Almost Recess, an a cappella group from the Washington, D.C., area, says its mission is to bring a cappella music to every single person. On Friday, Sept. 24, the students of Spring Hill Elementary were treated to a performance.
"They are very energetic," said Cynthia Cross, a parent responsible for bringing the group to the school, "and that is what we were looking for to begin the school year with." Cross saw the group perform in May and was immediately convinced that she wanted to bring them to Spring Hill for a performance.
Only one of the band members, Hugh Gee, has a music-related degree. He is from Richmond and went to college at James Madison University. Nate Pipke, from Connecticut, pointed out that he and the other three members of the group sing with limited musical training. "Anyone can sing," said Pipke. Almost Recess performed a number of cover songs, as well as original songs, for the students. After the performance, Ben Feeney of Maine gave a lesson on how to be a drummer for a vocal band. The students learned how to make three drum sounds using their voices. "The best place to practice these beats," said Pipke "is at home."
Almost Recess performs in schools and clubs up and down the East Coast. On Thursday night the group was in New York City at a fund-raiser for Young Audiences, a nonprofit organization that promotes arts and sciences in schools. Other members of the band are Ryan Driver from Colorado and Brian Agosta from New York. For more information about the group, visit its Web site at http://almostrecess.com.