Pentatonix from left to right: Matt - bass Kirstin/Kirsie (rhymes with Thurston/thirsty) - mezzo soprano Scott - baritone (covers the bass line when the bass is singing a solo) Mitch - high tenor/countertenor (Italian, not Mexican, LOL!) Kevin - beatboxer Matt is the only non-original member of the group - he joined in late 2017/early 2018 after the original bass Avi left the group for personal and family reasons in 2017. The three in the middle (Kirstin, Scott, Mitch) all grew up in the same city, went to high school together and sang in choir, but have actually known each other since they were kids due to musical theater performances. Kevin may be the most amazing person in the whole group. He has perfect pitch, has played both cello and saxophone at Carnegie Hall while a teenager, has a nice tenor voice and an amazing falsetto, speaks multiple languages (including Mandarin, from living in China for 18 months as an exchange student), and created "cello-boxing" - beatboxing while simultaneously playing the cello.
Hallelujah is their highest viewed song and well worth it. Imagine, especially the video, is poignant. Daft Punk medley is amazing. Look through their catalogue, you will be amazed at the variety. You've just missed their British leg of their world tour.
If after you view their "Daft Punk" medley video you think that they got a lot of help electronically, there is a video of them singing it in a small backstage room for a few fans. No microphones. Just their voices. They sound just like the official, Grammy winning recording.
I'll second the Daft Punk Medley request. It was the first video I saw of them and made me go "WHO ARE THESE GUYS?" Been amazed at their journey ever since.
PTX live is amazing. The three in the center knew each other around 8-9 years old and sang in choir. The two black guys were added later. Beat boxer was added a few weeks before they went on the Sing Off. The original bass was added the day before. White shirt was added in 2018 after the original bass had to leave.
Actually, Kevin (the beatboxer) joined them just a day before their audition for _The Sing-Off._ They'd found Avi (the original bass) immediately after realizing they needed five people rather than three; Ben Bram suggested him.
@Margret Rosenberg the trio didn't meet Avi or Kevin until the day before the sing off audition. They already knew that avi and Kevin were going to try it with them but they couldn't get their schedules to align to have them all together until the day before.
Actually, Mitch and Scott met through community musical theater around 7 and 8 or so - The Music Man. Kirsti and Mitch knew each other around the same ages through kindergarten. She met Scott after they all got to high school.
Second from the right is Mitch and you really have to see their other videos to get the full view of his voice because he is a counter tenor and can sing high notes like a Soprano. His vocal range is very impressive.
We are the Pentaholics and will follow them anywhere. Try Daft Punk, Hallelujah, The Prayer, Bohemian Rhapsody, Radioactive, Imagine ,,,you just cant go wrong with this amazing group.
The three in the middle went to high school together in Texas and were friends. They needed a beatboxer and went on UA-cam and found Kevin who was a pre-med student at Yale ( one of the top US universities) and a principal cellist of the Yale Symphony Orchestra. He speaks multiple languages including Mandarin Chinese. They had another bass singer until recently when he went solo and they replaced him with Matt.
Thank you for reacting to Pentatonix. They are my favorite! I never get tired of hearing them. It wouldn't break my heart one bit if you reacted to several of their songs. Lol! Hallelujah, The Prayer, Amazing Grace, Mary did you know, Bohemian Rhapsody is really good as well. Well I've never heard anything that they have sang that wasn't amazing.
Kevin on the far right is the main beat boxer. The three in the middle went to school together that Kirsten, Scott and Mitch, Kevin was recruited by them as they found him on UA-cam doing the beatboxing and other things, Matt, is the bass singer and has been with them for the last few years as the original bass singer left amicably for personal reasons Great song thank you for reacting❤️😍
They chose their own group. The three in the middle met each other as children and performed in musicals together, attending a high school for the arts. They decided to compete on a TV show called "The Sing Off," and many of the groups were larger college choirs. They were told they needed to find a base and beat boxer, to fill out their sound, and they did that. They found Kevin, the beat boxer, on a UA-cam video where he played cello while beat boxing. He was planning to go to medical school, but success came so quickly that he decided to follow his career in music. The original bass, Avi Kaplan, left the group in 2017 to pursue a solo career and to have more time to himself. Being constantly on the road drained him. I recommend you watch their first Grammy performance: Daft Punk
I think that you need to listen to PTX's performance of "Hallelujah," John Lennon's "Imagine," and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" which will make a believer of you. Also, PTX makes a point of never doing anything in the studio that they cannot reproduce when in concert on stage.
The three in the middle have known each other since they were about 12 and the others joined so they could be part of the aca pella show the sing off in 2011.
You really have to hear more of Pentatonix to see what each of them offers....all of them are super talented, sing amazing, beat box so awesome, bass is badass!!!! Please listen to more of their songs!!!!!
LOL, wait to see more! Kirstie and Mitch (mullet here) always change their look drastically. It is always them. Check out their live material. It will blow you away.
You will LOVE their version of Hallelujah. It has a different bassist (guy in white came after the first guy, Avi). Mitch the high pitched guy really shines. It surprised people so much we call it getting "Mitch slapped". And the the three in the middle have been friends forever. They started the group. Oh and the beat boxer is also an accomplished cellist.
