people have suggested that Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence” was meant as a warning, Disturbed’s cover is like the anger that the warning wasn’t heeded, and Pentatonix’s version is the hope for the future. I like that, and it is very in keeping with the vibe of each of the three groups. I really enjoyed your reaction! Subbed for more PTX!
Thank you for sharing. I don't recognize those lyrics for "You Can Call Me Al" but I'm famous for not remembering any lyrics whatsoever! 🤣Interesting about the theory that the song was a warning!
More PTX reactions equals more subscribers. They are simply the best.
You seem to be correct! 10K views in 6 days is waaaay more than I imagined!
They have a huge Xmas catalog so buckle up, lol. Their versions of carols are different than anything you've heard before. A couple of good ones to start with are 12 Days of Christmas and O Come All Ye Faithful...you'll see what I mean, lol 😊
Welcome to the Pentaholic rabbit hole! Once entered you will be swallowed whole with perfect harmonies and raw, unbridled talent!
Thank you! I'm here for it!
You are just in time to go down the Pentatonix rabbit hole as the holiday season is upcoming and Pentatonix owns Christmas. Enjoy.
That is exciting news! Thanks!
Pentatonix (#PTX)has been around since 2011 when they won a TV competition, the Sing Off. There has been one change in the band since then, the original bass (Avi) left in 2017 and in 2017-18 Matt joined the group as the bass.
There is a lot to see and listen to, you can't go wrong with any of it. But be aware, all the same members aside from the previously mentioned bass change.
Thanks!
Their version of the prayer is incredible. It really showcases Their voices. Everyone has the same reaction to Mitch, it's classic.
Welcome to the PTX universe. There is so much more for you to explore!
cant wait
They also do a great cover of Bohemian Rhapsody.
I would love to hear that!
Awesome Reaction to an Awesome Band -- Thanks so much for reacting to them!
It was absolutely my pleasure!
I've heard this multiple times but it still gives me goosebumps. Love seeing someone discover them. Thanks for a great reaction. Please do more PTX.
Thank you!
If you are open to great acapella groups, home Free is another one you should check out. I love PTX and I also love home Free. A good song to start you off with them would be "Catch me if you can" or "Love me like that" also "Listen to the music"
Thanks for the suggestions!
The 3 main versions are very different. Love each one of them.
1st: Enjoyed that reaction!! 2nd; Welcome to the deepest rabbit hole in music-dom. All versions of this song are great and very different. You coming in at the right time they OWN Christmas music. Heavenly choirs opening up, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight", "Imagine", Hallelujah" (their original video has more views than all the other A Capella groups entire catalogs; and those are some great groups) For EDM "Love Again", Great feels; Their original songs "Happy Now", "Sing", "Coffee in Bed". PTX 3 Grammy's many gold and platinum albums...on and on..
I'm excited to hear their Christmas stuff!
Loving your infectious enthusiasm. Welcome to the deepest rabbit hole you will find yourself in. Keep bringing PTX reactions and your sub base will grow
I don't know how long they tool to perfect this but it took several hours to film. Don't look at the bright light behind them but watch the ever changing shadows on the floor.
Thanks so much! The enthusiasm comes easily when watching such talented artists!
I subscribed just to watch your journey with Pentatonix. Please do more!
that sounds like a plan!
Me too
The bell tones are a Pentatonix specialty! Check out their mash-up of New Rules x Are You That Somebody. Re the bats on Mitch's hand - he's pretty tatted up all over; Kirstin and Scott (the tall blond) also have a lot of ink - you can see some of Kirstin's on her right arm. I concur with 90s Dance Medley - upbeat in both mood and tempo. You can also find the great live version of that from the 2022 Hollywood Bowl concert. if you want to see how they do it without any studio technology,. Then go back in time to when they were just a bunch of kids with a television contest win (The SIng-Off, 2011) and a vision. You can find the Sing-Off performances, here on UA-cam or start with their Grammy-winning Daft Punk medley and their famous recording of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.
I loved the bells! I've been hearing them in my head all week since I watched the video!
I'm so excited for you!! You will love everything. They own Christmas so your holiday season will be amazing. 😊
I just put up my Christmas tree. I'll tell Alexa to play some Pentatonix while I decorate it.
