Newswise — Ithacappella will be shown on “American Idol” as part of a montage of performers doing their takes on the Internet sensation “Pants on the Ground.” If you haven’t heard — or at least heard about — “Pants on the Ground,” you haven’t been paying attention to popular culture. After the January 13 episode of the show featured a contestant singing his original composition, the song went viral. Within a week the video was viewed more than five million times on YouTube and versions were being performed by everyone from NFL quarterback Brett Favre to late-night comedian Jimmy Fallon.
Ithacappella came to the attention of “American Idol” through the Internet as well. While the 18-member group was touring the northeast over winter break, they sang a song with the PS22 Chorus, an elementary school ensemble that had already earned Internet fame for its routines. A YouTube clip of the performance attracted the notice of Ryan Seacrest Productions, which posted the video on the “American Idol” host’s blog. When Ithacappella’s tour reached Southern California they let Seacrest’s production company know they were in town, and were asked to record a rendition of “Pants on the Ground” for the show.
The “Price is Right” appearance came about when the group decided to take in a taping of the show in Hollywood. They couldn’t help but break into song while waiting in line, which gained the notice of the show’s producers. They were asked to become part of the taping themselves, and will be shown singing an original tune by group member Harry Nichols on the March 1 broadcast.
“Ithacappella’s winter tour afforded us some incredible opportunities,” said the ensemble’s president, senior biochemistry major Matt Zeitler. “On top of our goals of educating and inspiring students around the country, we were fortunate to gain some amazing exposure, starting with our memorable trip to PS22 in Staten Island. We’re proud to represent the group and Ithaca College through these experiences, and are happy that the root of this attention was our focus on educating the youth of America.”
Founded in 1996 by four Ithaca College students with a love for singing and a passion for performing, Ithacappella is now one of the premier male collegiate a cappella groups in the world, including in its repertoire everything from traditional barbershop tunes to current radio hits. In 2008 the group was named best male ensemble in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella and took home awards for best soloist and vocal percussion. In 2007 they shared the stage with Incubus to perform the alternative rock group’s hit “Dig” before thousands of fans at a concert in California.
For more information on Ithacappella, visit http://ithacappella.com/. You can see some of their videos at http://www.youtube.com/ithacappella/.
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