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.
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
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.
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.
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.
The three in the middle went to high school together in Texas and were friends. They needed a beatboxer and went on RU-vid 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.
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!!!!!
To your question.....the 3 main singers have been together since high school at minimum, maybe through Jr. High School. They were forced to add the other 2 when the minimum number was 5 for a national competition (which they won)
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 RU-vid channel here: youtube.com/@AviKaplanMusic I highly recommend subscribing.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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? ❤
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!
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)
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!!!
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.
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.
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.😊
Clear bias here considering ptx have triple the the subs of home free like 20x more channel views 3 grammy awards to the 0 home free have and they have a star on the walk of fame in hollywood.
I personally love both groups for different reasons. I listen more to PTX because they cover & create so many different styles of music but I also feel Home Free can be a bit overlooked. I really wish they would do something together & I also wish Avi would come do a song with them again.
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.
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.
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
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 RU-vid 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.
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 RU-vid 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❤️😍
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.
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 RU-vid 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 subscribed, based on the hope that you'll explore more Pentatonix! Try some (or all) of these for a taste of spiritual and contemporary, original and pop music. They do it all! Cheerleader, Havana, Mary Did you Know, Amazing Grace, Be My Eyes, and Evolution of Micheal Jackson (Go to Popspring 2017. Four great LIVE songs.)
Not a fan of this Pentatonix version myself. Remakes usually lose the heart of the original song regardless of how vocally good the covers are. Some artists are able to reinvent songs with a new perspective. I think Simon and Garfunkel original is still the best but Disturbed's version makes it a different song. Not unlike what Johnny Cash did to the NIN song Hurt.
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
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.
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.
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.
They won the first season of the Sing Off, a US acapella competition. A few years later Home Free won. I'd love to see you react to more of Pentatonix and Home Free. Home Free has a country sound and they have soe beautiful numbers a well as some funny songs.
Oh, yeah!!! A Definite Must Hear!!! Watch the PTX official video! I'm 65 and I really loved it. The group is great and a must see at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles!!! Or anywhere LIVE!!!!
More Pentatonix to these guys. ❤ Watch the making of Evergreen, Dance Mix of the 90s, Shallow, Thank you etc. Trust me - Pentstonix in concert is JUST as amazing in concert. Saw them in London and they blew me away. ❤
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!
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 RU-vid 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!
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
New subscriber here for more Pentatonix reactions. Y'all did a great job on your reaction to PTX. I need more please. I would recommend their first Grammy winning song...DAFT PUNK MEDLEY. It is phenomenal and the bass line and beat boxing is so amazing. You will not believe your ears! So mind blowing. I would recommend the official video of this one because it shows their faces up close so you see who's doing what. For a live performance I would recommend HALLELUJAH from the 2016 Christmas concert. That one is pure fire 🔥. Thanks again for jumping on the PTX train... Sending y'all love from Texas!
Mitch,Scott and Kristen all went to school together in Texas….Kevin is the beat boxer and Matt is their newest bass. They have won 3 Grammys and we’re nominated last year for their 4th . Unfortunately, they didn’t win. But, there is always this year….My first PTX video was Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. That was almost 5 years ago and they are my favorite group. PTX’s fan base are know as Pentaholic’s .We are a fierce and loyal fan base. We will help lead you down their rabbit hole…..Enjoy your journey….Judy D from NY State.❤
Welcome to the PTX rabbit hole! Some of my suggestions (many of which have already been suggested, I"m sure): Bohemian Rhapsody -- fantastic cover of a fantastic song. Incredible beat-boxing by Kevin, and unbelievable "guitar solo" from Mitch. Amazing Grace -- Kirsten's soaring solo. And even though Mitch is rightfully known for his high notes, this shows off his GORGEOUS lower range. "Shallow" and "Say Something" -- heavily features Kirstin -- not to mention Kevin "cellboxing" (beat boxing and playing cello AT THE SAME TIME) "Imagine" -- the incredible PTX "wall of sound", not to mention one of the most beautiful videos. 'The Prayer" = another incredibly beautiful video, great harmonies, and the wall of sound. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" -- the beat box "drops" from Kevin bring this cover to a whole other level -- and then there's Mitch's INSANELY high note. "My Heart With You" - beautiful 5-part harmony ; simply gorgeous. Christmas songs: PTX OWNS Christmas -- here are some of my favorite covers: Little Drummer Boy, Carol of the Bells, Mary Did You Know, Silent Night. Originals: PTX does mostly covers, but they also have great originals: "Run To You": 5-part harmony with beautiful lyrics. "Thank You": a "Christmas" song that was written by Scott and his boyfriend. It's a bit different from their usual style, but the lyrics are so masterful. After hearing this song 50+ times, it still brings me to tears (the good kind of tears!) "Love Me When I Don't" -- very meaningful lyrics, and surprisingly upbeat for the message. Enjoy!
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. 🤷♀️❤️🇬🇧🙏💕
Please please do Bohemian Rhapsody. Hallelujah. Amazing Grace. Daft Punk. They have so many amazing songs I’ve already been subscribed to you guys but I’m sure you guys are going to get swamped with penta Holick’s reactions
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!
First time on your channel - great reaction, thank you! I hope you continue your Pentatonix journey, They never disappoint, and you wiill be constantly amazed and moved. (most recently, they performed on tv's "Masked Singer" program - unique cover of Radiohead's "Creep". Be sure to watch that video version; they are so fun to watch).
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.
Now that you know who's who it's time for the origin story, which I'm putting in a separate comment because RU-vid has trouble with really long comments. Kirstie, 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 Kirstie there (separately) when he was nine or ten years old, and became friends with both of them. However, Scott and Kirstie 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. 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 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. And pentaholics (Pentatonix fans) still refer to these three as "the trio," and the trio is the heart of Pentatonix. Kirstie 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. Scott went to the University of Southern Califonia, and Kirstie went to the University of Oklahoma with a full ride scholarship. 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 a cappella group named SoCal VoCals, which he joined. While there he met 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 give their reactions to 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 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 Kirstie, 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 Kirstie said they could win, well, maybe they could. So with everyone on board, 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 limit on bands; the minimum size allowed was five members. 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 RU-vid 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 four of them said, "Wow! He's the one! How can we get in touch with him?" They were in luck. At the time RU-vid had something called RU-vid 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 for an 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 premed degree 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 "The Quintet." 😂 Pentatonix appeared throughout season three of _The Sing-Off,_ and eventually won. All those performances are available on RU-vid 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. So, they'd won _The Sing-Off,_ complete with recording contract. Time to move to California permanently and begin recording. And a week later the recording company 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 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 RU-vid. 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 a slightly more prestigious subsidiary of Sony than the one that had dropped them? Hmmm. Would they like a recording contract? 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.
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
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.
Wow, did you get a bunch of your idea's wrong. Listen to more songs. The main group met in High School then evolved not on a reality TV show LOL. You also have it completely wrong about the members. I suggest you watch other songs Hallelujah, Bohemian Rhapsody
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.
