TAGdemic is our lighthearted working title for this album. As we had to deal with the new reality of living in a world in which singing can be considered a dangerous activity, this title added some levity to our otherwise dire situation. It is still mind boggling to think how fast our world changed. On March 6-8 we took a weekend trip to Atlanta where we finished second in the ICHSA South Semifinal and had an amazing time singing and bonding with groups from all over the south. That same weekend came the news that we had to abandon our Italy trip because Italy was a Covid hotspot and there was no assurance that it would be clear by July. We had no idea that in July, our own home would become a global hotspot. We talked about alternative travel plans and were still planning on recording our 13th album. On March 12th, we all left for spring break with no idea that we would never again be able to perform as a group. Spring break came to a close with the announcement that we would delay our return to school another week. That added week, became two weeks, and then the entire month of April and eventually the rest of the school year. Our group, which had become a close knit family after spending so much time together performing and fundraising for the Italy trip, suddenly became 22 people in separate houses unable to do what they loved to do.

We hoped that with all of the loss, we might still be able to salvage the album recording. As we entered May, things appeared to get a bit better. The governor started his reopening plans and there was hope. Amidst that hope, we made plans to record the album. It would be very different than any album recording session that we had ever seen, but we thought we wanted to make it work.

As soon as school (home school, that is) ended, recording started at an off school site where we could put in place all of the safeguards known at the time. Instead of most of the group sitting around listening, learning music and bonding, we had three students at a time and gallons of disinfectant. One mom even made TAG masks for the group. All of the precautions were worth it as, after almost three months, we got to sing again. Our very senior heavy group, 12 out of 22, could have just packed it in. They had lost so much - Prom, Grad Bash, award ceremonies, end of the year concerts, banquets, the trip of a lifetime, and even graduation, and yet they worked like crazy to learn 12 new songs, worked on solo auditions, and then spent seven days recording to produce something that could bring joy during a dark time for us.

Looking back, it seemed like the stars aligned and we found the perfect window of opportunity. It was just a few weeks later that the number of infected people in our home state and county started to skyrocket, turning our own backyard into a horrible Covid nightmare.

The title track, Six Feet Apart, is a heartbreaking song and seemed like the perfect name for this recording project. This album is once again filled with music that we like, which is our normal method of choosing songs. This time, however, the happy upbeat songs seem a little more joyful, while the emotional ballads seem to pull even harder on our heartstrings. During our Zoom sessions listening to the edits in August, there were tears of joy, tears of sadness and sometimes just tears on top of tears as we realized what we had been able to accomplish. The songs speak to us and the Tom Anderson arrangements not only challenged us, but elevated these songs. We hope that this album will also bring some joy to you in these challenging times.

The A Cappella Group
Ricky Bocanegra '21
Kayah Bonilla-Mas '23
Michael Cherbini '22
Jasmine Cosby '23
Andrew Darden '20
Amanda Johnson '21
Mady Ladd '20
Wedler Lordeus '20
Chloe Lowman '23
Anna Miller '20
Annalise Moeggenberg '20
Madison Owens '20
Prabh Saini '21
Keeley Sawyer '21
Makayla Sawyer '21
Isabella Sbarra Michelland '20
Samantha Strickland '20
Brooke Walsh '21
Darius Webb '20
Annie Vardanyan '20