Strength in Numbers: A Review of Collective Measures

Spanning genres from punk rock to classics like “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” Collective Measures reimagines the songs you know and love. Steady beatboxing, energetic clapping, and harmonies that crescendo into beautifully tense moments are all trademarks of the multi-talented a cappella group. The setlist for Saturday’s show included Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life,” John Denver’s “Country Roads,” and Elle King’s “Ex’s and Oh’s,” each of which featured a different solo singer whose vocal style was perfectly suited to the feel of the song. While one member soloed, the rest of the group provided a solid beat, dramatic sound effects as transitions, and lively choreography. As Collective Measures’ creative director, Ryan Ross, put it “With a capella, you’re creating your own version of a song, so it gives you the opportunity to not only sing, but to really tap into your creative outlet.” The creativity of their arrangements was apparent when watching them perform Devon Cole’s “W.I.T.C.H”, in which member Rob Katuska created a “pshhhh” sound to end the song with a bang. On “Ex’s and Oh’s,” the group goes almost silent in the last line of the pre-chorus, leaving soloist Emma Price’s voice to ring out alone, before bursting into full harmonies and catchy beats at the chorus. The arrangements ensure that every song is both uniquely theirs and highlights their individual strengths. 

The group places an emphasis on maintaining balance in a variety of forms. Collective Measures has a mixture of members who have been a part of it for all of its fifteen years (such as Ross himself), as well as new members. Ross appreciates that this “allows us to grow and challenge ourselves so that we’re always able to strive to be better,” noting that the older members provide a solid foundation while newer members provide a fresh perspective. The group not only makes an effort to incorporate different genres of songs, but also to reimagine songs with their own distinct arrangement style. Ross, who arranges some songs for the group, thinks of himself as a “storyteller,” so he focuses on how the audience will engage with the message he is trying to convey rather than something technical. However, other members focus on harmonies and chord progressions, and Ross appreciates these varying perspectives and styles. “Everyone has a different technique for their arrangement style,” he explained, “but I see it more as, ‘How can we support different people’s visions on things?’” The mutual support and balance within the group was perfectly encapsulated in their finale, a cover of OneRepublic’s “I Lived.” In this song, each member had a short solo, and it was easy to observe the camaraderie on stage that is so central to Collective Measures’ success.

As a post-collegiate group, all of the members have different jobs and responsibilities. Finding time to rehearse can be difficult, but they all find a way to make time for it. Ross believes that what keeps them together is “the connection of sharing a passion with people.” The love they share for singing motivates them on stage and is not lost on the audience — as they move along with the beat and exchange smiles, it’s impossible to miss that they are having fun. Their motto is “music is a blessing,” and although this is a saying amongst the group that helps them work through creative disagreements, they also imparted it upon the audience, who left both inspired and hopeful.

The Burren, 5/11/24