@KatetheGreat0521 Ok but save some for reactions. 😊🎄
As others have said, PTX has a long history and a huge catalogue of work, covering many genres of music and a bunch of fabulous original songs. Within the last month they have released new updated live versions of 2 of their classics: Hallelujah and Bohemian Rhapsody. Their originals of both are fully produced music videos with their original bass, Avi Kaplan, with millions of views. The new live versions with Matt Sallee as bass are also amazing and show their vocal maturity. They have hinted at a new live version of this, Sound of Silence, to come, as well as of their classic (Grammy-winning) Daft Punk medley. A new original Christmas song is coming this Friday, Nov 1, called "Meet Me Next Christmas", written for the Netflix movie of the same name that will premier Nov 6. The story of the movie is a Christmas rom-com that revolves around getting tickets for a sold out PTX Christmas Eve concert, and PTX does appear in the movie. Others have given you plenty of good suggestions for other things to react to, but you really can't go wrong with anything that they've done, including lots of music that is on albums without official music videos (they are on UA-cam with "Yule Log" videos or visualizers). They are genuinely good people who are a family of choice in spite of being very different from each other. They love to goof around, and you might also enjoy some of their "PTXperience" videos that show them behind the scenes on tour. 2014 and 2015 tours are on thier "PTXvlogs" channel. 2018 and 2019 are on their official channel, and there are other clips from other tours on some fan channels that have been compiled from their social media.
Loved it!!!!
Thanks! Me too!
This is their own arrangement, not a cover of Disturbed’s cover. Pentaholics say that PTX does upgrades not covers. 😊
I like that- they have "upgraded" it!
This was a studio recording that they then shot for the video. The “bell tones” in this one mimic Paul Simon’s beautiful folk-style guitar work. I’d recommend looking at either of their recent re-releases of Hallelujah or Bohemian Rhapsody. To answer your comment on how much they have to have going on in their heads, these last are one-take recordings in which you can see a lot of closed eyes as they keep the count, hear the others and sing their lines. And they tour like crazy.
Wow! How amazing that they do it in one-take!
This is the best a capella group in the world. There are other top ones as well - Voctave, Home Free to name a couple, but these are the best. Watch anything they do.
sounds good!!
Great job. Subbed for more PTX, the platinum of all acapella groups.
Thank you!
Halleluja, go to the one that is the most requested. Hope you like Christmas songs. After Halleluja go to the Christmas songs because there's a lot and all of them are great.
You have to react to them live at Hollywood Bowl '22 performing "Daft Punk" that will blow your mind...best regards🙋🏼♂️
I'm definitely ready for my mind to be blown! Thanks!
Not a cover of Disturb. Much more a cover of the original. They are the only acapella group to win 3 Grammys, nominated for 4. You really should go down this rabbit hole. Your mind will be blown .
Nominated for five Grammy Awards ("Holidays Around the World" (2022) was their fifth nom. "Evergreen" (2021) was their fourth. You know the three for which they won.) We'll see if they are nominees for "O Holy Night" next month.
Thanks for sharing!
These are the kids who dialed Christmas Caroling up to 11 and broke of the knob.
That's hilarious!
Welcome to the Pentatonix rabbit hole. Huge library of videos to choose from.
Thanks!
Welcome Welcome Welcome to the world of Pentatonix!!!
Girl!!! You are in for a fabulous treat! There's no other group as good as Pentatonix!! Their video catalog is so extensive that it will take you a long time to see and hear it all. And all of it is so good.
My recommendation for your second song is 90's Dance Medley. The sounds they are able to make are unbelievable!
Also, you must do one of their latest releases...Seal's "Kiss From A Rose 🌹". This is one of the best videos they have ever done. It is also being considered for a Grammy nomination. So it is definitely worth a reaction. Yeah, do the Seal song next please.
Great reaction! Thank you for giving PTX a listen! I'm a new subscriber here for more Pentatonix reactions.
Hope you are doing well. Sending you love from Texas ❤❤
Thank you!!! Sending love right back at you!!! I love the recommendations!
Welcome. Suggestion? Pretty much anything they do. Supportive fan base, well, you'll see. Take us on your ride!
I love it!
New subscriber, here in the hope that you will continue with Pentatonix! You picked a good one to start with in Sound of Silence! They have a couple of new live videos to check out if you are so inclined - they recently released two live versions of previous covers, Hallelujah and Bohemian Rhapsody (yep, that one) and they have a live VEVO video of a cover of Seal’s Kiss From a Rose that will knock your socks off. I can also recommend a couple of official videos, including The Prayer and Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King. I found the group during the Covid lockdown, and they provided so many hours of good music to help me fill the time. They’ve been a band for a long time so there’s lots on UA-cam. A gentle correction: Any later rendition of a song is said to be a cover of the original, so Disturbed and PTX versions would both be covers of the Simon and Garfunkel original no matter the timeline. I really enjoyed your discovery of Pentatonix, thanks! Peace from Ohio …
Great reaction. Pentatonix is an amazing group. If you like the a cappella sound alsoblook into Voice Play.
Thank you! I'll have to check them out.
Intro to the members:
Scott Hoying: The tall blonde guy who does the first verse. He is a baritone, but has a wide range and can do the bass line when the bass has the lead.
