UCF student and executive director of the Crescendudes Kent Miller did not have plans of joining an a cappella group when he first got to UCF.
It was the incessant urging of his friends and penchant for puns that drew him in.
“When I came to college so many of my friends kept on turning to me saying ‘Kent you sing a cappella and you love puns, so what better group than the Crescendudes?'” said Miller.
Since then, the Crescendudes have harmonized their way into participating in the International Collegiate Championship of A Cappella and releasing their first EP You Can Make the Fire.
“The title selection was actually a month-long process and it was several arguments on Facebook until we finally reached a decision,” said Miller. “We get it from the very last line of the very last song which is ‘The Gambler’ by Fun.”
Getting a group of sometimes over a dozen guys who also have college classes to perfectly harmonize is not something that comes easy, music director Michael Smith admits.
“Right now it’s flu and sickness season so there is a lot of bugs going around and it’s very rough on people’s voices,” Smith said. “It’s no big deal, they’re a great group of guys and they work really hard, there’s absolutely no doubt about that.”
This Friday’s show will be at 7 p.m. in the Mathematical Sciences building on campus, room 260 where they will be opening up for the all-female a cappella group Key Harmony.
The event is free to the public, but a $5 donation will be greatly appreciated from those who come to see the concert.
The group has thrived off of donations and performing special events, which led them to being able to record their first EP.
Carson Luter, business director of the Crescendudes said they are always willing to produce special song requests and perform at private events.
“We do a lot of gigs, corporate gigs, local business gigs, but we’re always for hire and do special commission songs so if you know anyone that wants a certain song performed a cappella contact us,” said Luter.
