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Stanford Harmonics

{{Short description|American university a cappella group}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Stanford Harmonics

| background = group_or_band

| image = StanfordHarmonics_Jan2025.jpg

| caption = Stanford Harmonics, January 2025

| origin = Stanford, California, USA

| genre = A cappella

| years_active = 1991–present

| website = {{URL | http://www.stanfordharmonics.com}}

}}

The Stanford Harmonics are a co-ed a cappella group from Stanford University. Known for their alternative rock repertoire and award-winning recordings, the Harmonics have garnered international recognition for their performances and have been featured on BOCA, Sing, and Voices Only a cappella compilations. The Harmonics are one of the few collegiate a cappella groups that own their own wireless microphone equipment{{citation needed|date=August 2023}} and have developed a live performance style that includes the use of electronic distortion and sound effects.

History

The group's third release, Insanity Laughs (1999), was received as a "breakthrough album" for the unprecedented mixing of its drum-like vocal percussion.{{cite book | author =Mickey Rapkin | title =Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory | year =2012 | publisher =Penguin | isbn =9781592408214 | quote = The breakthrough album, he says, was the 1999 Stanford Harmonics disc, Insanity Laughs. 'That's when vocal percussion really started to sound more like a drum set than vocals,' Bill says. | url = https://archive.org/details/pitchperfectques0000rapk_q7c6 | url-access =registration | accessdate = 2018-01-04}}

In 2009, their landmark studio album, Escape Velocity, won three Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards, including Best Mixed Collegiate Album, and was selected by the Recorded A Cappella Review Board as one of their Picks of the Decade.{{cite web|url=http://www.rarb.org/picks/2000-2009|title=RARB|work=RARB Picks of the Decade|accessdate=2010-05-05}}

In 2010, the Harmonics won the A Cappella Community Awards for Favorite Mixed Collegiate Group and Favorite Scholastic Album.

{{cite web|url=http://www.casa.org/aca2010w|title=CASA|work=2010 A Cappella Community Award Winners|accessdate=2018-01-04}}

In 2020, the album Signal Lost by the Harmonics won Best Rock Album from the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards.

As of 2024, they are recording their newest album, titled Event Horizon, a concept album centered around grief, to be released in 2025.

Recordings

The Stanford Harmonics have released ten full-length albums, one "greatest hits" album, and one extended play, alongside numerous singles.

  • The Greatest Hits of Pitchpipe (1995)
  • Escalator Music (1997)
  • Insanity Laughs (1999)
  • Phonoshop (2001)
  • evolut10n (2002) - 10 Year Anniversary "Greatest Hits" Album
  • Rock Beats Scissors (2003)
  • Shadowplay (2005)
  • Escape Velocity (2008)
  • Midnight Hour (2013)
  • The Messes of Men (2015) - EP
  • Fault of Imagination (2017)
  • Signal Lost (2019)
  • Event Horizon (upcoming 2025 release)

Awards and nominations

{{Awards table|5}}

|-

| 1998

| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards

| Best Mixed Collegiate Album

| Escalator Music

| {{nom}}

| {{cite web |title=1998 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Nominees |url=http://www.casa.org/cara1998n |website=The Contemporary A Cappella Society |access-date=13 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618135349/http://www.casa.org/cara1998n |archive-date=18 June 2019 |url-status=unfit}}

|-

| rowspan="2" | 2000

| rowspan="2" | Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards

| Best Mixed Collegiate Album

| Insanity Laughs

| {{nom}}

| rowspan="2" | {{cite web |title=2000 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Nominees |url=http://www.casa.org/cara2000n |website=The Contemporary A Cappella Society |access-date=13 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190614060526/http://www.casa.org/cara2000n |archive-date=14 June 2019 |url-status=unfit}}

|-

| Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement

| Jonathan Pilat

| {{nom}}

|-

| rowspan="2" | 2002

| rowspan="2" | Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards

| Best Mixed Collegiate Album

| Phonoshop

| {{nom}}

| {{cite web |title=2002 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Nominees |url=http://www.casa.org/cara2002n |website=The Contemporary A Cappella Society |access-date=13 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191027074611/http://www.casa.org/cara2002n |archive-date=27 October 2019 |url-status=unfit}}

|-

| Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement

| Jonathan Pilat for "We Are In Love"

| style="background: #F4F2B0" | {{Center|Runner-up}}

| {{cite web |title=2002 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Winners |url=http://www.casa.org/cara2002w |website=The Contemporary A Cappella Society |access-date=13 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190614230906/http://www.casa.org/cara2002w |archive-date=14 June 2019 |url-status=unfit}}

