More than 100 UD students dedicate their free time to a cappella, the instrument-free, pop-centric choral singing popularized by groups like Pentatonix and the 2012 movie “Pitch Perfect.”

Treble makers in perfect harmony

Article by Megan M.F. Everhart Photos by Evan Krape and courtesy of Grace Matthieseen and Nicole Salerno May 06, 2025

UD’s rich a cappella community makes campus life feel like home for students

Ed Yu was no stranger to applause. As a theater kid, he’d taken bows and heard audiences clapping, but he wasn’t prepared for the experience of auditioning for the YChromes, the University of Delaware’s all-male a cappella group.

“When I walked into the room, all the guys just roared with applause and support. So even though I was completely nervous, I knew they were the group for me,” he said.

Yu, a senior mechanical engineering major with a mathematics minor, is one of the hundred-plus UD students who dedicate their free time to a cappella, the instrument-free, pop-centric choral singing popularized by groups like Pentatonix and the 2012 movie Pitch Perfect.

A cappella groups like the Deltones rehearse several times a week, learning to listen to each other and blend harmonies.

Joining voices

A cappella at UD goes back 35 years and has such a strong presence on campus, with eight registered student organizations (RSOs) dedicated to it, that there is an RSO just for coordinating the RSOs. DELAC Council presents group concerts and manages auditions, helping to create an encouraging and supportive community for all.

“We make sure that everyone is working together instead of against each other,” said Jessica Flores, current DELAC president.

Flores, a senior pre-veterinary medicine major who also serves as president of the Deltones, didn’t plan on being involved at UD … until she attended Acamation, an annual concert sponsored by DELAC that brings all eight groups together.

“Seeing the support, not just from the audience, but from the other groups was really special,” she said. “When you have a strong community and a real community, I think that shines so bright that you can’t miss it.”

Groups perform concerts on campus, and some also compete in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), a competition made famous by the Pitch Perfect movie franchise.

Singing together, or even just hanging out as friends, provides a much needed respite for members of the Golden Blues.

While the movies may have some similarities to the real-life a cappella world, the “riff-off” where groups spontaneously compete was made up for film. In reality, groups spend hours at rehearsal perfecting harmonies.

Since there is no accompaniment —nothing in the background keeping the beat — singers have to connect with each other to stay in rhythm.

“It’s such a funny concept that we make noise and then it sounds like a song,” said Sara Fritschi, president of the Golden Blues. “But it’s part of what makes a cappella beautiful, connecting to each other, keeping the beat and the vibe and that energy.”

“There is no feeling like competing on that stage for the first time,” said MelUDees president Katelyn Viszoki, a senior instrumental music education major with a minor in vocal performance. “It feels so nerve-wracking, but when you step out there the entire group just locks together.”

The YChromes, the all-male a capella group at UD, is one of eight a capella groups on campus.

Music and memories

Students find that a cappella helps them cope with stress and develop time management skills.

Sophomore Sydney Christner, a member of CresHENdo, is a political science major with a concentration in law, politics and theory and minors in legal studies and history. She finds that rehearsals are an important break from academics.

“CresHENdo has given me an outlet to step away from that stress for 2 1/2 hours every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, which I truly believe helps in resetting my mind and therefore strengthening my academic performance,” she said.

Groups also make time for movie nights or even study dates where older members mentor new singers.

Yu is currently the only senior in Y-Chromes, and he says mentoring younger members has helped him grow.

“I’ve been in their shoes, so I can nurture younger peers going through hardships,” he said. “And I’ve been able to learn how to cultivate a community.”

Part of that community is the group song tradition. Each group has their own, and concerts close with alumni returning to the stage to join current members.

A highlight of senior fashion merchandising and management major and D-Sharps president Grace Matthieseen’s time at UD is when the group performed at Radio City Music Hall for the Rockettes.

The alumni ties are part of what makes a cappella so special. This February the Golden Blues sang their group song, Rockepella’s “A Change in My Life,” at a service for the late Associate in Arts Program faculty member Amy Shupard, a former Golden Blues member herself.

“These connections are so strong and valued as we really are a big family,” said Fritschi, a junior interpersonal communications major with a minor in human development and family sciences. “It makes us so happy to hear that this group has been making long-lasting friendships and impacts for years before us and we have been able to continue fostering those values.”