Saint Louis University’s Astha A Cappella group will host their annual fall concert “The FALLt in our Stars” this Friday, Nov. 21, at 8 p.m., in Tegeler Hall.
The co-ed, fusion a cappella group was formed on campus in 2006 and has since continued to make a name for itself at SLU, and in the music world, with one of their music mash-ups, “Pani Da Rang/Sleepyhead,” featured on iTunes. The group was recently awarded Best Arrangement for their mash-up of “Mitwa” and “Bigger Than My Body,” February, at the ICCA Quarterfinals. 
Astha President Shobha Sridhar spoke highly of the group, “One of the most incredible feelings is competing or performing on a stage in front of a huge crowd, after having worked so hard to get there. We are humbled and elated when we receive positive feedback from our audience, and that praise is what motivates us to do even better next time.” According to Sridhar, the group has been practicing daily, leading up the concert.
The a capella group has a unique sound featuring both Western and Eastern cultures. Astha prides itself in not being mainstream, and showcasing diversity. The fall concert will feature a variety of languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Tagalog (Filipino language) and Spanish. As for the manner of choosing which songs are featured at the concert, Sridhar mentioned the great amount of group discussion that occurs to make those important decisions.
Sridhar stressed one of the elements that adds to the success of the group is the bond that has formed within the group throughout the years. “We are constantly growing and challenging ourselves, and we never lose our passion for music or fun-loving attitudes. Each year the dynamic in the group is different, but we all share similar goals and are dedicated to the group,” Sridhar said.
Starting with only six members, the band increases in size significantly each year. New freshmen members to the “Astha family” this year are Melissa Danly, Meghan Pendyala and Ian Freed; Emma Vogt is a new sophomore member, and Killian Hollo and Khelan Naidoo are new senior members. Freed is the beat boxer of the group.
Concertgoers can also look forward to guest performances by SLU’s own Six Eight Christian A Cappella and Washington University’s The Stereotypes a cappella group. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door.
Further information regarding the event, and Astha, can be found via several social media portals, including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and their webpage, www.sluastha.org.
