Florida's Film, Television and the Arts Magazine
Just Sing
Their voices are pure talent, no auto-tune.
Are you a fan of the huge box office success Pitch Perfect? Loved the Barden Bellas and the Trebelmakers? Then you'll definitly enjoy Just Sing, which is the real-life story behind the the ICCAC, the International Championship of Collegiate A Capella.
Just Sing brings us into the world of the SoCal VoCals. They're an a capella group from USC, one of more than 600 similar groups across the country, representing over 12,000 students. This new documentary, Just Sing tells their story, following them from quarter-finals to semi-finals and then to the national competition in New York City.
These SoCal VoCals represent a campus who've won the national ICCAC title multiple times. The seniors on the team feel the pressure, knowing that what they do is the final stepping stone before graduation, when they will be catapulted into a world that is not standing with arms outstretched in welcome. The students make it clear they see this opportunity as a doorway which may open to a possible future in vocal music. Some of the previous years team members have found personal and financial success in that field.
Just Sing is also filled with intimate stories and the journey of some of the team members, deftly shared with us by filmmakers Angelique Molina and Abraham Troen. I can't tell you how they chose whose stories to tell. I can tell you that each one is different, and no segment feels heavy-handed. You may even shed a tear.
The students are well aware that the nest they've been living in for the past four years, sharing a Victorian-style home near the USC campus, is definitely a well-cushioned one. And when the competition ends, whether they take home the trophy or leave empty-handed, that part of their lives is swiftly drawing to a close.
What I found interesting is that they don't all want to be the next Swift or Beyonce. One aims to be a choir director and is already well on his way. Others reveal that they are filled with anxiety over how they look, even those who are the most attractive, so being solo-center-stage may be a daunting prospect. What binds them together is not only their love of singing but the glue they find in their diversity. Their diversity truly gives them strength, and they draw upon that in their song choices as well as their personal interactions. What also binds them is the strength their families provide to each of their talented offspring. Not all parents are this accepting, and yes, it definitely plays into the narrative of the film. So perhaps that's why these particular student's stories were told.
There are a few oddities about the film that deserve mention. First. unless I missed it, the filmmakers don't tell us where the finals are held. Historically, they've been at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and the Beacon Theater. I'd have like some sort of establishing shot.
Second, are these kids so young that they have no idea that Pitch Perfect would never have been a success without Glee? Not one of the kids mentioned that groundbreaking multi-season tv show which brought not only brought the band Journey new fans, but also showed how we all benefit from inclusion and diversity, which is what the team cherishes. And as far as being financially successful in this field - not one of them mentioned Lea Michele, who graduated from a network show about choir onto Broadway.
I understand that you can't force anyone to have a memory of things they never watched, but that just struck me as strange for these particular students. They're all worried about life after the VoCals, but did their advisors never mention the success of Glee, which launched the built-in audience for Pitch Perfect, which then harvested an audience for many professional a capella groups such as Straight No Chaser, Take 6 or Pentatonix. They've got Grammys and billions of views. Not a bad lifechoice.
These flaws didn't detract from the total package of Just Sing. It's a credit to the filmmakers that you'll get emotionally invested in the journey of people you've never met, whose life trajectory may never touch your own. You really want them to succeed. In the press notes I received, though I'm not sharing with you because that would spoil the fun, some of them found success after the SoCal VoCals. Though it's currently scheduled to open in NY and LA, I hope you'll put Just Sing on your radar for local release or streaming at some point in the near future.
