Pitch Perfect changed the world in many ways. It opened the public to the art of acappella music and its lifestyle at many colleges across the world. The movie also had an influence on Paul Taylor, a senior now at the University of New Haven, inspiring him to create the first acappella club  at the university. The club is called Fully Charged, keeping up with the trend of titling the group after a pun, sexual innuendo, or school related theme. The group started officially in the fall of 2013, and is growing every semester.

Fully Charged has performed for events like Hope n’ Mic Night, SCOPE Beanhouse, winter and spring concerts, caroling at the VA hospital in West Haven, and many more, including a competition last semester. The group hopes to expand its presence on campus, as well as hopefully competing in the ICCA’s in the future.

Fully Charged is a mixed choir group that sings mainly popular music, both new and classic. This year, their selection includes “Shut Up and Dance,” an Ed Sheeran medley, “Love on Top,” a mashup of “What Do You Mean,” “One Last Time,” “Latch,” and many more. They’ve also sung songs like “Royals,” “Ring of Fire,” “Elastic Heart,” and more. Having students from all classes, majors, and backgrounds makes for a really diverse and interesting group where everyone has something to offer. Being a member for over a year now, I can say that it’s a great environment where we can succeed and have fun.

I asked some members of the group why the group was important to them. Senior and Fully Charged Alto Karina Irizarry responded, “Fully Charged has brought me an awesome family that can have fun and make music together.”

Freshman Emma Pendon said, “Fully Charged helped me to feel so loved and welcomed at UNH. At first, I was scared that I wouldn’t make a single friend. It turns out that I didn’t just make friends, I found a whole family. The music we perform together makes us stronger, and it personally makes me feel more confident.”

The group not only makes great music, but fosters a supportive and encouraging environment where people can feel comfortable.

As the group’s founder, Paul Taylor, says goodbye to UNH this December, he reflects back on why he created the group in the first place.

“I think the human voice is one of the most expressive instruments in existence, and when a group comes together musically in the right ways, it creates something astounding,” he said. “The importance of Fully Charged, to me, isn’t just what we have accomplished, but rather, who we have all become because of our time together.”

Fully Charged is tearing up the acappella scene at the University of New Haven, and will continue as the group grows every year. You can find the group on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for their latest updates and posts.