Someone already touched on this, but the three singers in the middle were high school friends who formed the group to compete in an a cappella reality show called “The Sing Off” (which they won)
three are from highschool, a member left on good terms and the beatboxer was found by a youtube video. there is a get to know Pentatonix video, they do all their stuff live
There are SO many songs for you to react to - they never disappoint, and they do such a wide variety. Their live performances are just as good, and there are a number of live concert videos.
As a general rule, the best concert videos are the ones that say "live stream." (The exception is the rare case [Singapore, the Star Vista] where a fan video is all that's available.) "Live stream" means that it was recorded through the venue's cameras and speaker system. There are lots of live streams available from the world tour they just finished; those are the best way I know of to get an update on where Matt's range currently lies, since it seems to still be growing (spectacularly, I might add). They seem to keep adjusting his arrangement on the second verse of "Hallelujah" to show off his entire range.
To really hear Mitch, the high tenor, was Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, Mitch sound like a guitar in part of it but it is his voice alone. Someone else has told you more about the origins and the only change being the bass singer since forming in 2011. They do covers and have original songs.
One of my favorite things they do are evolution videos that showcase their true talent live. My favorite being Evolution of Rhianna. Just the 5 in a room
Okay, before I tell the origin story of Pentatonix I have to introduce the members. So, in this video we have: • First verse, tall blond guy: Scott Hoying, lyric baritone. Scott's range extends from about midway through a normal bass range to a fairly high tenor, probably about 5 or 6 octaves. • 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, head voice, and falsetto seemlessly, 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. It's hard to be sure just what Matt's range is, because it's still growing. I don't believe he's at the basso profundo level yet, but I expect him to reach it within a year or two. On the high end I believe that he can sing higher than Scott, though not as high as Mitch, Kirstin, or Kevin. • Fourth verse, the only woman in Pentatonix: Kirstin (also called Kirstie, which rhymes with thirsty) Maldonado, mezzo soprano. Mezzo is the lowest soprano range, just above alto, and Kirstin is classed as mezzo because that's the range she's most comfortable in. In real life, however, 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. • 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 he has a lovely tenor voice that occasionally dips into the uppermost reaches of baritone. He's also a pretty good rapper. Kevin has perfect pitch. He's classically trained on piano, saxophone, and cello. He beatboxes while playing the cello, a technique he calls "celloboxing." He performed at Carnegie Hall twice when he was a teenager, once on saxophone and once on cello. He has a premed degree from Yale and had been accepted to Yale Medical School before he decided to become a professional musician instead. He speaks five languages: 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 world seem brighter. Matt joined Pentatonix in late 2017 or early 2018 (depending on how you figure it), after their original bass left the group for personal reasons in 2017. Which brings us to the one member of Pentatonix who doesn't appear in this video: • Bearded white guy who usually wore a beanie or stocking cap: 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 upward to about the middle of the tenor range. Since leaving Pentatonix Avi has gone on to have an extremely successful solo career; you can find his UA-cam channel here: youtube.com/@AviKaplanMusic I highly recommend subscribing.
They've been performing for at least 11 years, with the only change being the bass singer. You could do a different one every day and not run out by the end of the year.
If you're not sure it's all them look at one of their live songs. One song to look at is "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy". No words just sounds and they won a Grammy for it.
Pentatonix.... brilliant... amazing.. just incredible singers! So glad they are so successful. I met Scott and he was so nice and humble. My oldest son did theater with Scott's cousin. That's how I got to meet him. I'll never forget that day. It was Christmas Eve at church in Arlington, Texas. Scott was so cool. He deserves the success! May Pentatonix live forever!
Thank you for reacting to this beautiful Pentatonix video. They are amazing. Yesterday was Pentatonix 12-year anniversary as a band. They just finished the UK/European leg off their World Tour a few days ago. They toured there all of May, 2023.Ended in Iceland June 3rd.
Great reaction to the Best Group in a cappella ❤❤ For more amazing drumming that will blow your mind listen to them singing Coffee In Bed and also Bohemian Rhapsody. Each time individuals range is amazing and ever song you learn more about them. Their “looks” constantly change. 😊, especially Mitch and Kirsten’s. Looking forward to seeing you all get Mitch slapped. 😅 That’s what we pentaholics call it. They never do a cover as they always make every song an upgrade.
Welcome to the Pentaholics family Looking forward to see all of you going down the PTX rabbit hole. They are a great addiction. It's legal and while they make you feel good, you'll never feel bad after listening to them.😊
These guys are so incredibly talented individually but still are so in sync together. Not like a lot of groups that have members that are better than others. Avi who left the group was amazing and Matt who replaced him is equally amazing. They have won Grammy’s and have toured extensively. If you want to go down this rabbit hole I suggest you check out their covers of Hallelujah, Imagine, Daft Punk, and Bohemian Rhapsody. Also, their Evolution of Music and Evolution of Michael Jackson. Their own music is great as well. Check out Sing, Can’t Sleep Love, and Cracked among many others. You will not be disappointed.
I saw these in Manchester last month. They were amazing, as good as I the videos. There are so many songs I could recommend. You can listen to anything and you won't be disappointed. 😊
Original "Sounds of Silence" was by Simon & Garfunkel ca 1967. BTW: Cheerleading darn well is a very, very competitive jr. high (middle school), high school, collegiate, university, and AFL*/NFL/CFL level sport which includes scholarships, prizes, financial rewards and prestige for those involved. * American Football League; Canadian Football League.
