Can you imagine creating the sounds of a harmonica, drums, guitar with only your voice? Can you imagine creating a song on the spot about a trash can, giraffe toe socks and a juiceless orange?
On Dec. 8, the College of Fine & Performing Arts welcomed to Western Carolina University’s Bardo Arts Center Theater the world renowned a cappella group, Vox Audio.
This group of five wondrously talented vocalists possessed a joy for performing that was beyond infectious. Young children bounced in the aisles, and adults clapped along to the songs. As the audience spilled out of the theater, words of admiration could be heard. People of all ages were able to relax and take a moment to escape into the wondrous world of humor and the arts.
The talent of this group lies with the amazing use of the human voice to create all the parts of the songs. Vox Audio does not use instruments to convey the pieces they wish to perform, which was one of the really awe-inspiring aspects of their performance.
Vox Audio performed hits like “Jingle Bells” and “Route 66.” There were also numbers that showed off their skills of singing in several languages and improvisation. Their various Christmas melodies were a wonderful gateway for the holiday season. They even performed a song about their sound guy, which in itself was rather uniquely astounding.
It was great to see the respect they had for the “silent” parts of their act. Something that was extremely unique about the performance was the fact that they did not remain onstage for the entirety of the performance. The various members incorporated the audience into the different parts of the performance. The audience was constantly involved and left in fits of giggles and gut-wrenching laughter.
This performance like many others was partially sponsored by the Friends of the Arts, a program at Western Carolina University that works to cultivate the prominence of the performing arts at the university and in the community. Through patron gifts, support is given to the Fine and Performing Arts Performance Hall, Fine Arts Museum, the College of Fine and Performing Arts, School of Art & Design, School of Music, and the School of Stage and Screen.
With the continued support from the Friends of the Arts and other contributors, Western Carolina is able to bring the wonderful performances that it showcases, such as that of Vox Audio, to Cullowhee.
