A capella: pushing the boundaries of unaccompanied vocal music

A capella: pushing the boundaries of unaccompanied vocal music

2026-08-07

Does music production have to be complicated to be successful? Not since 2024. That year, an a cappella group was named the “Best Vocal Group” at the Golden Melody Awards. Before, a cappella music was not considered to have much commercial potential, but after 20 years since modern a cappella emerged in Taiwan’s music scene, the style has now caught on with the mainstream, demonstrating the versatility of the human voice. Our special report.

A familiar song rendered entirely in vocals. Although popular music today is dominated by K-pop and idol singers, some vocalists still choose to go old school with a capella arrangements.

- Hello everyone, we’re Awkwapella.
- I’m the tenor and group leader, Stephen Rong.
- I’m the bass, Samuel Chen.
- I’m vocal percussion, or beatbox, Echo Lee.
- I’m the soprano, Charis Chua.
- I’m the mezzo-soprano, Angelica Wawa.

Yes, the group of five make music with just their voices.

- Bop, bop, bop, bop. I’m a mezzo-soprano, this is my vocal range. Do you like it?
- I’m a soprano, which is three steps higher. So I’ll go, “Bop, bop, bop, bop,” “Bop, bop, bop, bop.” Like musical instruments, we follow the main melody.

Coordination is key for a successful a cappella arrangement. The group can be divided into harmonies and rhythms.

- We’re the rhythms. So I’ll go like this, and he plays a bossa nova rhythm.

Samuel Chen (Tenor)
Awkwapella
If my beat or tune is off, they’ll all be affected, because I’m singing part of a chord. If I’m off tune, that makes the first note off, which will make the whole chord go off.

A capella originated from Western choral music. The popular form has caught on in Taiwan for a while now.

Starlay Lee
NTNU School of Continuing Education
it originated from choral music. Back then, European society was centered on religion. Politics, arts, the economy were all centered on Christianity. Therefore, in the beginning, a capella wasn’t necessarily unaccompanied vocal music, but vocal music sung “in the chapel” or “in the style of the chapel.”

By the 20th century, a capella music gradually shifted from religious music to popular music. Modern a cappella groups combine jazz, pop, and microphone technology, using human voices to imitate percussion instruments and form vocal ensembles.

Charis Chua (Soprano)
Awkwapella
This section would be a vocal solo, or scat singing in jazz music, in which vocals replace the sounds of musical instruments.

There’s now an increasing number of a cappella groups in Taiwan’s music scene, rearranging popular music in many different styles of performance.

This group, “To Be Continued” is the winner of best leading vocals in the 2023 Taiwan Cup Modern A Cappella Competition. The eight members knew each other from university.

Shih Huai-yuan (group leader)
To be Continued
When I started the group, I kept thinking about what kind of feeling I wanted to give the audience. When I was coming up with our name, I used this as a starting point. I hope the audience who watched our performance would keep thinking, ‘Hey, is there anything else? Do you have anything else to offer? What other surprises can you bring me?’”

What makes a cappella so captivating is also the most challenging part: arranging everyone’s voice into one.

- “Slower” looks like this.
- And “softer” like this.

Angelica Wawa (Mezzo-soprano)
Awkwapella
We’re singing and acting at the same time, with the gaze. When the five of us are performing on stage, it’s not just about the singing, but more importantly, harmonizing.

Every member in an a capella group must be tuned into everyone’s voice, in order to get the right pitch and rhythm. No one in the group should take the focus away from the group.

Angelica Wawa (Mezzo-soprano)
Awkwapella
When I’m recording, the microphone will be here. But the producer would want me to step back and turn around. So the microphone’s here, but I’m moving back and voicing while turned away, so the reflection of my voice is captured instead. It’s because I’m too loud in the studio.

A capella used to be seen as a form of musical performance without much industry potential. But in 2024, an a cappella group was named “Best Vocal Group” at the Golden Melody Awards, symbolizing its mainstreaming.

On top of singing, vocal percussion also makes a cappella all the more special.

The beatboxer of Awkwapella, Echo Lee, is not to be overlooked. With over 20 years of experience, he’s also taught the King of Mandopop, Jay Chou.

Echo Lee (Vocal percussion)
Awkwapella
It’s really an unforgettable experience. His manager contacted me, because Jay Chou wanted to perform beatboxing in his concert. The manager said that he really liked the stage effect of my beatbox echoes and wanted me to teach him, so I did.

Lee learned beatboxing as a child, performed in the US while in high school, and even once made it to the finals in a high-profile competition on television. He’s not only a performer, but also a producer.

Echo Lee (Vocal percussion)
Awkwapella
Many characteristics of beatboxing are related to music production. There are many layers, and you must be sensitive to frequencies and rhythm. Many beatboxers around the world end up becoming producers because they’re composing in their heads.

A cappella struggled to break into the mainstream music scene because it’s simply not taught widely in formal education. Formal music education still only teaches classical vocals, but contemporary a cappella music incorporates popular singing techniques, and pop music is marginalized in formal music education.

Starlay Lee
NTNU School of Continuing Education
I believe it’s taught at the Tainan National University of the Arts, but don’t think universities in Northern Taiwan teach it as a credit course. What makes it even more difficult to promote is that a good a cappella singer is quite versatile, because we don’t just sing one style of music.

Moreoever, even with a formal nod from the Golden Melody Awards, a cappella music still struggles on the market, which favors pop singers or groups. There are few paid gigs for a cappella groups.

Shih Huai-yuan (group leader)
To be Continued
It’s true that a cappella music is quite niche in Taiwan. I think it’s because concertgoers in Taiwan are used to stimulation. There are so many music festivals, concerts and K-pop performances nowadays, so it’s difficult for people to calm down and listen to only human voices. It’s a little difficult to promote our kind of music.

This Atayal-language set was arranged by Awkwapella. The group knows very well that an a cappella group needs a distinct sound, a stable membership and consistent output in order to stand out commercially.

- It’s so difficult. You must sing and memorize the beat at the same time. When they started practicing this song, I was really resistant to it.
- But you do love it now, don’t you?
- Yes, so much.
_ She really loves it now.

Charis Chua (Soprano)
Awkwapella
We also have some parts with choreography, and create dance moves for different songs, which could either be endearing or awkward, but all done to entertain the audience. We want everyone to feel that our performance is well executed.

Without accompanying music and elaborate stage effects, a cappella music may not take center in pop music, but what makes it so special is that it’s entirely human.

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