The questions answered here:

  1. What kind of music do you sing?
  2. What is a cappella music? Can you spell it "a capella", too?
  3. How often do you perform? Do you perform regularly at MIT?
  4. Where else do you perform?
  5. Do you do anything besides sing in your performances?
  6. How much do you rehearse?
  7. When do you rehearse?
  8. How many members are there?
  9. Wouid I need any vocal training in order to join?
  10. Would you like to see your question here? Then e-mail us and let us know!
What kind of music do you sing?
We sing a wide range of Christian a cappella music, from traditional hymns to jazz to upbeat rock. We sing pieces by artists & groups like Glad, dc Talk, Point of Grace, Steven Curtis Chapman, Jars of Clay, and others. Almost all of our songs are arranged by Cross Products members.

What is a cappella music? Can you spell it "a capella", too?
Although it has a somewhat involved definition, a cappella music has come to mean music that is performed with the voice only. And supposedly, "a capella" means "in your hair", so it is not really an alternate spelling. But it has been misspelled that way so frequently that most people have accepted it as a correct spelling.

How often do you perform? Do you perform regularly at MIT?
Once per term, we hold our home concert at MIT. We do other gigs periodically - gigs may be spaced a few weeks apart, a few days apart, or even a few hours apart, depending on where we are in the semester. Traditionally in the Fall, we and all the other a cappella groups on campus hold the Parent's Weekend A Cappella Concert, and in the Spring, collegiate Christian a cappella groups from all over the Northeast and beyond meet for a weekend get-together and concert, know as the Gospel Jam.

Where else do you perform?
We have performed at a large variety of locations, including nursing homes, churches, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, Christian retreats, events of local Christian students' fellowships and other Christian a cappella concerts at other schools, as a guest group.

Do you do anything besides sing in your performances?
We also do skits (with some kind of point, usually), and give introductions to some songs if some kind of background information would be helpful to the audience. In our own concerts, one of us will usually give a brief personal talk about some aspect of Christianity.

How much do you rehearse?
We generally schedule about six hours of rehearsal per week. In addition, we expect members to practice the music on their own, between rehearsals.

When do you rehearse?
We usually hold one rehearsal on a weeknight and one on a Saturday. The exact days and times are determined based on the constraints of members' schedules.

How many members are there?
We currently have thirteen members. Our numbers have ranged from as little as seven to as many as nineteen.

Wouid I need any vocal training in order to join?
Before joining the Cross Products, some of our members had no previous training (other than singing in the shower or singing in their car.) On the other hand, some had been members in a long list of singing groups and/or had taken voice lessons for a number of years. We do require an audition of prospective members, to test various aspects of their musical performance.

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The MIT Cross Products / crossproducts@mit.edu
Last updated: September 5, 2003