Off the Beat and Penn Masala hit high note

A cappella fans nationwide can now hear Penn’s singers’ beautiful music.

Off the Beat and Penn Masala, two campus a cappella groups, were featured in the “Best of College A Cappella” CD for 2010.

Hundreds of tracks were submitted to be showcased on an album. Only 20 tracks made the cut.

Off the Beat’s rendition of the song “Tyrant” by One Republic and Penn Masala’s fusion of “Lovestoned” by Justin Timberlake and “Ya Ali” by Zubeen will be featured on the CD.

Varsity Vocals, recognized as an authority on collegiate a cappella, produces the compilation annually.

“To have two groups from the same school featured in BOCA is a rare thing,” Larry Crane-Moscowitz, Off the Beat’s senior musical director, said. “It testifies to the strength of Penn’s artistic groups. It shows that Penn is an artistic place.”

Off the Beat started working on its album Evitative last April, according to Crane-Moscowitz.

They recorded the background for the song “Tyrant” in mid-May, and Crane-Moscowitz added his solo in the beginning of June.

This is not the first time Off the Beat has been featured on the “Best of College A Cappella” — Off the Beat contributes to the disc almost every year, said to Crane-Moscowitz.

He added that Off the Beat has received four nominations this year for the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards.

Penn Masala is also not a stranger to having its music featured on the BOCA album.

Although the group only produces one album every two years, this marks the third year that the group has been included on BOCA, according to senior music director of Penn Masala and Wharton senior Nikhil Marathe.

Not only have Masala’s fusion tracks been recognized by Varsity Vocals, but Marathe said that their music has been showcased twice in Sing Six, an album put out by another collegiate a cappella group.

Masala was recognized in this album for its song “Distant Places” — an original piece that the group composed itself.

Penn Masala is working toward doing more original tracks for its spring album, Marathe said.

Both Off the Beat and Penn Masala keep themselves busy with tour plans.

Masala did a tour of India in 2006 and is planning another tour in India this summer, according to Marathe.

This spring break, Off the Beat will be performing in Los Angeles for various high schools, middle schools and the Los Angeles Penn Club, Crane-Moscowitz said.

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