VoicePlay's lineup is complicated. You are correct in that they are currently only 4 members, and all are present in this video. Geoff Castellucci (bass, and the arranger of this piece, and the director/editor of this video) and Layne Stein (vocal percussion, occasional baritone, also does arrangements and videos, as well as other things I'll let surprise you) are both original members, from back in 1997. Eli Jacobson, the bald rock tenor (and also the guy who did the lighting in the video, and recently has begun providing arrangements and more video work as well) has been with them for over 10 years. Cesar De La Rosa is the breathy baritenor with amazing hair and sass for days, and he's the newest member of the group. He replaced J. None (buttery smooth baritone) who left to sing with the US Navy. J. None himself replaced Tony Wakim as the group's baritone when Tony and Layne started Pattycake Productions, a video production company where VoicePlay now shoot a lot of their videos. Earl Elkins Jr., another original member of the group and a high tenor with a surprisingly laser-like focus in his voice, left the group for personal reasons in 2020, and since that time VoicePlay has relied on guest vocalists to fill out their ranks. It seems to work well for them; they have many very talented friends and associates, and they always manage to sound as though they had been singing together for years. Rachel Potter has featured with them so often that she's pretty much an honorary member, and while J. None technically left the group, he also kind of hasn't since he features with them as often as he's able to make it to Orlando. And Kathy Castellucci, Geoff's wife, is the group's production manager, and she's the backstage hero. This group is practically a family, in case you hadn't picked up on that just through this description, and they are all genuinely lovely people. It's part of why their fans adore them. (there were many other changes in their lineup in the years before they came to RUclips, but I don't claim to know all of those members or which order they came in. Check out Huldra Draco's youtube channel for more information- she knows all!) They are not attached to any label, so everything you see and hear from VoicePlay is going to be something they created from the ground up. It's incredible that a group can be nearly 100% fan-funded, and compete both vocally and in video with signed groups like Pentatonix and Home Free. It's just very unfortunate that they don't get nearly enough recognition for their immense talents. But all that said, please do dive into their catalog! You will have absolutely the best time, and once you've had some fun there be sure and hop over to Geoff Castellucci's solo page and see what he can do on his own. It will blow your mind.
@@remiavard7709 To be fair, Cesar's range doesn't match either Earl's or Tony's; when I say he replaced J. None, I mean that J was the last one to leave prior to Cesar joining the group. I don't think that anyone has been a one-for-one exchange. FWIW, Tony wasn't an original member either, just one of the first ones appearing on RUclips. There have been a whole lot of people in VoicePlay/4:2:Five over the years. Huldra Draco has a fantastic video detailing everyone who has ever been in the group on her channel.
@@CynicalTesuji You could say that Earl was replaced by Eli, since in my view Eli's tenor has really blossomed since Earl's departure. Cesar has replaced J.None in the sense that Cesar is a baritone who can also access a tenor range. I think VP keeps its fifth slot open for J.None to return when he's done with his stint in the military.
Welcome to the Voiceplay rabbit hole. The fact they are independent gives them more freedom in choosing songs. They cover such a wide variety of styles. Want more sailor songs, check out drunken sailor, but watch through to the end for some extra goodies. Like Viking songs, their covers of My Mother Told Me and Valhalla Calling are great. Into gaming, try their versions of Halo (another one to watch till the end) or The Dragonborn Comes. Want something really off the wall, a capella with no words, try Hall of the Mountain King or Classical Chaos. What ever you choose, enjoy the ride down this rabbit hole.
This is the video that famously made one reactor jump up out of his chair and walk out, forgetting he was in his underwear. 😆 All the current members are in this video, plus guest artist 'Captain' Jose Rosario Jr. They have a whole constellation of amazing artists who drop in with greater or lesser frequency to fill their fifth position--some other general favorites are Deejay Young, Omar Cardona, Rachel Potter, Anthony Gargiula, Ashley Diane, and J.None, Scott Porter and Mykal Kilgore--those last three are all former members of the group. You literally won't find a bad piece of music in their catalog, but some of the other highlights are Nothing Else Matters, Valhalla Calling, Creep, The Way You Make Me Feel, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, and Seven Nation Army. Queen in Five Minutes, the Moana Medley, Don't Stop Believin' and Man in the Mirror are favorites of mine featuring previous VP lineups. I bet you'd also love their Classical Chaos medley and its prequel, In The Hall of the Mountain King. Also, if you love bass, Geoff 'The Human Subwoofer' Castellucci has a five-octave range and an entire solo channel filled with songs in which he covers multiple parts, often 'cloning' himself on-screen and sometimes elaborately costumed. Liked and subscribed, looking forward to more!