Mitch Grassi: Does the second verse. He is a countertenor, the rarest male voice type. He has an exceptionally wide range and can go all the way from baritone to soprano range.
Matt Sallee: Does the third verse. He is the newest member of the group, joining in 2017. He is the bass and has a choir background.
Kirsten Maldonado: The only woman in the group, she is a mezzo-soprano. She, Scott, and Mitch have known each other since they were kids.
Kevin Olusola: The beatboxer. He can beatbox and play the cello at the same time. He is also fluent in Mandarin and went to Yale.
For sheer visual pleasure, "Over the Rainbow".
For vocal purity, "The Prayer".
For absolute fun, "The Grinch".
For live pleasure:
"Seasons of Love"
"Winter Hymnal"
This sounds like a great set list!
These numbers are a bit out of date, but still mind blowing...Their UA-cam channel boasts over 20 million subscribers, yielding more than 6 billion video views. ... ... Pentatonix - Hallelujah (Official Video).
I loved your reaction. Every now and then I wish I could go back and rediscover PTX. Your eyes showed how much you were caught up in their magic. I suspect that you might become a Pentaholic.
Thank you! I was watching it on a big screen, and it was fun trying to figure out who was making what sound!
Another awesome acapells group is Home Free, check out "Man of Constant Sorrow" ot Boyz to Men "End of the Road" cover.
Thanks! I haven't heard of them either!
By the way, the PTX (Pentatonix) fans are called Pentaholics.
That cracks me up! I love how fans come up with names like that!!!
You should also check out Home Free and especially my favorite of the three, Voiceplay.
All three groups have hundreds of videos and all are great so it's very hard to pick favorites.
Wow! I'll be busy for years! 🤣 Can't wait!
Hallelujah (the official video)! Your smile is contagious. Great video to start with! Subbed for more PTX!
Pentatonix, Voice Play and Home Free are the three best A capella groups out there.❤❤❤
Subscribed. Welcome to the world of Pentatonix! You are in for a treat with their extensive music catalog. We will enjoy the journey with you. Beware, their label’s copyrighting is a bear, so you may need to pause a lot and use image filters. Giving a lot of credit plus Pentatonix links in your description might help.
Recommend their video of O Holy Night.
i love o holy night so the season for that is coming soon
Welcome to the Pentatonix rabbit-hole! I hope you'll spend some time exploring this amazing group!
I'm afraid I'm a little bit irked. Why does everyone seem to think that any version of The Sound of Silence created in the last 10 years is based on Disturbed's version, rather than a cover of the original? I could maybe understand it a little bit for those who seem to think that Disturbed's was the original, but if you know who created the original, why is any newer version of the song anything other than a cover of the original?!? It makes no sense to me.
Thank you! I think you're right- it doesn't make sense to have a cover of a cover. 🤣 I'll scold the guy who gave me the wrong information. 🤣🤣🤣 I liked what someone said in another comment that this was a cover of Simon and Garfunkel and a response to the Disturbed version.
100% their own!
Bohemian Rhapsody... Hallelujah...the list goes on and on... they don't do covers, they do upgrades...
You're the second comment I've seen that have called them "upgrades." I love it!
Seriously, they are the Absolute Very Best at what they do. You have an amazing journey ahead of you. They have No Bad Songs. ONLY BETTER AND BETTER. Have fun.😄
Welcome to the PTX rabbit hole. A little late to the party, but better late than never! Next: „Hallelujah“ and „Daft Punk“ or their „90ies Dance Medley“!
🤣I'm late to most parties 🤣🤣🤣
and the rabbit hole begins.
Pentatonix best stuff is all their christmas albums. You have to react to!!
also have to react to
Hallelujah and Imagine covers.
if you like Acappella stuff you need to check out Voiceplay as well!!!
christmas is coming up soon!
The members of #Pentatonix. In this song:
• First verse, tall blond guy: Scott Hoying, lyric baritone. In describing a man's vocal range, "lyric" means that the actual range exceeds the nominal range. In Scott's case, he sings everywhere from fairly low in a normal bass range through a normal tenor range, with an excellent falsetto on top. In live performances Scott typically takes over the bass harmony line when their bass has a solo.
• Second verse, dark haired guy next to Scott: Mitch Grassi (pronounced Grah'-see, emphasis on the first syllable), contratenor. Mitch has a range of just over 6 octaves, but he's most comfortable in his higher registers. He switches between chest voice, mixed voice, and head voice seamlessly, and is known for his ethereal high solos. Everyone in Pentatonix says he has the best voice of any of them.
