Finding Harmonies

Sophia Shen• October 28, 2025

Acapella is a musical style performed without instrumental accompaniment, using only the human voice to create melody, harmony and rhythm. This unique form of music highlights vocal skill, teamwork and creativity that have inspired many young musicians to explore it further. One such musician is senior Elle Young, whose deep passion for singing has motivated her to pursue new musical experiences. This has then led her to explore different chorus styles, such as Acapella.

Young began singing at the age of 6, and instantly fell in love with it. A dedicated member of Peninsula’s choir since her freshman year, her interest in vocal performance has only grown over time. While she loves performing with instrumental accompaniment in choir, she has also gained an appreciation for how voices alone in Acapella groups can create complex harmonies and patterns. This sparked an exciting idea in Young: creating an Acapella group at Peninsula. She began working on forming the group over the summer.

“I am the publicity chair on the choir board, and during a meeting over the summer, the board mentioned that before COVID-19, they had a woman’s Acapella group and a men’s doo-opp group,” Young said. “So I said, well, if it is student directed then I can direct it. I was also really inspired by last year when we brought back the advanced chamber choir, a separate program outside of class that works on really advanced pieces. From that I realized that it was really fun to have different groups outside of choir.”

After deciding to form the Acapella group, Young had to figure out the logistics of bringing together choir students into a new, collaborative student-run group. Scheduling and arranging dates for the group to meet may be difficult, as she will need to set a specific time to ensure people will make this commitment. Other challenges include the actual action of leading the group, since Young is a first time director and choosing appropriate music for the group to perform. Young hopes that through this experience, she can learn more about being a director and gain confidence as a leader.

Despite these challenges, Young's passion goes infinitely beyond and impresses many of her peers. Some choir students have found Young’s passion for singing especially inspiring. For instance, senior Yejoo Byun noted how she stands out among the group.

“I think she genuinely enjoys leading groups, and her love for singing feels incredibly heartfelt and sincere,” Byun said. “Starting an Acapella group has been such a meaningful way for her to express that passion. Her energy and voice are amazing, and her energy is very infectious when we go to concerts. She’s really excited for everything that we will perform. Young’s enthusiasm that came from her excitement has had a great impact on other choir members, inspiring many to explore new opportunities. Whether she’s rehearsing a new piece or encouraging others during practice, Young brings an energy that lifts the entire room.”

The Acapella group is expected to perform at school events like Pen Cafe and the annual Pops Concert later this year, and Young plans to have about 10 people in the Acapella group. Many students, such as senior Emily Cota, have already shared their interests in joining.

“I’m considering joining it because I think that it is a wonderful way to expand myself outside of choir,” Cota said. “I think that it adds more flair into the choir and a better opportunity for the choir to shine and gives us more space to grow. I also think that the Acapella group can be a great way to welcome many different people and really show them what choir can do.”

While there will certainly still be challenges for the group to overcome, Young is certain that her Acapella group offers a pivotal experience for Peninsula’s singers and performers, and remains determined to create a new space for Peninsula’s singers to gather and perform.

“I think it’s really important to create a space where people can express themselves musically in different ways,” Young said. “With the Acapella group, it’s not just about performing, it's about challenging ourselves creatively, and enjoying something together.”