Oooooh - you're going to love this VP rollercoaster! Widest genre range, independent and never ever disappoints! They currently have 4 permanent members and always get a guest artist in - which switches things up and keep it very interesting. Hoping to hear more? Thank you for the reaction! ⚘️🕊
Voiceplay is by far my favorite acapella group. I am so glad you are finally getting to react to them! Great reaction. They have amazing covers. I can't wait to see more reactions of their covers. The bass, Geoff Castellucci (Jeff Casta-loo-chee), has a solo channel where he does all the parts. He has an incredible range. You definitely need to check his stuff out as well. both on Geoff's channel and Voiceplays, they do all their own arranging, videography, editing, costuming, etc. They do hire a steady cam operator and makeup artist when they need to. Check the video description to see who did the arranging and other stuff. Hope to see more on your channel.
You should hear. Valhala calling, Oogie boogie son, dream on, seven nation army, wellerman, we don’t talk about Bruno, …they are 4 now, Eli, Geoff, Layne and Cesar and they have a lot of guests…. I love them…. We almost forget there are no instruments, just their voices….❤❤❤❤❤❤
VP is my favorite acapella group. The remaining founding members have been singing together for 20+ years. They're solid and so talented it's insane. Check out their cover of "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica....it will blow your mind.
You’re in for a treat with Voice Play. As far as harmonies Hoist the Colors is my favorite. They do A-1 in every cover plus you get a bit of a stage show with most of their songs. They’re the best and they do it with our record label funding about one a month. The bass Geoff, does his own covers in between. The four extremely talented members bring in one other very talented person to sing with them each month. They have their favorites and a lot of times it’s previous members. Voice Play is just perfection.
I think you would greatly appreciate the adventures of their "characters" they've named "Grundels" : start with their first appearance in "In the Hall of the Mountain King ", and then it's sequel, "Classical Chaos". (Both are Layne arrangements.) For a mind-boggling one, I'd also add their cover of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters". Also note, their bass, Geoff, has become a master of a technique known as subharmonics. It allows him to sing lower than his natural chest range, which in and of itself is beyond impressive (see their cover of "Whiskey in the Jar" or Geoff's solo cover of "Folsom Prison Blues" for jaw dropping lows in chest voice).
Geoff Castellucci, the bass, also has his own channel. You have to checkout his cover of sound of silence and his hobbit songs (misty mountains, I see fire, and song of durin)
I watch/listen to every cover VoicePlay puts out. They are my favorite acapella group; known as the "theater kids". And Geoff (Jeff) has his own channel where he sings solo (usually with layered tracks). Both are independent and aren't sponsored by the music industry. Hence, they can choose whatever they want to cover; and they choose almost every genre. Since they're from the Orlando area, they cover many Disney songs/medleys. These days, they've enjoyed just having four men and incorporate a fifth member (male/female), depending on the song they cover. They're also known as the kings of Halloween. Geoff does an excellent Jack Skeleton in "Jack's Lament" from the Nightmare before Christmas. And, VP did the "Oogie Boogie" song from that same movie. Enjoy this large rabbit hole you've entered.
Yeah, it’s always said they’re an award-winning QUINTET, even though they’ve only had four regular members for the last couple years. I think they’re saving a spot for J None to come back (you’ll meet him-he’s in a LOT of their videos as a guest even tho he’s singing for the Navy these days). Anyway, I’m glad you’re checking these guys out. Basically just point and click-there are no bad songs by this group. Have fun!!
You can't watch that and not get shivers. Pick a genre. Any genre. You'll be happy. Think of Pentatonix as the student council, Home Free as the guys having the tailgate at Homecoming, and Voiceplay as the theatre kids.