Mitch, Scott, and Kirsten were best friends, and then they Found Kevin and Avi, and then when Avi left the group later on they replaced him with Matt(The Bass in the video)
There were Three original, Kirstin Molonado, Mitch Grassi, and Scott, formed while they were in High School. they then went to college and they had an opportunity to audition for a game show, and they needed two more to participate, so they picked Kevin, the beat boxer, and the original bass Avi, and won a contract with Sony and MCA records. Unfortunately, Soney could not figure, out where to put them so they let them go. A big mistake because they built a UA-cam audience, that numbers Billions. The new bass is Matt The guy in the white jacket. To keep you out of trouble with copyright strikes whenever you see Avi the original Bass block the video portion, because Sony has not figured out that if you give a reaction, you get more people to watch them.
Thanks for reacting to PTX. If you will be doing music reactions, all 3 of you need proper headphones to really appreciate the sound, *especially* when listening to PENTATONIX!
6:14 Kirstin Scott and Mitch (the three in the middle) were all friends in high school. I think it was one of their teachers that suggested they start a group. I’m not sure how they found Avi (their original Bass) and Kevin
The three in the middle were in middle school and High school together The beat boxer joined them at the beginning. The bass on the left is the only change in the groups 11 year history. For a Live try Their 2016 Popspring Live, 3 originals and One of the most incredible creations their Evolution of Michael Jackson. Their transitions are INSANE. LOL The guy on the right (Kevin) graduated from Yale with a medical degree, Played Cello at Carnegie Hall when he was a teen, speaks Mandarin Chinese and may be the most talented human on earth. His beatboxing is other worldly. See original "Coffee in Bed" by PTX. His rhythms are INSANE.
Do you remember the film Police Academy? The black guy, by the name of Michael Winslow, would make those sounds of machine guns and helicopters and other stuff? Well, the guy on the far right end in the dark jacket is doing the same thing here. That is all his voice.
1:14 we need Gaynor to be the sixthatonic 😭that was dope lol if yall were referencing the movie 'Pitch Perfect', they actually played a tiny part in the second movie! they played the Canadian team in the big world competition I believe. anywhere acapella gets talk/coverage, people are gonna know about Pentatonix and probably give a bit of respect. they've really pushed the genre forward a lot. two other groups you'll probably get lots of requests for are Home Free and Voiceplay. both great groups and it's tough to go wrong with any of their songs
Each song highlights at least a few of them. They are magical, each song is a favorite and they’re absolutely better live, than in recordings. I hope you continue reacting to them. I subscribed for more Pentatonix reactions!!!
Welcome to PTX! They are absolutely brilliant and they have so much more waiting for you to discover. Their “Hallelujah”, “Imagine”, “Bohemian rhapsody” and “The prayer” (among many) will leave you spellbound. Much love from South Africa.
It's a good idea to watch one of their live performances early on your exploration of their catalogue to see how that sounds. A good first one would be their Christmas Special Hallelujah with their original bass singer.
Three of them met in high school believe it or not! They went on a show called the Sing Off which was an acapella group contest, they needed two more members and found Kevin (the beat boxer) and Avi who used to be their bass.
I encourage earbuds or headphones for their music. There is a lot of production values you are missing without them!! Their production is amazing!! You can't go wrong with any of their music. They are the #1 acapella group in the world!! Check out Daft Punk medley. There was another bass singer at the beginning named Avi Kaplan who left on good terms in 2017. Matt took over and I think he rounds out the group out so well!! You may want to turn the volume up a little louder next time too! You can't really get the full effect without the sound being at its highest. Lots of surprises can be found in their videos! Also, They tend to get blocked, so you may need a filter, and we Pentaholics have no issue with that at all!
I agree that you need to watch Hallelujah and Daft Punk, but then you need to watch Imagine. That is one of the best songs they have ever done. Also, Amazing Grace and The Prayer. Also, they have fantastic original songs, like Run To You and Love Again.
As someone who has seen Pentatonix in concert before, and we'll be seeing them again in August. I can 100% swear that they are just as amazing in person. And if you love Ariana Grande then I 100% suggest checking out there evolution of Ariana Grande. They even got Kudos from her when she saw it, that's how good it is.
The three in the center grew up in the same town and were good friends who sang together in high school. They recruited The beatboxer/singer Kevin (on the right) and the original bass, Avi 12 years ago to audition for season three of The Sing Off, which they won. In 2016, Avi left the group and he was replaced by Matt (on the left). They have earned three Grammys, had TV specials, fill auditoriums all over the world, have billions of UA-cam views, multiplatinum albums, amazing solo work from each member, a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and many more accolades. They do covers, originals and Christmas music in about equal amounts and they will never let you down. All of them do indeed have unique qualities to their voices you may find your favorite shifting from song to song! Subscribed for more if you dive in to this rabbit hole!
The 3 in the middle were friends in high school and they actually auditioned after find an additional bass singer and a beat boxer all 5 auditioned for some musical reality show the 4 on the right are from the original group the guy in the white replied the original bass singer Avi
BTW the middle three singers are friends from high school. they've been singing together forever. The beatboxer Kevin and the first bass singer Avi come on to round out the group. then Avi left and now we have Matt. Pentatonix have quite a lot of Christmas albums too so they may be fun to react to come holiday time
the 3 in the middle have been together forever. they had another guy but he went on doing his own thing and they found the other 2 guys on each end... you should check out more of their stuff. its awesome
PTX is amazing! Scott, Kirstie, and Mitch knew each other. They were all 19 years old when they did “The Sing Off”. They were put together with Avi and K.O. for the show. The rest his been an amazing ride. Mitch will surprise you. This wasn’t the best highlight of his vocal abilities.