• Third verse, black guy in a white jacket on the far left: Matt Sallee (pronounced Suh-lee', emphasis on the second syllable), lyric bass. In addition to being the newest member (more about that later) of Pentatonix Matt is also the youngest member, and I'm told that bass voices improve with age. It's hard to be certain just what Matt's range is right now, because it seems to be growing on a daily basis. More about that later.
• Fourth verse, the only woman in Pentatonix: Kirstin (also called Kirstie, which rhymes with thirsty) Maldonado, alto and soprano. Kirstin sings anywhere from a low alto (though not contralto, which is the female equivalent of baritone) through coloratura soprano, the highest female range. And she has whistle notes on top of that which are off the charts. Lately Pentatonix has begun referring to her as an "alto soprano."
• The fifth member of Pentatonix is the black guy on the right: Kevin Olusola (pronounced Oh-loosh"-oh-luh', primary emphasis on the second syllable, secondary emphasis on the fourth syllable), beatboxer extraordinaire. Kevin is generally too busy being the entire percussion section to sing, but when he does sing he has a lovely tenor voice that occasionally dips into the uppermost reaches of baritone, and he's known for the beauty of his falsetto. He's also a pretty good rapper. Kevin has perfect pitch. He began piano lessons at age 4, cello at age 6, and alto saxophone at age 10. He beatboxes while playing the cello, a technique he calls "celloboxing." He performed at Carnegie Hall twice when he was a teenager, once on the cello and once on the saxophone. He graduated from Yale in 2011 with a pre-med major and had been accepted to Yale Medical School before he decided to become a professional beatboxer instead of a brilliant surgeon. He speaks five languages fluently: English, French, Spanish, German, and Mandarin Chinese. He's one of the kindest people in the world, and when he laughs he makes the whole planet seem like a brighter place.
• The original five members of Pentatonix were Scott, Kirstin, Mitch, Kevin, and Avi (pronounced Ah'-vee, emphasis on the first syllable) Kaplan, lyric bass. Avi is an operatically trained basso profundo - his lowest notes have blown out speakers in live performances - but his range extends to somewhere in the middle of a normal tenor range. But in 2017 Avi found it necessary to leave Pentatonix, for a variety of personal reasons. He has since gone on to have a very successful solo career, and I strongly recommend subscribing to his UA-cam channel, which you can find here: youtube.com/@AviKaplanMusic
Matt, Avi's replacement joined in either late 2017 or early 2018 (depending on how you figure it) and has now been with Pentatonix longer than Avi was. To find Matt's current range I recommend listening to a a recent live performance of "Hallelujah," though you may want to watch their official video of "Hallelujah" first so you can hear what it sounded like with Avi. You can find the recording with Matt here: ua-cam.com/video/Se0BmDdZuX0/v-deo.html Matt's arrangement of the second verse seems to be designed to show off his full range, which is fantastic. His lowest notes don't blow out speakers the way Avi's have done (though they may within a year or two), but on the high end his falsetto can match Kevin's. I believe that Matt has the greatest range of any member of Pentatonix, past or present (though Scott is close to matching him).
The appearance of Mitch and Kirstin tends to vary greatly from one video to another, so people will frequently think they see someone new in Pentatonix when it's really Kirstin or Mitch. With these two, go by their voices, not their appearance; their voices don't lie. To be clear: Avi is the ONLY member who's left Pentatonix and Matt is the ONLY member who joined later.
This is great information especially about the octaves. I'm learning so much! Thank you for sharing.
@@KatetheGreat0521 You're quite welcome. I first discovered Pentatonix about seven months after my husband passed; their music has been very helpful in dealing with my grief, so I tend to be passionate about them.
Where #Pentatonix came from:
Kirstin, Mitch, and Scott all grew up in Arlington, Texas. All of them were involved with community musical theater as children, and Mitch met both Scott and Kirstin there (separately) when they were still pre-teens, and became friends with each of them. However, Scott and Kirstin didn't meet each other until they were fourteen and in the same high school class. All three were choir geeks (duh), and they quickly became best friends in high school. And if you're wondering what was in the water in Arlington in the early 1990s that three such remarkably talented people should all be born in such proximity, you aren't the only one.
There was some kind of singing contest to meet the stars of _Glee,_ and the three of them wanted to enter, so they formed a trio which they named "The Trio." (I know; not very imaginative. They're somewhat better with that now.) They lost the contest, but they kept The Trio together anyway; they performed at school functions and occasionally on local television. Pentaholics still refer to these three as "the trio," and the trio is the heart of Pentatonix.
Kirstin and Scott were a year ahead of Mitch; they graduated in 2010, when Mitch was still in eleventh grade, and both went away for their freshman year of college. Kirstin went to the University of Oklahoma (with a full ride scholarship!), and Scott went to the University of Southern Califonia.