We'll, I'm late to the party so won't repeat all that you've heard. In addition to being incredibly gifted musicians they are genuinely nice people. They used to your extensively until COVID shut the world down. I'm fact they were on one of the cruise ships that sat offshore for weeks before it was allowed to dock. Since they couldn't your, they upped their studio work which was already impressive. They have chosen not to go back on the road. Geoff, Layne, and Eli are married with children and love being home. They have done a few private corporate gigs and appeared in concert with Chicago last year. Subscribed in anticipation of more Voiceplay and Geoff.
Voiceplay are considered the "Theater kids" of acapella. They have an extensive catalog of music from pop and rock to classical. They love Halloween songs and have a bunch of great ones. They also have a bunch of Disney stuff. Some of the members come and go, like J None, a fabulous tenor who is in the US Navy right now. He sings with them when he's on leave. They also bring in some fabulous ladies to help with some stuff. I'm sure other commenters can give you all the background of the group. I just love anything they do. Enjoy this rabbit hole!
#TheatreKidsOfAcapella. They cover everything from Metallica to Disney and more. The bass Geoff Castellucci has his own channel and does low bass covers and clones himself to sing all the parts. He has an amazing vocal range.
My best advice is to find songs or medleys you already love and watch those. Voiceplay always brings something new and exciting to their covers both musically and visually
Their bass, Geoff (pronounced Jeff) Castellucci, also has his own solo channel that’s well worth checking out. I couldn’t tell if you noticed, but the second time he did “Never shall you die,” he slid from that low note up higher, showing some of his 5-octave range. When he hit that first low note on “die” and you said “You never know which one it’s going to be,” it reminded me of when I shared his solo cover of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” with my ex. She’s deaf, but also a lifelong diehard John Denver fan. Her response was “Where’s all that bass coming from in that skinny dude?!”
VoicePlay's initial members in 2012 (there even was a predecessor group): - Geoff Castellucci (Bass) - Layne Stein (Baritone, Beatbox) - Elizer (Eli) Jacobson ((Rock-)Tenor) - Earl Elkins (Tenor) - Tony Wakim (Baritone) - 12/2016 Tony left VoicePlay (still running Pattycake Productions with Layne, the studio where VoicePlay's and some of Geoff's videos and a lot of genuine videos are produced) - 03/2018 J.None (Baritone) joined - 06/2020 Earl left - 05/2021 J.None (temporary?) left for an engagement in the US-Navy - 07/2021 Cesar de la Rosa (Baritone) joined So the current members (beside featured singers) are - Geoff Castellucci (Bass) - Layne Stein (Baritone, Beatbox) - Elizer (Eli) Jacobson ((Rock-)Tenor) (the bald guy) - Cesar de la Rosa (Baritone) Most arrangements are done by Layne or Geoff (in most cases mentioned in the description). To continue your VoicePlay expericence, you may want to watch OOGIE BOOGIE'S SONG | The Nightmare Before Christmas ruclips.net/video/EbxkOntz2SA/видео.html or Valhalla Calling | Miracle Of Sound ruclips.net/video/mI8hPSSZSL4/видео.html but there are much more. My other personal favorites (in chronological order): Grim Grinning Ghosts ruclips.net/video/B5TYZ8GqZbU/видео.html This Is Halloween | The Nightmare Before Christmas ruclips.net/video/YL44YFyNLys/видео.html QUEEN IN 5 MIN ruclips.net/video/krcU5xmlzqA/видео.html Warriers | Imagine Dragons ruclips.net/video/DNh6_XubM2A/видео.html ACA TOP 10 MOVIE THEMES ruclips.net/video/GC0AQmapnUQ/видео.html KIDNAP THE SANDY CLAWS | The Nightmare Before Christmas ruclips.net/video/P8STSy-S5UA/видео.html YOU'RE A MEAN ONE MR. GRINCH ruclips.net/video/8fbJ03HhgIU/видео.html My Mother Told Me | Vikings ruclips.net/video/bs4ZJpWJh_Q/видео.html Friends On The Other Side | The Princess And The Frog ruclips.net/video/POTbOgMLrUE/видео.html The Dragonborn Comes | Skyrim ruclips.net/video/6ys4Q1PO5ek/видео.html We Don't Talk About Bruno | Encanto ruclips.net/video/5vOjk2H_g9k/видео.html Enemy | Imagine Dragons (Arcane League Of Legends) ruclips.net/video/yR7caU0R__E/видео.html In The Hall Of The Mountain King ruclips.net/video/Y2a5v26q1AM/видео.html Hide and Seek (Ding Dong!) ruclips.net/video/KkN49k4EtT4/видео.html The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) ruclips.net/video/f2J7aKAE07Q/видео.html Nothing Else Matters | Metallica ruclips.net/video/f31q5KdfLnM/видео.html Seven Nation Army | The White Stripes ruclips.net/video/B4xjwkoQ8Uk/видео.html Wellerman ruclips.net/video/J4YznRtXlE0/видео.html Drunken Sailor ruclips.net/video/oNpanA0VIz4/видео.html Hellfire | The Hunchback of Notre Dame ruclips.net/video/bVbetHB815E/видео.html Time warp | Rocky Horror Picture Show ruclips.net/video/V0Eun9OgK_I/видео.html Jingle Bell Rock - Mean Girls ruclips.net/video/SAn83-y2MuE/видео.html The Lyon Sleeps Tonight ruclips.net/video/lZh3D1ndNKY/видео.html Sleeping In The Cold Below | WARFRAME ruclips.net/video/Dq6kwimqlZ0/видео.html Classical Chaos ruclips.net/video/RxvbwvJrzQw/видео.html I wish you a lot of fun with them.