Pentatonix do this live and it’s on video so check it out. Matt ( base) joined a few years ago after the original base, Avi, left. They do great mash ups. Check other out.
You should check out Hallelujah and the prayer. The vocal range of all of the members is amazing. Mitch (2nd on the right) has the most incredible voice.
You are going to get a lot of comments on this video. I’m just the first want to do it the three in the middle were high school friends. The young gentleman at all black doing the beatboxing the three in the middle met with a previous member on the voice sound off. I think that was the name of the show, and when the previous member left, the gentleman in the white jacket came in to make the group hole again each and every one of them alone is an amazing singer in their own right off of them together is pure magic now if you want to hear. The young gentleman at all black doing the beatboxing sing he is actually a falsetto, beautiful, falsetto voice
More Pentatonix please!!! If you rally want to be blown away do Hallelujah by Pentatonix! To answer Gaynor's question... 3 of them knew each other in High School and they wanted to enter a "Sing Off" competition. In order too do so they had to add a beatboxer and a bass. Look for their performance of "Born To Be Wild" from the sing off. What is most amazing about that is they had only known in each other for 5 weeks at that point! Cheers
If you want to hear a fantastic live show, check out their 90's Dance Medley at the Hollywood bowl. Their PopSpring concert 2016 is also a live showcase. Subbed for more? ❤
Scott, first singer, Mitch 2nd singer have known each other since they were 10yrs old. Kirsty joined them in Jr. High and were known as the Trio. They added the beat boxer Kevin and the original bass Avi in order to enter the Sing Off competition, which they won. Avi left in 2017 and the new bass Matt joined them. They have 3 Grammys, Platinum albums and their Christmas Albums are Amazing.
Subscribed for more Pentatonix. I would like to address their unique chemistry. They are each other’s biggest fans. Their mutual love and support makes them like a family. They independently do other projects, but agree that their Pentatonix work comes first. To show how well they work together, I recommend their video “Pentatonix - The Recording Of Evergreen”. Evergreen was their Grammy nominated album. However, due to spoilers, you should react to their version of The Prayer first.
Pentatonix 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 cove r 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. 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 were nominated for a 4th Grammy for their album Evergreen, but didn't win. 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. No dates YET! 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.
Oh , welcome to the PTX Rabbit hole. You’ve many, many, many more great songs too find. Some original and many ( you don’t say copies with PTX), there’s are literally Upgrades. You’ll all be Pentatonics, before you know what’s hit you. There’s also lots of live performances, that sound just the same as the videos. Oh one last thing. Find Mitch’s solo song “ Your Power “ It will blow your socks off. Such a pure voice, you’ll never hear again. 🤷♀️❤️🇬🇧🙏💕
Three of the founding people, the girl, the guy in the middle and the guy on his left ALL WENT TO SCHOOL TOGETHER
Pentatonix from left to right:
Matt - bass
Kirstin/Kirsie (rhymes with Thurston/thirsty) - mezzo soprano
Scott - baritone (covers the bass line when the bass is singing a solo)
Mitch - high tenor/countertenor (Italian, not Mexican, LOL!)
Kevin - beatboxer
Matt is the only non-original member of the group - he joined in late 2017/early 2018 after the original bass Avi left the group for personal and family reasons in 2017.
The three in the middle (Kirstin, Scott, Mitch) all grew up in the same city, went to high school together and sang in choir, but have actually known each other since they were kids due to musical theater performances.
Kevin may be the most amazing person in the whole group. He has perfect pitch, has played both cello and saxophone at Carnegie Hall while a teenager, has a nice tenor voice and an amazing falsetto, speaks multiple languages (including Mandarin, from living in China for 18 months as an exchange student), and created "cello-boxing" - beatboxing while simultaneously playing the cello.
Pentatonix Simplified.
2 Black Guys
2 Gay Guys
and a Goddess...
@@hempchimp 😂
Hallelujah is their highest viewed song and well worth it. Imagine, especially the video, is poignant. Daft Punk medley is amazing. Look through their catalogue, you will be amazed at the variety. You've just missed their British leg of their world tour.
Pentatonic record company are really strict on copyright. If you are going to show more Pentatonix, it would be worth putting a filter over the image.
If you want to hear GREAT beat boxing , and beautiful singing try Bohemian Rhapsody. Really you can't go wrong with ANY Pentatonix song.
I concur!
That or their Daft Punk Medley!
You need to do their first Grammy Award winner - Daft Punk Medley. Also, Havana, Amazing Grace.
If after you view their "Daft Punk" medley video you think that they got a lot of help electronically, there is a video of them singing it in a small backstage room for a few fans. No microphones. Just their voices. They sound just like the official, Grammy winning recording.
Big A to that... Also the 90,s dance medley is out of this world.
I'll second the Daft Punk Medley request. It was the first video I saw of them and made me go "WHO ARE THESE GUYS?" Been amazed at their journey ever since.
BTW Sophie, if you saw Pitch Perfect 2 they were in it representing Canada.
If you want to hear the best rendition of Sound of Silence, check out Disturbed's live Conan performance. Better than the original.