Scott is a very outgoing person, so he immediately began looking around for extracurricular activities where he could meet people and make new friends, and he found an award-winning amateur a cappella group named SoCal VoCals, which he joined. While there he met a former member named Ben Bram, who at the time was a coach on NBC's a cappella competition show named _"The Sing-Off."_ A cappella groups would audition for the show, and those that passed appeared throughout the season. There was a panel of three judges, all professional musicians, who would critique each performance. Along the way some groups would be eliminated, narrowing the field, and at the end of the season viewers would be invited to vote on a winner. The winning group would receive $200,000 and a recording contract with Epic, a minor subsidiary of Sony, the show's sponsor.
Scott was intrigued. He thought The Trio could be competitive, and if they could get a recording contract they could have a career doing what they most loved, with the people they most loved. So he talked to Kirstin, who thought his idea had promise, and at the end of their first year of college the two of them headed back to Arlington to be there for Mitch's graduation and to talk with Mitch about Scott's idea.
Meanwhile, back in Arlington Mitch had been having a very difficult year. His best friends weren't there, and as an out-of-the-closet young gay man with an unusually high voice he was being seriously bullied. And unfortunately, since the bullying was ostensibly for his voice he was quickly developing the notion that there was something wrong with his voice and that no one would want to hear him sing. So when Scott presented his idea Mitch was on board; it was a way to get away from the bullies. He had doubts about his ability to carry his weight in the group, because of the bullying, but he was willing to try, and if Scott and Kirstin said they could win, well, maybe they could.
So with everyone agreed, Scott called Ben Bram to find out how to arrange for an audition, and this is where they met their first setback. _The Sing-Off_ had a size requirement; the minimum size allowed was five. The Trio needed two new members and a new name. They were stumped.
Ben suggested that they'd profit from adding a rhythm section: a bass and a beatboxer, and he knew the perfect person to recommend for the bass, a guy named Avi Kaplan. They talked to Avi, and he was very interested, so that took care of the bass, but where to find the beatboxer? Ben didn't have any suggestions. So in desperation they typed "beatboxer" into a UA-cam search box and the first hit they got was a black guy playing a classical piece on the cello and beatboxing at the same time. And all of them said, "Wow! He's the one! How can we get in touch with him?"
They were in luck. At the time UA-cam had something called UA-cam messages, which would allow private messages between members (now discontinued), so they sent Kevin a private message: "Hey! We really love your stuff, and we wonder if you'd be interested in flying across the country to join four strangers to audition for an a cappella competition show on television?" And Kevin messaged them back: "Normally I'd be there in a heart beat; I love a cappella and have been in a cappella groups before. But right now I'm studying for my final exams for my pre-med major from Yale." Oh. That sounded pretty definite; better keep looking. So they kept looking, and they found someone, but he was no Kevin Olusola. Oh well; you work with what you have.
And two weeks later Kevin messaged them again: "Good news! I just graduated. If the gig's still open I can fly out." He arrived the day before their audition. Mitch had to skip his graduation ceremony to attend the audition. But even with just a day of rehearsal they still passed the audition; they were in.
Oh, yes, the name. Pentatonix is named for the pentatonic scale, which has five (penta) tones just as Pentatonix has five (Penta) singers. In other words, it's a fancier way of saying they're now "The Quintet." 😂
Pentatonix appeared throughout season three of _The Sing-Off,_ and eventually won. All those performances are available on UA-cam and are well worth watching, preferably in order so you can see how they grew throughout the season. Some of them are as good as anything they've done since (which is saying a lot) and are only available in those old videos. (Note: If you decide to react to these, be sure and watch the versions that contain the show's introduction of Pentatonix just before the performance, and the judges' critiques of the performance, and any comments Pentatonix made backstage.)
So, they'd won _The Sing-Off,_ complete with recording contract. Time to move to California permanently and begin recording. And a week later Epic reneged on the contract, saying that they didn't know how to market a cappella. But at this point Pentatonix weren't willing to give up; they *wanted* that career they'd been working toward. So they pooled their winnings and lived frugally. The four men shared two apartments, to cut down on expenses. They arranged music and rehearsed every day, and when they had a song ready they used their iPhones to record themselves anywhere they could find good acoustics, and sometimes in places with acoustics that were just okay. And they posted to UA-cam. Their fans from _The Sing-Off_ quickly found them there, and subscribed, and they began to get more views and more subscribers, and to pick up a few patrons. In fact, they were going viral. And Sony noticed, and approached them with an offer: Perhaps Pentatonix would like a recording contract with Madison Gate, another minor subsidiary? Hmmm. 🤔 Would they like a recording contract? Might have to think about that, for a second or two. Darn right they'd like a recording contract!
