Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory

by Mickey Rapkin

Book Overview

A musical tale of collegiate a cappella filled of high notes, high drama, and high jinks that inspired the hit films Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2 . Get ready to be pitch slapped. The roots of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 159240376X
• ISBN13: 9781592403769
• Release Date: May 2008
• Publisher: Gotham Books
• Length: 275 Pages
• Weight: 1.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Fun and fascinating

This book perfectly combines two of my great loves - a cappella music and gossip. It is a fun, fast read. Not being a teacher or a musician, I did not note any of the inaccuracies in the text, and knowing about them does not diminish my enjoyment or my appreciation one bit. I highly recommend it as a fascinating, if quite subjective, portrait of a subculture.

couldn't stop reading

i devoured this book in one day--today--and was alternately enthralled by the stories of the individual groups, fascinated by the facts i never knew, and laughing my head off at the author's sarcasm and wit. i have been a big follower of collegiate a cappella for a few years now; both my older brother and i are in groups at our universities and my uncle was a part of Cornell's Hangovers. I have attended countless shows, both professional (Five O'Clock Shadow is my favorite group on the face of the earth) and collegiate, including the ICCA semifinals. needless to say, i thought i had a pretty good knowledge of the world of college a cappella. this book showed me i was wrong, and in the best way! It also made me interested in groups i'd never heard of, and i will most definately be on the lookout for some CDs... I will also be recommending this to any and all a capella fans i know and just about anyone else who likes a good story.

Hilarious and Heartwarming

Pitch Perfect keeps you hooked from the first page, when you are introduced to the three a cappella groups Rapkin follows during the 2006-07 school year. The book alternates chapters, one devoted to each group, taking you through the triumphs and tribulations these students face, beginning with auditions for "fresh meat" during orientation week through the conclusion of the spring semester. The songs that are described throughout the story come to life as you read! Not only does the reader instantly feel the campus vibe, but also feels affection for the singers. It's like going back to college! I thoroughly enjoyed the hilarious anecdotes that Rapkin peppers the pages with. Pitch Perfect is an easy read, filled with laugh-out-loud witty one-liners, and is heartwarming too. I can't wait for the next book from this very talented author!

Informative, Insightful, Touching, and FUN!

I must admit, I'm a big fan of collegiate a cappella since attending college in the late 90s (listening to the NYU NHarmonics, NYU APC Rhythm, and UPenn Off The Beat)...so I was eagerly awaiting the release of this book. I'm happy to report that it did not disappoint AT ALL! Whether you are a fan or completely unfamiliar with collegiate a cappella, the stories of triumph, tragedy, and yes, even tales of glory that are woven in the page of Rapkin's book are accessible to all. But I will say, if you are in a college a cappella group, if you ever have been part of one, or ever want to be...this book is a MUST! Everyone else can read and marvel at how guys that sing in 8-part harmony while wearing goofy-looking robes can be some of the most successful with the ladies at UVA...

Perfect Summer Read!

After reading about it in Rolling Stone and USA Today on the same day, I decided to buy it. AND IT'S GREAT. It reads so well and is so funny, kinda like the movie Bring It On, but this is about college singers. I had no idea that this whole world existed and I didn't even go to college that long ago. It didn't matter that I didn't know about a cappella, though, because the author gives you all the background you need, while also keeping the story going. Apparently, Mickey Rapkin's an editor at GQ; I'll have to look out for him.