PTX live is amazing. The three in the center knew each other around 8-9 years old and sang in choir. The two black guys were added later. Beat boxer was added a few weeks before they went on the Sing Off. The original bass was added the day before. White shirt was added in 2018 after the original bass had to leave.
Actually, Kevin (the beatboxer) joined them just a day before their audition for _The Sing-Off._ They'd found Avi (the original bass) immediately after realizing they needed five people rather than three; Ben Bram suggested him.
@Margret Rosenberg the trio didn't meet Avi or Kevin until the day before the sing off audition. They already knew that avi and Kevin were going to try it with them but they couldn't get their schedules to align to have them all together until the day before.
@@PtxXtp Avi too? Thank you. I didn't know that.
Actually, Mitch and Scott met through community musical theater around 7 and 8 or so - The Music Man. Kirsti and Mitch knew each other around the same ages through kindergarten. She met Scott after they all got to high school.
@@rfiliagaful cool info.
You need to hear them sing amazing grace! So beautiful!
My excitement at seeing them react to Pentatonix. Wow!!!! Daft punk, Bohemian Rhapsody.
Bohemian Rhapsody, Aha Singapore Live- to showcase Mitch's talent, Hallelujia......Pentatonix are amazing!
Second from the right is Mitch and you really have to see their other videos to get the full view of his voice because he is a counter tenor and can sing high notes like a Soprano. His vocal range is very impressive.
We are the Pentaholics and will follow them anywhere. Try Daft Punk, Hallelujah, The Prayer, Bohemian Rhapsody, Radioactive, Imagine ,,,you just cant go wrong with this amazing group.
The three in the middle went to high school together in Texas and were friends. They needed a beatboxer and went on UA-cam and found Kevin who was a pre-med student at Yale ( one of the top US universities) and a principal cellist of the Yale Symphony Orchestra. He speaks multiple languages including Mandarin Chinese. They had another bass singer until recently when he went solo and they replaced him with Matt.
The 3 in the middle went to school together. There entered the show the sing off which they won. They are all amazing. Please react to more of them.
Disturbs version of this song is epic as well
Thank you for reacting to Pentatonix. They are my favorite! I never get tired of hearing them. It wouldn't break my heart one bit if you reacted to several of their songs. Lol! Hallelujah, The Prayer, Amazing Grace, Mary did you know, Bohemian Rhapsody is really good as well. Well I've never heard anything that they have sang that wasn't amazing.
Kevin on the far right is the main beat boxer. The three in the middle went to school together that Kirsten, Scott and Mitch, Kevin was recruited by them as they found him on UA-cam doing the beatboxing and other things, Matt, is the bass singer and has been with them for the last few years as the original bass singer left amicably for personal reasons Great song thank you for reacting❤️😍
They chose their own group. The three in the middle met each other as children and performed in musicals together, attending a high school for the arts. They decided to compete on a TV show called "The Sing Off," and many of the groups were larger college choirs. They were told they needed to find a base and beat boxer, to fill out their sound, and they did that. They found Kevin, the beat boxer, on a UA-cam video where he played cello while beat boxing. He was planning to go to medical school, but success came so quickly that he decided to follow his career in music. The original bass, Avi Kaplan, left the group in 2017 to pursue a solo career and to have more time to himself. Being constantly on the road drained him. I recommend you watch their first Grammy performance: Daft Punk
I think that you need to listen to PTX's performance of "Hallelujah," John Lennon's "Imagine," and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" which will make a believer of you. Also, PTX makes a point of never doing anything in the studio that they cannot reproduce when in concert on stage.
The three in the middle have known each other since they were about 12 and the others joined so they could be part of the aca pella show the sing off in 2011.
Kirstins voice blows me away...it rings through the entire song. Their Daft Punk Medley is simply stunning.
Pentatonix has covered SO many songs. Their cover of Bohemian Rhapsody is incredible.
You really have to hear more of Pentatonix to see what each of them offers....all of them are super talented, sing amazing, beat box so awesome, bass is badass!!!! Please listen to more of their songs!!!!!
Pentatonix - Hallelujah (Official Video) is a must for people new to this group. Beautiful!
LOL, wait to see more! Kirstie and Mitch (mullet here) always change their look drastically. It is always them. Check out their live material. It will blow you away.
You will LOVE their version of Hallelujah. It has a different bassist (guy in white came after the first guy, Avi). Mitch the high pitched guy really shines. It surprised people so much we call it getting "Mitch slapped".
And the the three in the middle have been friends forever. They started the group. Oh and the beat boxer is also an accomplished cellist.
These guys are just as good live, trust me!..
Pentatonix are freakin amazing, it's stuns me that there's many that never even heard of them.
Someone already touched on this, but the three singers in the middle were high school friends who formed the group to compete in an a cappella reality show called “The Sing Off” (which they won)
three are from highschool, a member left on good terms and the beatboxer was found by a youtube video. there is a get to know Pentatonix video, they do all their stuff live
You should react to the Pentatonix version of Hallelujah! Gives me chills every time I hear it
There are SO many songs for you to react to - they never disappoint, and they do such a wide variety. Their live performances are just as good, and there are a number of live concert videos.
As a general rule, the best concert videos are the ones that say "live stream." (The exception is the rare case [Singapore, the Star Vista] where a fan video is all that's available.) "Live stream" means that it was recorded through the venue's cameras and speaker system. There are lots of live streams available from the world tour they just finished; those are the best way I know of to get an update on where Matt's range currently lies, since it seems to still be growing (spectacularly, I might add). They seem to keep adjusting his arrangement on the second verse of "Hallelujah" to show off his entire range.