And then came "Daft Punk Medley," and Pentatonix won their first Grammy. And again, Sony took notice, and approached Pentatonix: "We've been thinking about it and we believe you might find a better fit with our flagship label, RCA. Are you interested?" They've been with RCA ever since. They go on tours world wide and perform to sold-out venues. They put out at *least* one album a year, frequently more. One has gone Gold and one has gone Platinum twice. They have three Grammys and recently received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. And they are the only a cappella band to have won so much as *one* Grammy, or to be represented on the Walk of Fame.
The most important part of this story is the fact that Pentatonix began with The Trio, three best friends so close to one another that they might as well be family. And from the very beginning, everyone who has joined with them to form Pentatonix has been incorporated into that family-of-choice. As a family, Pentatonix takes care of all its members. One of the things this means is that everyone gets time in the spotlight.
Pentatonix has no lead singer. Yes, some songs call for a lead, and when that happens Pentatonix chooses the member whose voice best suits the song. This is one way that everyone gets time in the spotlight, and it means that no one is burdened with having to always be the lead. And when songs don't require a lead, Pentatonix frequently has each member solo on one or more verses. The members of Pentatonix are able to set their egos aside because each of them is already receiving as much acclaim as any healthy ego could need. And that leaves them free to concentrate on taking care of both the people they love and the music they love.
This focus on doing whatever is best for the music is, in my opinion, *the* thing that makes Pentatonix greater than the sum of its parts. And their focus on caring for one another is the reason we like them as people, not just as singers.
Gosh this is interesting especially about the 3 of them meeting in high school! It reminds me a little of Ben Affleck (and his brother) and Matt Damon all meeting in high school and being so successful. Thank you for the information and I love what you said at the end- "This focus on doing whatever is best for the music is, in my opinion, the thing that makes Pentatonix greater than the sum of its parts."
Great reaction!
Subbed for more PTX!!! ❤
As many have said, Pentatonix and Disturbed BOTH did covers of the ORIGINAL by Simon and Garfunkel. They originally recorded an acoustic version in 1964... it was re-released in 1965. The rest is history. And yes...WELL before your time. The song is considered by most to be a classic. Now to Pentatonix. They are (arguably) the most popular a cappella group on Earth. Many consider the "big four) of a cappella to be Pentatonix, Home Free, Voice Play, and Voctave. All are amazing in their own way. What they have in common is incredible talent. You'll get plenty of suggestions and requests. As I am watching this on 10/31/24, you have 767 subscribers. Okay, now 768. 😊 If you do more cappella reactions, you'll have 3000 subscribers within a few months (my prediction). I enjoyed your reaction enough to subscribe on my first listen... so good luck!! One small piece of advice... don't talk about (or worry about) your lack of musical expertise. You have good ears. You enjoy what you hear. You express your enjoyment well. We die-hards LOVE watching newcomers be blown away by what they hear. Just do it (where have I heard that before?).
Aww thank you so much! I appreciate your advice too.
Where have you been? Take a deep deep dive into the Pentatonix rabbit hole,you haven’t heard anything yet. They say that they do upgrades to songs. They are amazing
Havana
"Sound of Silence" was originally sung by Simon and Garfunkel, an American folk rock duo in the 1960s. It was written by Paul Simon, and they first released it in January, 1966. In the nearly 60 years since then, it has been covered by numerous bands and singers, including, as you know, both Disturbed and #Pentatonix. Disturbed released their cover first; in many ways Pentatonix's version is a response to Disturbed.
There has been much speculation about the meaning of "Sound of Silence." Because it was released shortly after President Kennedy's assassination, many people thought it was about that. Some people think that Paul Simon foresaw the internet. Some people think it's set in the aftermath of a global catastrophe, either nuclear war or climate change; this is apparently the view of Disturbed. But Paul Simon did talk about this, and here's what he had to say:
"…we have people unable to touch other people, unable to love other people. This is a song about the inability to communicate."
However, since so many people hear the song as a warning of planetary disaster, the best version comparison I've heard goes like this: Simon and Garfunkel warned us. Disturbed is angry that we didn't heed the warning. And Pentatonix says that it isn't too late - we can still save the planet if we're willing to make the effort.
Is Pentatonix right? I don't know. But I'm *certain* that if we just give up we lose, so I'm with Pentatonix on this one. If they're wrong and it's already too late, at least we'll go down fighting for our planet, and that beats the heck out of the only other option I see, writing an angry suicide note.
I like the hopeful version better too! Thanks for the very interesting comment!
Just subscribe more Pentatonix reactions please
This is not, to be fair, a cover of Disturbed. They are both covers of the Simon and Garfunkel song. There is no "70's cover" - that is the original.
thank you! im new to this!
