{"id":13147,"date":"2014-10-22T09:09:35","date_gmt":"2014-10-22T15:09:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mymerrychristmas.com\/?p=13147"},"modified":"2014-10-22T09:09:35","modified_gmt":"2014-10-22T15:09:35","slug":"pentatonix-releases-thats-christmas-to-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mymerrychristmas.com\/x\/pentatonix-releases-thats-christmas-to-me\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentatonix Releases That’s Christmas to Me"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pentatonix had the surprising top video hit of 2013 with Little Drummer Boy<\/em> and they’ve followed up this year with the release this week of a new Christmas<\/a> album titled That’s Christmas<\/a> to Me<\/em>. Hear that song in preview here:<\/p>\n

[mp3j track=”http:\/\/mmc-220a5.kxcdn.com\/music14\/thatschristmastome.mp3″ title=”” volslider=”n” style=”bigger3″]<\/p>\n

The new album is available via the Pentatonix website<\/strong><\/a> or at Amazon.com<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n

The group, also known as PTX, started with Scott Hoying, a University of Southern California student who wanted to audition for the 2011 season of The Sing-Off<\/em>. He enlisted two high-school friends from Texas, Kirstie Maldonado and Mitch Grassi. As old YouTube videos show, they had a good sound. But for the TV show, they wanted something richer.<\/p>\n

In came Avi Kaplan. At California\u2019s Mount San Antonio College, he was an opera major but had also been singing a cappella since high school and had a growing reputation in the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had been asked to join a few groups for The Sing-Off,\u201d he said, \u201cand none of them really worked out for me. They just weren\u2019t my style. And then I was asked to join Scott\u2019s group. I looked at a video they had posted of the trio, and I was just blown away. They were something really special.\u201d<\/p>\n

The group then added Kevin \u201cK.O.\u201d Olusola, who brought not only vocal skills, but also a knack for \u201ccello-boxing,\u201d a combination of beatboxing and cello playing. What followed, Kaplan said, was a period of adjustment. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe actually all met each other the day before the auditions,\u201d Kaplan said. \u201cWe figured out what we were on the show. Once we really solidified that, once we really got more confident, and once we were able to see all the competition, I think we realized we could [win].\u201d<\/p>\n

Which they did. But the work did not end there. They are constantly checking out new songs, not always successfully. \u201cIn the past, we tried two Taylor Swift songs and neither of them worked,\u201d Kaplan said. Once they have decided on a song, \u201cUsually we pick the soloist first, figure out the key we want to do it in, and then we\u2019ll start with the bass and the beats and have the soloist sing over it. We\u2019ll just jam [the solo] over it, and try to pick the background parts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen once we pretty much know what the background parts are, we go back and try to figure out moments to make something special,\u201d he said. Rehearsals can be extensive, depending on the song, he said. \u201cThrift Shop took, like, two hours, where \u2018Evolution of Music\u2019 took two weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

We can likely expect several new videos this year from this new album and it starts with this one called White Winter Hymnal<\/em>:<\/p>\n