To really hear Mitch, the high tenor, was Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, Mitch sound like a guitar in part of it but it is his voice alone. Someone else has told you more about the origins and the only change being the bass singer since forming in 2011. They do covers and have original songs.
One of my favorite things they do are evolution videos that showcase their true talent live. My favorite being Evolution of Rhianna. Just the 5 in a room
Okay, before I tell the origin story of Pentatonix I have to introduce the members. So, in this video we have:
• First verse, tall blond guy: Scott Hoying, lyric baritone. Scott's range extends from about midway through a normal bass range to a fairly high tenor, probably about 5 or 6 octaves.
• 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, head voice, and falsetto seemlessly, 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. It's hard to be sure just what Matt's range is, because it's still growing. I don't believe he's at the basso profundo level yet, but I expect him to reach it within a year or two. On the high end I believe that he can sing higher than Scott, though not as high as Mitch, Kirstin, or Kevin.
• Fourth verse, the only woman in Pentatonix: Kirstin (also called Kirstie, which rhymes with thirsty) Maldonado, mezzo soprano. Mezzo is the lowest soprano range, just above alto, and Kirstin is classed as mezzo because that's the range she's most comfortable in. In real life, however, 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.
• 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 he has a lovely tenor voice that occasionally dips into the uppermost reaches of baritone. He's also a pretty good rapper. Kevin has perfect pitch. He's classically trained on piano, saxophone, and cello. He beatboxes while playing the cello, a technique he calls "celloboxing." He performed at Carnegie Hall twice when he was a teenager, once on saxophone and once on cello. He has a premed degree from Yale and had been accepted to Yale Medical School before he decided to become a professional musician instead. He speaks five languages: 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 world seem brighter.
Matt joined Pentatonix in late 2017 or early 2018 (depending on how you figure it), after their original bass left the group for personal reasons in 2017. Which brings us to the one member of Pentatonix who doesn't appear in this video:
• Bearded white guy who usually wore a beanie or stocking cap: 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 upward to about the middle of the tenor range. Since leaving Pentatonix Avi has gone on to have an extremely successful solo career; you can find his UA-cam channel here: youtube.com/@AviKaplanMusic I highly recommend subscribing.
Edit 'original beatboxer' to 'original bass' regarding Avi but otherwise that's a great synopsis. 👍
Very well done!!!
Bravo!!
@@bus6292 Oops! Good catch. Thanks. And edited.
They've been performing for at least 11 years, with the only change being the bass singer. You could do a different one every day and not run out by the end of the year.
If youre gonna do pentatonix, you've gotta do hallelujah
If you're not sure it's all them look at one of their live songs. One song to look at is "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy". No words just sounds and they won a Grammy for it.
Pentatonix.... brilliant... amazing.. just incredible singers! So glad they are so successful. I met Scott and he was so nice and humble. My oldest son did theater with Scott's cousin. That's how I got to meet him. I'll never forget that day. It was Christmas Eve at church in Arlington, Texas. Scott was so cool. He deserves the success! May Pentatonix live forever!
Thank you for reacting to this beautiful Pentatonix video. They are amazing. Yesterday was Pentatonix 12-year anniversary as a band. They just finished the UK/European leg off their World Tour a few days ago. They toured there all of May, 2023.Ended in Iceland June 3rd.
Great reaction to the Best Group in a cappella ❤❤ For more amazing drumming that will blow your mind listen to them singing Coffee In Bed and also Bohemian Rhapsody. Each time individuals range is amazing and ever song you learn more about them. Their “looks” constantly change. 😊, especially Mitch and Kirsten’s. Looking forward to seeing you all get Mitch slapped. 😅 That’s what we pentaholics call it. They never do a cover as they always make every song an upgrade.
Was sooo excited to see you react to PTX! Definitely recommend reacting to hallelujah. Going to see them on tour this summer 😊
Welcome to the Pentaholics family Looking forward to see all of you going down the PTX rabbit hole. They are a great addiction. It's legal and while they make you feel good, you'll never feel bad after listening to them.😊
These guys are so incredibly talented individually but still are so in sync together. Not like a lot of groups that have members that are better than others. Avi who left the group was amazing and Matt who replaced him is equally amazing. They have won Grammy’s and have toured extensively. If you want to go down this rabbit hole I suggest you check out their covers of Hallelujah, Imagine, Daft Punk, and Bohemian Rhapsody. Also, their Evolution of Music and Evolution of Michael Jackson. Their own music is great as well. Check out Sing, Can’t Sleep Love, and Cracked among many others. You will not be disappointed.
The BEST Pentatonix song is Hallelujah. Honestly life changing!! I promise
Watch their take on Hallelujah. That'll give you chills.
Pentatonix are a group been together for a time. They are fantastic. Check out all there music you are in for an amazing treat. Trust me.
I saw these in Manchester last month. They were amazing, as good as I the videos. There are so many songs I could recommend. You can listen to anything and you won't be disappointed. 😊
Halleluiah is by far my favorite song by them. NO WAY can you go wrong with any of them.
I have heard them do this about 1000Xs and I still get goosebumps from my shoulders to my ankles,it happens to me with almost all of their songs
You have to hear them perform Amazing Grace and Hallelujah! Pure perfection.
Original "Sounds of Silence" was by Simon & Garfunkel ca 1967.