It's called raw talent nothing more nothing less.
It takes talent but talent without disciplined vocal development by singing scales and learning vocal placement, building breathe support, and general musicianship and the list goes on for the ability to produce such music by a group.
If you have decided to explore more Pentatonix music I suggest you start toward the beginning with their official Hallelujah video and then work your way forward with Daft Punk, Bohemian Rhapsody etc so that you can see and experience their growth as an extremely talented a cappella group. You will see that one member, their bass (Avi) did leave the group and is currently pursuing a solo music career. He was replaced by an equally talented Matt who remains with the group today. I also highly recommend that you check out their Christmas music which is extraordinary, beautiful and unparalleled.
Thank you for the recommendations!!!
Long time fan of Pentatonix and other new groups. Home Free, Voice Play, Voctave, Lindsey Stirling, Imagine Dragons, Steam Powered Giraffe, just to name a few. Love it when people react to these for the first time.
Kevin (KO) is legendary. He's the beat boxer of the group. He has his own YT channel if you wish to look it up.
Matt, the bass singer, is new to the group. Avi, their previous bass singer recommended Matt. Avi has gone on to establish his own music channel. He remains on good terms with the group, and left because of personal reasons.
Given you are new to reaction videos, recommend you check out the groups I listed. Mind you. they all blew me away the first time I ever heard them.
Lindsey Stirling colab with Pentatonix - Radioactive, cover of Imagine Dragons, also listen to the original.
Home Free - Man of Constant Sorrow.
Pentatonix - Jolene colab with Dolly Parton
Home Free - American Pie, cover and colab with the original artist Don McClean.
Anything with Voice Play and "The Nightmare Before Christmas" music. Also their cover of "My Mother Told Me" is really good.
Just a few suggestions to get you started.
Thank you!
The original song was a duet. It has been covered hundreds of times over the last 56 years.
Wow! The original must have been pretty amazing then!
A solo, actually. Just Paul singing and playing acoustic guitar. Released on the album that preceded “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme” which, if memory serves, had the first S & G sung (folk) version-which Columbia re-released with instrumental backing as a pop song which gave them their first huge commercial hit. Paul was not well-pleased as the new orchestration was done without consultation and presented as a fait acomplís. Commercially Columbia was clearly right. Musically…
If you think HIS voice is low, check out some of their older videos with Avi Kaplan singing... that boy has blown out speakers in some of the venues they played in, to the point they had to start bringing their own speakers with them.
You just fell into a very large, but incredible rabbit hole! Some info about Pentatonix, the original members are Scott: The blonde in the middle, Mitch: The guy with the mullet and the higher pitched voice, Kirstin: The beautiful woman to the left of scott, and the only woman in the group. Keep in mind also that Kisrtin and Mitch both change their hair very often. Kevin: The black man on the right doing the percussion, and Avi: Not in this video, but the original bassist of the group. In this video, you saw Matt, the other black man on the left, who replaced Avi as bassist due to Avi's desire to pursue a solo career. Weather you see Avi or Matt will depend on when the covers you're watching are from.
Some of my personal favorite covers of theirs that I think you should react to are: Hallelujah, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Say Something, Daft Punk, Shallow, Bohemian Rhapsody, Jolene w/ Dolly Parton, Mad World, Imagine, and The Prayer.
Great reaction! Welcome to the PTX rabbit hole . The more PTX you do the more PTX fans will follow. Check out Amazing Grace. Kirsty has a part where she goes higher like 5 or 6 times! It's insane the range she has. You'll love it.
Love, the sound of silence is original by Simon and Garfunkel, who wrote it. But that was 35 years ago.
No matter if You are going for a cover - sorry - upgrade, or an original, or one of their many christmas songs ... it's allways a pleasure.
I would recommand their version of "Halleluja" or "Imagine" (original music video). So You can see - and more important - hear their first bass Avi Kaplan, who leaved the group in 2017.
Do " Amazing Grace " " Hallelujah " " Daft Punk " " Can u feel the love tonight " " The Prayer " '" Imagine " " Jolene " " Oh Holy Night " " 90's Dance Medley" and more/ U won't be sorry. Their so good
The Acapella Avengers 🤩❤️❤️❤️
And for female Acapella there's Citizen Queen. Scott helped them.
You will be amazed at any of their songs you do and the Pentaholix will come for it but I would like to suggest one I haven't seen recommended in a long while. It's live and laid back. FIRST listen to the original GOLD by Kiara, if you can stand it. THEN listen to their cover and see how they can take a techno mess and amaze you.
Interesting! I'm curious about the "if you can stand it" 🤣
@@KatetheGreat0521 I thought the original was awful but PTX did with their voices what Kiara did with technology.
