In my honest opinion, Center Grove fully deserved best vocals and the fact that they didn’t receive it was a bit baffling. This just further proves why so many groups avoid ISSMA regulated competitions...
Center Grove’s vocals were rlly good, but with saying that MZ had one of the best vocal performances they have had in recent years. It also shows what judges prefer as an good vocal sound. As Center Grove has more an operatic sound, compared to MZ who has more of an Pop/hiphop type of sound. In the end this comp brought some of the best singing groups from throughout the Midwest, and to see a group who is more known for their dancing to win the vocal caption is very impressive. Congratulations to all the groups who performed! I had a blast watching the wonderful live stream Fishers provided. Watching this stream made me realize how great this show choir szn really is! So many great groups from all over the country this year! Congratulations to all the groups once again, and good luck moving forward!!!
See I have to disagree. Mt.Zion was visually the best group there, no doubt about it. They have such a clean cut execution on their choreo that few groups can honestly match. When it comes to vocals, however, this was far from their “best”. There were multiple instances of individual voices sticking out, poor breath support, and overall just not as good as some of the other groups there. After sleeping on it, either CG or Mt.Zion could have taken the win here. I just feel that in order to justify their win, they were also awarded the vocal caption, which was unnecessary because they were nearly impeccable visually
Mt. Zion has won plenty of competitions with simply visuals; this was a tough competition that led to a close decision. Judges don’t need to “justify” a group winning.
I wouldn’t label Mt.Zion has having a “hip hop” sound. Also there are many groups who execute that style much better. Glenwood, North Central, Cloverhill, even Decatur just to name a few. I don’t mean to discredit anyone for their win, because it was completely deserved. The vocal caption was not.
center grove is known for their more operatic sound, which although impressive, should not automatically be considered as superior to the groups that excel in the more pop/hip hop sounds. each sound can have opportunities for added style and dynamics!
CG has gotten by without actually doing much of anything. They weren’t the best vocally. U also have to take into account the arrangement AND the choreo their doing while also singing. It’s very nuanced.
I will credit Mt. Zion for singing the best they have in a long time. I also agree Center Grove has better vocals. It's not just that the operatic sound means you automatically win, it's that they execute the operatic sound so well and it's one of if not the hardest style to sing.