BTW: Cheerleading darn well is a very, very competitive jr. high (middle school), high school, collegiate, university, and AFL*/NFL/CFL level sport which includes scholarships, prizes, financial rewards and prestige for those involved.
* American Football League; Canadian Football League.
I love Pentatonix, and was lucky enough to see them live in London this year. They are fantastic
Mitch, Scott, and Kirsten were best friends, and then they Found Kevin and Avi, and then when Avi left the group later on they replaced him with Matt(The Bass in the video)
There were Three original, Kirstin Molonado, Mitch Grassi, and Scott, formed while they were in High School. they then went to college and they had an opportunity to audition for a game show, and they needed two more to participate, so they picked Kevin, the beat boxer, and the original bass Avi, and won a contract with Sony and MCA records. Unfortunately, Soney could not figure, out where to put them so they let them go. A big mistake because they built a UA-cam audience, that numbers Billions. The new bass is Matt The guy in the white jacket. To keep you out of trouble with copyright strikes whenever you see Avi the original Bass block the video portion, because Sony has not figured out that if you give a reaction, you get more people to watch them.
The drum is Kevin. He’s amazing 😂❤
Thanks for reacting to PTX. If you will be doing music reactions, all 3 of you need proper headphones to really appreciate the sound, *especially* when listening to PENTATONIX!
6:14 Kirstin Scott and Mitch (the three in the middle) were all friends in high school. I think it was one of their teachers that suggested they start a group. I’m not sure how they found Avi (their original Bass) and Kevin
The three in the middle were in middle school and High school together The beat boxer joined them at the beginning. The bass on the left is the only change in the groups 11 year history. For a Live try Their 2016 Popspring Live, 3 originals and One of the most incredible creations their Evolution of Michael Jackson. Their transitions are INSANE. LOL The guy on the right (Kevin) graduated from Yale with a medical degree, Played Cello at Carnegie Hall when he was a teen, speaks Mandarin Chinese and may be the most talented human on earth. His beatboxing is other worldly. See original "Coffee in Bed" by PTX. His rhythms are INSANE.
Do you remember the film Police Academy? The black guy, by the name of Michael Winslow, would make those sounds of machine guns and helicopters and other stuff? Well, the guy on the far right end in the dark jacket is doing the same thing here. That is all his voice.
1:14 we need Gaynor to be the sixthatonic 😭that was dope lol
if yall were referencing the movie 'Pitch Perfect', they actually played a tiny part in the second movie! they played the Canadian team in the big world competition I believe. anywhere acapella gets talk/coverage, people are gonna know about Pentatonix and probably give a bit of respect. they've really pushed the genre forward a lot.
two other groups you'll probably get lots of requests for are Home Free and Voiceplay. both great groups and it's tough to go wrong with any of their songs
See them in concert, you wont regret it. Another song to listen to is Hallelujah!
Great reaction. You should listen to them sing The Prayer and Amazing Grace. You will be blown away
They are Amazing in concert too!
Each song highlights at least a few of them. They are magical, each song is a favorite and they’re absolutely better live, than in recordings. I hope you continue reacting to them. I subscribed for more Pentatonix reactions!!!
Been hoping you would do PTX for awhile, I love watching people react to their videos! Please do more!
Welcome to PTX! They are absolutely brilliant and they have so much more waiting for you to discover. Their “Hallelujah”, “Imagine”, “Bohemian rhapsody” and “The prayer” (among many) will leave you spellbound. Much love from South Africa.
It's a good idea to watch one of their live performances early on your exploration of their catalogue to see how that sounds. A good first one would be their Christmas Special Hallelujah with their original bass singer.
Absolute best acapella group. They all have great personalitys. And really love their fans. You honestly cannot go wrong with any of their songs.
Three of them met in high school believe it or not! They went on a show called the Sing Off which was an acapella group contest, they needed two more members and found Kevin (the beat boxer) and Avi who used to be their bass.
I encourage earbuds or headphones for their music. There is a lot of production values you are missing without them!! Their production is amazing!! You can't go wrong with any of their music. They are the #1 acapella group in the world!! Check out Daft Punk medley. There was another bass singer at the beginning named Avi Kaplan who left on good terms in 2017. Matt took over and I think he rounds out the group out so well!! You may want to turn the volume up a little louder next time too! You can't really get the full effect without the sound being at its highest. Lots of surprises can be found in their videos! Also, They tend to get blocked, so you may need a filter, and we Pentaholics have no issue with that at all!
You should really watch their cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". Unbelievable.
I agree that you need to watch Hallelujah and Daft Punk, but then you need to watch Imagine. That is one of the best songs they have ever done. Also, Amazing Grace and The Prayer. Also, they have fantastic original songs, like Run To You and Love Again.
As someone who has seen Pentatonix in concert before, and we'll be seeing them again in August. I can 100% swear that they are just as amazing in person. And if you love Ariana Grande then I 100% suggest checking out there evolution of Ariana Grande. They even got Kudos from her when she saw it, that's how good it is.
PTX sounds exactly the same in their live concerts. You may want to check out "Hallelujah" and "Bohemian Rhapsody"for starters.
