1.
Ithacappella FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ithaca College’s All Male A Cappella Ensemble
Contact: Jimmy Knowles
Cell Phone: 215-429-6448
Email: JimmyKnowles1@gmail.com
COLLEGIATE A CAPPELLA GROUPS GIVE BACK TO THE TREVOR PROJECT
It Gets Better: Ithacappella and Premium Blend of Ithaca College Release Their Take on Katy Perry’s
Firework; All Proceeds to Benefit The Trevor Project
ITHACA, N.Y. -- February 1, 2011 -- On Tuesday February 8, 2011, Ithacappella, Ithaca College’s all-
male a cappella ensemble, in collaboration with Premium Blend, Ithaca’s only all-female a cappella
ensemble, are set to release their cover of Katy Perry’s “Firework,” available exclusively on iTunes and at
www.Ithacappella.com. A portion of the proceeds from the track will go directly towards The Trevor
Project, a nationally recognized suicide prevention program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and
questioning (LGBTQ) youth.
The two groups premiered their take on the Katy Perry hit at their final concert of the semester this past
December, held on campus at Ithaca College. This song marked the first collaboration between the two
groups in several years. For the occasion, they chose to dedicate their performance, in response to the
reports of several young people who died by suicide, recently, to the It Gets Better Project. Initially
conceived as a grassroots campaign to let the youth of America know that life truly does get better, the
project has since expanded to include the likes of leaders, celebrities and personalities, including Kathy
Griffin, Ellen Degeneres, Neil Patrick Harris, and even the President of the United States.
Following the premiere of their collaboration, Ithacappella and Premium Blend took the song on tour in
early January of 2011, where the groups were able to perform and communicate its message through the
power of the song to over 20 high schools from up and down the East Coast, including Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, and Maryland. Along the way, Ithacappella met with the PS22
Chorus of Staten Island, NY, of YouTube fame, to perform “Firework.” This particular collaboration,
released on YouTube, garnered over 100,000 views in a little under a week, a feature story on a German
television network, and a spotlight feature on PerezHilton.com, along with feature stories on other blogs
and websites.
Since then, Ithacappella and Premium Blend have come together to work with Nick Girard and Alex
Green of Overboard Vocals, based out of Boston, Mass., to record their take on the Billboard smash. In
anticipation for the song’s February 8 release, the two parties have been working closely with The Trevor
Project and have agreed to donate a portion of the proceeds from the song directly towards The Trevor
Project.
About The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis intervention and suicide
prevention efforts among LGBTQ youth. Every day, The Trevor Project saves young lives through a free
and confidential lifeline, in-school workshops, educational materials, online resources and advocacy. For
more information, visit www.TheTrevorProject.org.
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2. Ithaca College Helps The Trevor Project
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About Ithacappella
Ithacappella, Ithaca College’s only all-male a cappella ensemble was originally founded in 1996 as the
Ithaca College Men’s Chorus. Since its inception, the group has grown from its choral roots to become
one of the premier male collegiate a cappella groups in the country. Along the way, the ensemble’s
repertoire has expanded to include everything from traditional barbershop tunes to current radio hits.
Recently, the group has received several awards and accolades including being named best male
ensemble in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella and taking home awards for best
soloist and vocal percussion. The group’s version of “Closer” (which appears on its most recent album,
“Breakdown!”) was selected for the Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) 2010
compilation CD. Ithacappella was also honored in 2007 to share the stage with Grammy-nominated rock
group Incubus to perform their hit “Dig” for thousands of fans at the KROQ Weenie Roast in Irvine, CA.
Along with recent stints on American Idol, featuring their exclusive a cappella performance of “Pants On
The Ground,” The Price Is Right, and CNN, the group continues to reach out to audiences all across the
nation. For more information, visit Ithacappella’s website at www.Ithacappella.com.
About Premium Blend
Premium Blend is Ithaca College’s only all-female a cappella group. Founded in 1998 as a larger
ensemble, the group is now comprised of 18 women dedicated to learning, performing and sharing the
beauty and fun of a cappella music with a wide variety of audiences. The group enjoys exploring many
different styles, incorporating rock, folk, choral and alternative music into their sets as well as current pop
hits off the radio. In addition to putting on four full-length concerts each year, Premium Blend performs
extensively around the Ithaca College campus and community, and each year conducts a tour to a new
location on the East Coast, working with high schools, middle schools and other college a cappella
groups. Over the years, the group has produced several albums, competed in the International
Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, and received a nomination for the Best Female Collegiate
Arrangement award from the Contemporary A Cappella Society for their version of “If You Could Only
See,” featured on their latest album, “Ten.”
To see videos of Premium Blend’s most recent performances, check out their YouTube page, at
www.youtube.com/ICPremiumBlend. For more information, contact the group at
ICPremiumBlend@gmail.com.
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Note to Journalist: If you would like more information on this topic, or would like to schedule an
interview, please contact Jimmy Knowles at JimmyKnowles1@gmail.com or by calling 215-429-6448.