On Jan. 6, the school’s acapella group, Fortefy, had the opportunity to perform a joint concert with MPact, a Grammy nominated acapella group from Los Angeles, California. This performance came as a surprise to students after the cancellation of Orlando Acapella Festival (OAF), which they had been working towards for most of the first semester. 

The OAF features various acapella groups from local programs. Its cancellation was initially upsetting, considering the work that Fortefy had already put in. However, to make up for the absence of this performance, it was arranged for the group to watch, and work alongside a professional group. Providing them with a unique experience to receive feedback from those in the industry.

“We’re sad that OAF didn’t work out this year,” Director Nicholas Powers said. “That was an incredible event last year. Luckily, we’re getting a chance to sing with professional sound and do a different type of concert, so we’re excited about that.”

Despite the excitement brought on by this opportunity, creating and preparing an entirely new show at the top of the new year posed a challenge. With only a week to prepare for a brand new concert with a professional group, this concert had high stakes. Part of the concern stemmed from the fact that this was the first time they had performed with a group of this caliber, and for most students, it was only the second time that they had performed as a group.

“Going into this I’m definitely a little nervous like I always am right before a performance, but overall super excited,” senior Lily Stilp-Johnson said. “I absolutely love performing and getting to perform for a really esteemed group is even more exciting.” 

The concert itself consisted primarily of MPact pieces, which was a fantastic opportunity for the students to observe the group in action. Despite being a last-minute event, students were on cloud-nine after the performance, and ecstatic about the unique perspective it had given them. 

“The performance itself was incredible,” senior Jade Durnin said. “It always feels amazing to perform music with the group, and doing that with professionals was a whole different experience. The energy that MPact brought was contagious and I think we were all thrilled to be there. I honestly forgot the audience was even there for a moment, and it was just a bunch of different people coming together to make music.”