They really do! I saw them recently in Manchester and it was my favourite concert ever! 😍
The three in the center grew up in the same town and were good friends who sang together in high school. They recruited The beatboxer/singer Kevin (on the right) and the original bass, Avi 12 years ago to audition for season three of The Sing Off, which they won. In 2016, Avi left the group and he was replaced by Matt (on the left). They have earned three Grammys, had TV specials, fill auditoriums all over the world, have billions of UA-cam views, multiplatinum albums, amazing solo work from each member, a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and many more accolades. They do covers, originals and Christmas music in about equal amounts and they will never let you down. All of them do indeed have unique qualities to their voices you may find your favorite shifting from song to song! Subscribed for more if you dive in to this rabbit hole!
The 3 in the middle were friends in high school and they actually auditioned after find an additional bass singer and a beat boxer all 5 auditioned for some musical reality show the 4 on the right are from the original group the guy in the white replied the original bass singer Avi
BTW the middle three singers are friends from high school. they've been singing together forever. The beatboxer Kevin and the first bass singer Avi come on to round out the group. then Avi left and now we have Matt. Pentatonix have quite a lot of Christmas albums too so they may be fun to react to come holiday time
Can you feel the love tonight or amazing from pentatonix is amazing can't go wrong with ptx
Kevin not only beat boxes but he also plays cello. The best is when he does them together. (Kevin Olusola)
the 3 in the middle have been together forever. they had another guy but he went on doing his own thing and they found the other 2 guys on each end... you should check out more of their stuff. its awesome
PTX is amazing! Scott, Kirstie, and Mitch knew each other. They were all 19 years old when they did “The Sing Off”. They were put together with Avi and K.O. for the show. The rest his been an amazing ride. Mitch will surprise you. This wasn’t the best highlight of his vocal abilities.
Subbed for more PTX reactions. You’re in for a treat. They are amazing.
Amazing Grace and The Prayer
Pentatonix do this live and it’s on video so check it out. Matt ( base) joined a few years ago after the original base, Avi, left. They do great mash ups. Check other out.
You should check out Hallelujah and the prayer. The vocal range of all of the members is amazing. Mitch (2nd on the right) has the most incredible voice.
You should def react to Come Along! It's a cover that completely reforms the original! ITS CRAZY.
You are going to get a lot of comments on this video. I’m just the first want to do it the three in the middle were high school friends. The young gentleman at all black doing the beatboxing the three in the middle met with a previous member on the voice sound off. I think that was the name of the show, and when the previous member left, the gentleman in the white jacket came in to make the group hole again each and every one of them alone is an amazing singer in their own right off of them together is pure magic now if you want to hear. The young gentleman at all black doing the beatboxing sing he is actually a falsetto, beautiful, falsetto voice
It was the Sing Off
@@ProfPros916 thank you I couldn’t remember the name of the show to save my life
Yes, they were in high school together but the knew each other well before that! Lol
Kevin (the beatboxer) is actually a tenor, but does have an amazing falsetto when he wants to use it.
@@boballen818 I remember the high school part of the story🤣🤣🤣🤣
Amazing Grace... gotta hear it.
Love PTX! They are the best! You can't go wrong with any of their songs.
More Pentatonix please!!! If you rally want to be blown away do Hallelujah by Pentatonix! To answer Gaynor's question... 3 of them knew each other in High School and they wanted to enter a "Sing Off" competition. In order too do so they had to add a beatboxer and a bass. Look for their performance of "Born To Be Wild" from the sing off. What is most amazing about that is they had only known in each other for 5 weeks at that point! Cheers
If you want to hear a fantastic live show, check out their 90's Dance Medley at the Hollywood bowl. Their PopSpring concert 2016 is also a live showcase. Subbed for more? ❤
Scott, first singer, Mitch 2nd singer have known each other since they were 10yrs old. Kirsty joined them in Jr. High and were known as the Trio. They added the beat boxer Kevin and the original bass Avi in order to enter the Sing Off competition, which they won. Avi left in 2017 and the new bass Matt joined them. They have 3 Grammys, Platinum albums and their Christmas Albums are Amazing.
Mitch and Kirstin met around 8 or 9 years old. Kirstin met Scott in 9th grade English class.
Pentatonix is always worth a watch, hopefully we get to see a daft punk reaction.
Subscribed for more Pentatonix.
I would like to address their unique chemistry. They are each other’s biggest fans. Their mutual love and support makes them like a family. They independently do other projects, but agree that their Pentatonix work comes first.
To show how well they work together, I recommend their video “Pentatonix - The Recording Of Evergreen”. Evergreen was their Grammy nominated album. However, due to spoilers, you should react to their version of The Prayer first.
I would highly suggest y'all react to The Prayer by Pentatonix, they do amazing. It was originally done by Andrea Bonacelli and Celine Dion.
you gotta watch their version of hallelujah. with pentatonix, you can’t go wrong
I have seen them live and they are amazing!
Pentatonix
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 cove r 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.
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 were nominated for a 4th Grammy for their album Evergreen, but didn't win.
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. No dates YET!
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.
They are awesome. Every one of them could be a lead singer. They’re number one song is Hallelujah!
They truly are amazing!
Oh , welcome to the PTX Rabbit hole. You’ve many, many, many more great songs too find. Some original and many ( you don’t say copies with PTX), there’s are literally Upgrades. You’ll all be Pentatonics, before you know what’s hit you. There’s also lots of live performances, that sound just the same as the videos. Oh one last thing. Find Mitch’s solo song “ Your Power “
It will blow your socks off. Such a pure voice, you’ll never hear again. 🤷♀️❤️🇬🇧🙏💕