|-

| 2004

| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards

| Best Mixed Collegiate Song

| "Lady Marmalade" from Rock Beats Scissors

| style="background: #F4F2B0" | {{Center|Runner-up}}

| {{cite web |title=2004 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Winners |url=http://www.casa.org/cara2004w |website=The Contemporary A Cappella Society |access-date=13 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811050244/http://www.casa.org/cara2004w |archive-date=11 August 2019 |url-status=unfit}}

|-

| rowspan="2" | 2006

| rowspan="2" | Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards

| Best Mixed Collegiate Album

| Shadowplay

| {{nom}}

| rowspan="2" | {{cite web |title=2006 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Nominees |url=http://www.casa.org/cara2006n |website=The Contemporary A Cappella Society |access-date=13 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616210924/http://www.casa.org/cara2006n |archive-date=16 June 2019 |url-status=unfit}}

|-

| Best Mixed Collegiate Solo

| Bryan Tan for "The Memory Remains"

| {{nom}}

|-

| rowspan="4" | 2009

| rowspan="4" | Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards

| Best Mixed Collegiate Album

| Escape Velocity

| {{won}}

| rowspan="4" | {{cite web |title=2009 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Winners |url=http://www.casa.org/cara2009w |website=The Contemporary A Cappella Society |access-date=13 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190614071700/http://www.casa.org/cara2009w |archive-date=14 June 2019 |url-status=unfit}}

|-

| Best Mixed Collegiate Song

| "The Sound of Silence"

| {{won}}

|-

| rowspan="2" | Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement{{efn|name=fn1}}

| Charlie Forkish for "The Sound of Silence"

| {{won}}

|-

| Charlie Forkish for "Imagination"

| style="background: #F4F2B0" | {{Center|Runner-up}}

|-

| 2010

| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards

| Best Mixed Collegiate Song

| "Spiel Met Mir" from Sing Six: Sunny Side Up

| {{nom}}

| {{cite web |title=2010 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Nominees |url=http://www.casa.org/cara2010n |website=The Contemporary A Cappella Society |access-date=13 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618143942/http://www.casa.org/cara2010n |archive-date=18 June 2019 |url-status=unfit}}

|-

| rowspan="3" | 2014

| rowspan="3" | Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards

| Best Mixed Collegiate Album

| Midnight Hour

| {{nom}}

| rowspan="3" | {{cite web |title=2014 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Nominees |url=http://www.casa.org/cara2014n |website=The Contemporary A Cappella Society |access-date=13 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190911090431/https://www.casa.org/cara2014n |archive-date=11 September 2019 |url-status=unfit}}

|-

| Best Mixed Collegiate Song

| "Somebody to Love"

| {{nom}}

|-

| Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement

| Evan Smith for "Somebody to Love"

| {{nom}}

|-

| 2018

| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards

| Best Electronic / Experimental Album

| Fault of Imagination

| {{nom}}

| {{cite web |title=2018 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Nominees |url=https://www.casa.org/cara2018n |website=The Contemporary A Cappella Society |access-date=13 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190911112332/https://www.casa.org/cara2018n |archive-date=11 September 2019 |url-status=unfit}}

|-

| rowspan="3" | 2020

| rowspan="3" | Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards

| Best Rock Album

| Signal Lost

| {{won}}

| rowspan="1" | {{cite web |last=Chen |first=Jessica |title=2020 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards Results |date=5 April 2020

|url=https://casa.org/2020-contemporary-a-cappella-recording-awards-results/ |website=The Contemporary A Cappella Society |publisher=Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards |access-date=5 April 2020}}

|-

| Best Rock Song

| "Zombie" from Signal Lost

| {{nom}}

| rowspan="2" | {{cite web |last=Chen |first=Jessica |title=2020 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards Nominees |date=17 February 2020 |url=https://casa.org/2020-contemporary-a-cappella-recording-awards-nominees/ |website=The Contemporary A Cappella Society |publisher=Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards |access-date=17 February 2020}}

|-

| Best Mixed Collegiate Album

| Signal Lost

| {{nom}}

|-

| 2022

| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards

| Best Mixed Voices Collegiate Solo

| Mitchell Zimmerman for "Ever After" (Single)

| {{nom}}

| {{cite web |title=2022 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Nominees |url=https://casa.org/2022-contemporary-a-cappella-recording-awards-nominees |website=The Contemporary A Cappella Society |date=March 2022 |access-date=5 March 2022}}

|-

| 2022

| Best of College A Cappella

| Featured Single ‘Bad Liar’

| Single

| {{won}}

| {{cite web |title=2022 Best of College A Cappella 2022 Collection |url=https://varsityvocals.com/project/boca-2022/ |website = Best of College A Cappella |access-date=5 March 2022}}

