Breyona Mitchell

In a harmonious crescendo of talent and determination, the countdown to the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella has officially begun for one UT group. During their rehearsals, the members fine-tune their vocals and choreography, preparing to hit the stage.

The ICCAs, an annual collegiate a cappella competition, gained notable recognition for its presence in the “Pitch Perfect” films. Beauties and the Beat, a treble a cappella group, qualified to compete in the quarterfinals held in Belton, Texas on Feb. 17. Annalise Belzile, a psychology and human dimensions of organizations sophomore, said the group began preparing early in the fall semester.

“We definitely put a lot of heart into what we do and we work really hard,” Belzile said. “There’s always a little air of nervousness before, but when you’re onstage, it’s so fun.”

Beauties and the Beat will perform three songs: “Cult Leader” by King Mala, “Gilded Lily” by Cults and “River” by Aurora. Neuroscience sophomore Sreya Yadavalli said these songs were chosen to highlight one’s journey through grief.

“The first song … (has) very dark feminine energy … and the second song is moving on from that initial anger phase into sadness,” Yadavalli said. “The last song is sort of the happiness revolving around that (shift) because … one of the prominent lyrics is, ‘Do you miss the sadness when it’s gone?’ so it’s talking about just letting go and letting your river run wild.”

Radio-television-film junior Mia Martinez said practice remains crucial for the group to deliver their best performance.

“A lot of it is really a mental game — you’ve got to prepare mentally for having extra rehearsals (and) committing that time,” Martinez said. “We have all voted on … an all-day rehearsal … so that we can get everything done all at once and also bond together.”

Emphasizing the group’s bond, Martinez said the community within Beauties and the Beat feels special.

“The main thing I get out of Beauties is all of the relationships that I have with these people,” Martinez said. “We really are all friends. I love them so much.”

Similar to Martinez’s sentiments, Belzile also said she feels at home within the tight-knit group.

“The girls in Beauties and the Beat are the sweetest people in the whole world … it’s been such an honor to get to know them,” Belzille said.

Although mostly made up of women, Yadavalli said anyone can join.

“You don’t have to … have a strict choir background or be able to sight-read (sheet music) as long as you are comfortable singing the treble voice parts,” Yadavalli said.

Yadavalli said many members see Beauties and the Beat as a fun way to relax from their schoolwork. Since Yadavalli’s future plans include going to med school, she said she wants to enjoy her time while she can.

“I don’t know if I’m going to have time to pursue (singing) seriously in med school, so I’m sort of seeing this as my last stop … before my singing goes from a microphone to my bathroom or the kitchen,” Yadavalli said.