This isn't "Glee's" William McKinley High. There's no Will Schuester. No Rachel Berry (although there's plenty of voices that compare).
There are no cameras rolling.
Instead, there’s a group of 18 singers standing in a circle in a stuffy room tucked away in the back of the campus music building.
They are sopranos, altos, tenors and basses. They are Greeks, non-Greeks, dorks, jocks, theater and music majors.
A few members wear T-shirts that say “A Ca Hell Yeah” because they are proud — as they should be. They’ve turned songs like Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.” into worthy ballads. They’ve taken their bows in the international limelight. They are part of the most competitive co-ed a cappella group on campus: No Southern Accent.
And when they meet together, usually three times a week, it’s straight out of an episode of Fox’s Emmy-winning series “Glee,” which kicks off its second season next Tuesday. Blame it on the group’s powerhouse vocals, matching choreography and a catchy charm that makes you wonder why they don’t have a TV show of their own.
Just like “Glee,” the energy and vibrations are palpable. You can feel the excitement as everyone snaps in unison or breaks out in impromptu choreography.
The difference between the kids of William McKinley High and No Southern Accent? These singers use their voices as instruments — no random piano man hangs around at their rehearsals.
Chris Rienas, the musical director of No Southern Accent, is Mr. Schuester, the show’s curly-headed chorale/morale leader. He stands in the middle of the motley crew.
“We need to practice the two transitions. Definitely. Definitely,” Rienas says.
The group agrees. They collect themselves silently, and the music starts again.
“We’re not just a bunch of kids singing together. We’re making a complete band,” says Morgan McCall, No Southern Accent’s treasurer. “It’s a whole different experience.”
The energetic crew sings Top 40 hits — you know, the kind of jams we all download instantly off iTunes after every new episode of “Glee.”
Standing together, they look just like the “Glee” members we love, except with a few more good-looking Fins, and no cheerleading uniforms. There are Pucks, Brittanys, Arties, Tinas — and maybe even a Berry or two, including No Southern Accent president, Kim Meyer.
Meyer, who has Berry’s vocal wow- factor without the ego, lives the life of a “Gleek.”
“After a tough day, you get to come into a room with a bunch of your best friends and just sing,” she says.
Founded in 2001, No Southern Accent has been moving up the ranks. Last year, they came in second place in the quarterfinals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella. This year, about 80 singing hopefuls auditioned for No Southern Accent, and only three made the cut for the 18-person group. It’s that competitive, Meyer says.
But No Southern Accent is not nearly as competitive with its “rival groups,” unlike the way the “Glee” troupe, New Directions, treats their cutthroat enemy, Vocal Adrenaline, on the series. No Southern Accent often sings with the other two a cappella groups on campus, The Sedoctaves and The Staff, and adores their fellow competitors from other schools.
“We have so much respect for All-Night Yahtzee, the a cappella group at FSU,” Meyer says. “We love them because they’re so good at what they do.”
And it’s the spirit, that unity, that makes them the college counterpart to our favorite “Glee” club.
“No Southern Accent really brings you together,” Meyer said. “At the end of the day, these are my best friends.”
The rehearsal ends with tryouts for an upcoming solo. Unlike “Glee,” where Berry takes over the lead and everyone else watches on with distaste, No Southern Accent has a democratic process. Whoever wants to audition for the part can audition. They take a blind vote. They cheer each other on and applaud after each round. They’re supportive of each other, just like the “Gleeks.”
And if you look down, you can see the diversity in the group. Their shoes are all different. They wear Nike kicks, Rainbow flip-flops, boat shoes. Ballet flats, Converse sneakers and even bare feet stand together in the circle.
And they’re proud of what they do when they all come together.
Watch No Southern Accent in action, performing Phenomena.
