Rip_Chord hits
all the right notes Ashley Barnas/ Reporter
What do you get when you combine 16 guys with rich voices
and great senses of humor? Two words (and don’t forget
the underscore): Rip_Chord.
Elon junior and Rip_Chord vice president of programming
Justin Usle tried to get a male a cappella group off the
ground his freshman year but didn’t have much luck.
Joined last year by junior John Planisek and sophomore and
current Rip_Chord president Philip Zakas, Usles’s dream
was finally realized.
At the end of last year, the six officers of the group had
their name narrowed down to three strong choices, but this
year they needed to start over.
“It took us an hour naming things, all kinds of
things; serious, pathetic,” Zakas said.
“Indecision” jokingly became one of the choices
after their fruitless brainstorming sessions. And then,
“Rip_Chord” was written on the board. The guys
simply said: “no one hated it.”
In addition to the six officers, only ten of those who
auditioned were accepted into the group.
“They needed to be eclectic, so it would all blend
well,” Usle said.
“We have Jamie tracked at an E+,” Zakas joked,
speaking of freshman vice president of public relation, Jamie
Gorsuch, the highest tenor in the group. For those who are
musically challenged, E+ is Streisand-like.
Helped by Sweet Signatures (the all-female a cappella group
on campus) in the arranging process, Rip_Chord has not yet
used actual sheet music; they learn using chords written on
the board by freshman vice president of music Josh Newton.
Chemistry is instantly noticeable between the guys’
voices. The group harmonizes perfectly, and their soloists,
including Usle and Gorsuch, add emotion into the stories of
each song.
The members of Rip_Chord bring incredible charisma and
enthusiasm to their passion for singing. Holding three
rehearsals a week for two hours each, Rip_Chord plans on
performing at Elon benefits and concerts, doing some
off-campus performances, and eventually producing and selling
CDs.
Rip_Chord also plans to sing three songs at their first
performance on Oct. 7 at A Cappallooza.
“I want everyone to think we have a nice, rich
sound…the best group on campus,” Usle said.
Contact Ashley Barnas at pendulum@elon.edu or
278-7247 | 