Love Penatonix
If nobody has made the suggestion (yet), I think you would love PTX's cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."
Thanks! Lots of people of suggested that and Bohemian Rhapsody plus all their Christmas stuff since it's coming up. I appreciate you commenting!
Hallo. Welcome to our world. They are THE Acapella group. Just subscribed for more Pentatonix. We Pentaholics love love reactions. The Pentaholics will give you more information.
Remember, only 1 person -Avi Kaplan - left amicably. Avi . In all the other videos you will see Matt - the bass since 2017- the guy in the white jacket. This group is stunning! Please Please do Hallelujah next - the official video and later their new Hallelujah with Matt as base.
So there are no new members it just sometimes looks that way because Kirsten and Mitch - high pitched voice the smaller guy change their appearances so much. Greetings from South Africa
Dankie! You are correct! The Pentaholics are very generous with their information... I've learned so much reading the comments!!! I have several very good friends from South Africa.
You also should check out these other 2 Acapella groups : Home Free & Voiceplay. Along with Pentatonix (PTX for short) these other groups ALSO competed on the same acapella vocal show the Sing Off! PTX won the season they competed, Hone Free won their season and Voiceplay came in second to Home Free the same season… ALL 3 groups are considered TOP TIER of Acapella. 😃also, this was NOT a Disturbed cover,its a Simon & Garfunkel cover.lol,you should DEFINITELY listen to the original Simon & Garfunkel version!!! 😃🎶❤️✌🏻
Pentatonix has never released a bad version of anything, as far as I’ve heard. They are absolutely worth going down their rabbit hole.
But as good as this version is……the lyrics are a warning. And the most blood-curdling version of that warning is Disturbed’s cover. It’s metal, but not in the way you might think. React to the live version on “Conan” rather than the studio version; both are good, the live version is live, and sparkles.
You gotta do their Daft Punk mix and Hallelujah
They both are covers of S&G. This one is very similar to the original but with 5 amazing singers. Disturbed has their amazing version of the song but very different from the original. Pentatonix is indescribably crazy good and hard to compete with in composition, raw ability, lead singers, backing vocals, etc…with a huge catalogue of popular songs and I think three Grammys now.
Thank you!
Thank u for the reaction. Check out Daft Punk, Hallelujah or 90s Dance Medley next for a change of pace
It was my pleasure! Thanks for commenting and the suggestions!
"Is that guy beat boxing?" Says person who has never heard Pentatonix before
Is that what's it's called? I don't know! 🤣 I need the internet's help! 🤣🤣🤣
Welcome future Pentaholic. Just a heads up, with Christmas not too far away, this group rules Christmas music. One thing about the group you will eventually notice, the guy all the way to the left ( Matt ) the one on bass, he replaced Avi Kaplan who was their original bass singer until he left the group for personal reasons.
Lots of comments are getting me excited to hear their Christmas stuff!!!
The both black guys beatboxing😊
Not a cover of Disturb's version. They do covers from the originals. Won the SingOff in 2011, with the original bass Avi Kaplan. He left in 2017 with the new bass being Matt Sallee. Listen to Hallelujah. In my opinion, the best accapella group.
Absolutely loved your reaction! Pentatonic are going to roast and chastise you severely for referring to this as a Disturbed cover but don't let that stop you from going down this rabbit hole of Absolutely Amazing songs. You should Absolutely do their cover of Imagine next, I'll be here for every reaction!!!!!!
🤣yes I do feel a bit roasted! That's ok- I'm learning!!!
I really encourage you to do something live next. Maybe one of the Evolution of Videos they have. Years ago they did Michael Jackson if you want a throwback, or they did Ariana Grande and Rihanna more recently (still years ago though). Kiss From A Rose is Amazing. 90's Dance Medley isn't live but so awesome. You can also try some of their original music. Can't Sleep Love, Run to You, Rise. Have fun!
Thanks so much Cindy Lou!
Great reaction! You should check out Geoff Castellucci's version of this song. Geoff is the bass singer for the accapella group VoicePlay. I PROMISE you will not be prepared for his voice. He is the smoothest and "bassiest" bass singer out there but also sings high tenor with his 5 octave range (A0-A5). In his videos, he layers himself and sings all the parts.
You're the second comment I've read about Geoff! Someone else said he has the greatest male voice on the planet! I will not be prepared 🤣🤣🤣
Great reaction 😊
The 3 in the middle do most of the main vocals/harmonies. Guy on the right beatboxes (and on a few songs plays the cello whilst beatboxing). Guy on the left sings bass (the really low notes that sound like a bass guitar).
Thanks for sharing. Sometimes it was hard to tell which sound was coming out of which mouth! They were all amazing.