A&M’s mixed a cappella group, HardChord DynaMix, recently had the opportunity to compete in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella semifinals and while they may not have advanced to the finals, they certainly ended their year on a high note.
Over spring break, HardChord DynaMix competed in the ICAA semifinals in Los Angeles. The group placed second and advanced to the wildcard round where contestants film a performance for the judges to select one group to travel to New York City for the finals.
HardChord DynaMix received news on Sunday that they did not advance in the competition. However, president and accounting senior Reid Akers said the group exceeded their expectations.
“We only wanted to return to semifinals, and this year we far surpassed what we wanted to do,” Akers said. “When I was a freshman and a sophomore, we didn’t even place at quarterfinals.”
HardChord DynaMix made history as the first a cappella group from Texas to advance to the wildcard round.
“Coming from A&M where we don’t even have an established music program shows that it is more about dedication and hard work as opposed to reputation and the name of the school,” treasurer and business junior Ben Ikwuagwu said. “We went there just to have fun honestly, but we exceeded our expectations by a lot.”
The group began preparation for the competition in June and July, but music director and communication junior Arianna Bauersfeld said the most fun is actually getting to compete.
“You put in a lot of preparation for it but when it comes down to it, it is about the execution on stage,” Bauersfeld said. “We get to do it with this group, and it is so great because of the family bond we have with each other.”
The a cappella group was a young group this year with only eight returning members, and Akers said maintaining a high standard was the biggest challenge.
“Building a new group up from the ground was a huge challenge because you are used to one thing,” Akers said. “Sometimes it would get really frustrating because you would remember how it was the previous year and then we would look at it this year and say, ‘Wow. We aren’t where we were last year.’ But we just couldn’t get discouraged, and it turned out much better.”
HardChord DynaMix is done with competitions for this year but has its spring concert at the end of April. Ikwuagwu said the group members have the talent but must continue believing in themselves to make it even farther next year.
“We had the talent and the arrangements, but it was about understanding we can do this,” Ikwuagwu said. “I think next year that will help out a lot because now that we realize we can compete, we will be more confident next year and have higher expectations.”
Wrapping up his final year with HardChord DynaMix, Akers said he feels a mix of emotions, one of which is excitement about the group’s future.
“It’s a mixture of emotions because there is nothing but joy knowing it was my last year, and we got to go the farthest we’ve ever been,” Akers said. “It’s also really sad because there is so much momentum moving forward then who knows in the next couple years we could go even farther into finals. I’m sad but excited for what is to come for them.”
