Month: November 2019

Happy Halloweeners

No team works harder nor has more fun than Kansas City Kansas Community College’s volleyball team, particularly during practice on Halloween. Team members practicing included front row, from left, Nicole Almestica, Julianie Laboy, Michelle Dvorak, Adriana Velez and Natalia Vega Aponte; second row, McKenna Johnson, Allayah Stillwell, Malaysia StClair, Justice Davis, Madison Wright, Lauren Leavendusky, Gracie Golay, Cassidy Crist and Amilex Lopez. The Blue Devils enter the district playoffs at Coffeyville Saturday. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins}

KCKCC to hold m-pact Vocal Festival

by Kelly Rogge, KCKCC

Kansas City Kansas Community College will be the site of a November music festival by the Los Angeles based pop-jazz vocal group, m-pact.

The m-pact Vocal Festival is Nov. 14 and 15 at the KCKCC Performing Arts Center. A non-competitive festival, vocal jazz ensembles, contemporary a capella groups and other small choral ensembles have the opportunity to work hands-on with the award-winning group.

In addition to the master classes and workshops, m-pact will also perform in a concert with KCKCC’s “The Standard” Vocal Jazz Ensemble. This concert will be at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14 in the KCKCC Performing Arts Center. Tickets for the concert are $15 and can be purchased from the festival’s website, https://www.m-pact.com/event/2490902/481366624/m-pact-vocal-festival. Acaville Internet Radio, which offers a range of a cappella music through its streaming service, will be on site to stream the concert.

Described by the San Francisco Chronicle as “one of the best pop-jazz vocal groups in the world” m-pact is known for its sophisticated sound that has won the group Vocal Group of the Year at the L.A. Music Awards and an Indie nomination from the Independent Grammys.

The group has been named Grand National Champs of the Harmony Sweepstakes competition and has performed with artists such as Boyz II Men, Sheryl Crow, the Woody Herman Orchestra, the Maynard Ferguson Big Band and Natalie Cole, among many others. Their “signature sound” can also be heard in television theme songs as well as Disney feature films and on radio stations throughout the world.

Started in 1995, m-pact has made five full-length albums, three EP’s and several single releases and continue to receive rave reviews and multiple awards.

Billboard Magazine named them the “Best Unsigned Band” and in 2014, the group joined with New York a cappella powerhouse Duwende to produce “I Wish for All Time,” an a cappella tribute to Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. M-pact continues to thrill audiences with their innovative orchestrations and stage presence as well as their vocals as they work to stay true to the music they are performing.

For more information on the m-pact Vocal Festival, contact John Stafford II, associate professor of music at KCKCC and director of choral activities at 217-979-3094 or by email at [email protected].