{{end}}

{{notelist|refs=

{{efn|name=fn1|Charlie Forkish was named both the winner and the runner-up (against himself) for these two arrangements on Escape Velocity.}}

}}

= ICCA results =

The International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) first judged live a cappella performance competitions in 1996.

class="wikitable sortable"
Year

! Level

! Category

! Recipient(s)

! Result

! Points

! class=unsortable | Citation

1996

| West Region Semifinal

| Best Solo

| Zareen Poonen for "Change in My Life'

| {{Center|Runner-up}}

| {{Center|N/A}}

| {{Center|{{cite web |title=Results: Official Results for the ICCA, ICHSA, and The Open (1996) |date=1996 |location=University of California, Berkeley |publisher=Varsity Vocals |url=https://varsityvocals.com/results-page/?fwp_year=1996&fwp_type=icca |access-date=16 February 2020}}}}

2000

| West Region Quarterfinal #1

| Best Group

| Harmonics

| {{Center|2nd}}

| {{Center|—}}

| {{Center|{{cite web |title=Results: Official Results for the ICCA, ICHSA, and The Open (2000) |date=2000 |publisher=Varsity Vocals |location=University of California, Berkeley |url=https://varsityvocals.com/results-page/?fwp_year=2000&fwp_type=icca |access-date=16 February 2020}}}}

rowspan="2" | 2002

| rowspan="2" | West Region Quarterfinal #2

| Best Soloist

| Morgan Reed

| {{Center|Runner-up (tie)}}

| {{Center|N/A}}

| rowspan="2" | {{Center|{{cite web |title=Results: Official Results for the ICCA, ICHSA, and The Open (2002) |date=2002 |publisher=Varsity Vocals |location=Brigham Young University |url=https://varsityvocals.com/results-page/?fwp_year=2002&fwp_type=icca |access-date=16 February 2020}}}}

Best Arrangement

| Jon Pilat for "Lady Marmalade"

| {{Center|Runner-up (tie)}}

| {{Center|N/A}}

rowspan="2" | 2003

| rowspan="2" | West Region Quarterfinal #3

| Best Group

| Harmonics

| {{Center|3rd}}

| {{Center|—}}

| rowspan="2" | {{Center|{{cite web |title=Results: Official Results for the ICCA, ICHSA, and The Open (2003) |date=2003 |publisher=Varsity Vocals |location=University of California, Berkeley |url=https://varsityvocals.com/results-page/?fwp_year=2003&fwp_type=icca |access-date=16 February 2020}}}}

Best Arrangement

| Marcella White Campbell for "Porcelain"

| {{Center|Won}}

| {{Center|N/A}}

2004

| West Region Quarterfinal #1

| Outstanding Vocal Percussion

| Ben D'Angelo and Daniel Hobert

| {{Center|won}}

| {{Center|N/A}}

| {{Center|{{cite web |title=Results: Official Results for the ICCA, ICHSA, and The Open (2004) |date=2004 |publisher=Varsity Vocals |location=University of California, Berkeley |url=https://varsityvocals.com/results-page/?fwp_year=2004&fwp_type=icca |access-date=16 February 2020}}}}

2021

|West Region Quarterfinal #3

|Best Group

|Harmonics

|{{Center|3rd}}

|{{Center|312}}

|{{Center|{{Cite web|date=2021|title=Results: Official Results for the ICCA, ICHSA, and The Open (2021)|url=https://varsityvocals.com/results-page/|access-date=30 March 2021|website=Varsity Vocals|language=en-US}}}}

Notable members

{{More citations needed section|date=November 2019}}

  • Singer/songwriter Vienna Teng
  • Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA) President Julia Hoffman and Board Member Ariel Glassman
  • Hookslide singers Jon Pilat and George Hoffman
  • Former Skritch lead Bryan Tan
  • Icon Parthiv Krishna
  • Gautam Raghavan, Deputy Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office
  • Composer Joss Paxton Saltzman
  • Jade Nguyen

See also

{{Commons category|Stanford Harmonics}}

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • [http://www.stanfordharmonics.com Official Website]

{{Stanford University}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Collegiate a cappella groups

Harmonics