Fermata Nowhere

In the Spring of 2009, a relatively unknown a cappella ensemble from Mt. San Antonio College walked into a theater in midtown Manhattan and shocked the collegiate a cappella world by becoming the first community college ensemble to win the Finals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella.  As the audience filed out, many were wondering how a community college ensemble was able to beat groups from Oxford and Yale as well as groups from as far away as South Africa. Had they been familiar with the choral program at Mt SAC, they would have known that choral ensembles from Mt SAC routinely exceed expectations.  This marked the second time that Fermata Nowhere had made it to the National Finals after making their first trip in 2004, finishing second.

Since their International Finals win in 2009, Fermata Nowhere has performed for audiences across the continent singing everything from eight part Renaissance motets to barbershop, to rock and hip-hop.  Contemporary a cappella exploded in popularity following their ICCA win in 2009 as several influential producers and writers were in the audience that night. Mickey Rapkin wrote about them in a book entitled “Pitch Perfect.”  Several of their choreography moves showed up in a new TV show named “Glee” and several former members of Fermata went down to Los Angeles to audition for a live a cappella talent show called “The Sing Off.” Several former members of this ensemble have gone on to sing in professional a cappella ensembles, including Avi Kaplan of the Pentatonix and three members of the award winning Filharmonic. 

Fermata Nowhere holds auditions in the Fall of each year and is always looking for good tenors, baritones and basses who love to sing.    

For more information, please contact Professor William McIntosh at wmcintosh@mtsac.edu