This was the first thing I ever heard by VoicePlay. They are an independent group so they get to decide what to do, how they want it, etc. Geoff (bass) and Layne (now he's the beatboxer, he was the baritone) are the remaining 2 from middle school and high school. At that time the name was 4theLove (4 people and Earl and Mykal were the 2 tenors who were in the group making the 4 original members). In 1997, they got a beatboxer, Scott Porter, and changed the name to cover 5 people 4:2:Five. They toured had a good time and then Scott wanted to get into acting and Mykal went to Broadway and they both have successful careers. Layne really wanted to do beatboxing so Geoff taught him what he knew and Layne ran with it and is one of the best beatboxers around. Shortly before being on The Sing-Off show in 2014 they changed the name once more to VoicePlay. They went through some new members, one is Eli (bald tenor in this) who came on in 2010, got a baritone by the name of Tony Wakim who sang for a few years with them but wanted to get into productions. Layne and Tony bought a studio where VoicePlay and Geoff solos are often done. They were then down a baritone and J None became a member 2018 or so. Earl (original tenor) left the group in 2020 for personal reasons. J None was being heavily recruited by the US Navy and he is currently singing with their chorus for 5 yrs. His first base was in the Pacific Northwest which made it tricky to get back to sing although he did it, see him in VoicePlay's Friends On The Other Side after boot camp and shortly thereafter he was in Valhalla Calling with them. He comes as often as he can get away. VoicePlay did Thriller for their Halloween treat w/J None, and in Be Prepared with Mykal! Earl was with them a long time and one of his best with VP is Queen in 5 Minutes. But at that point, VoicePlay was short 2 people, opted for Cesar (shackles guy) who has a strong baritone and tenor range. His audition is We're Good (Dua Lipa) and it's a small wonder they snapped him up. VoicePlay members have performed at Disney and Universal so they have great contacts to call on when they need or want a specific voice for their latest video. It works.
Voiceplay are completely independent and make their arrangements, videos, lights, own prop and make up group. Really just browse their videos and pick one you are drawn to. They are elite on anything theater, game song, or halloween themed.
Ah! You found my favorite music group! VoicePlay is the best in my opinion. I look forward to seeing you react to more of their videos. I hope you enjoy the Rabbit Hole as muxh as I have.
Fun reaction! Welcome to the VP rabbit hole--we love new listeners and friends. Yes, look them up, learn about them, come on in and enjoy every single moment. :).
Oh, yay!! I remember commenting on a video that I would love to see you react to them. They are my favorite group by far!! I saw someone else give a lot of info on the group but as far as recommendations you can’t go wrong with them so I would just pick what you are interested in listening to and you will love it! 😅❤
There are four main singers now. Earl left above three years ago and J.None joined the navy so now they feature different Guest singers per song. They do a various of songs because they are completely independent. No label. The bass has his solo channel also...since civic they do videos mostly. They did Nothing else matters and Chicago saw it and invited them to performs with them in Atlantic City in November 2023.... Welcome to my favorite!
Another a cappella group to try is Home Free. Since it's getting on towards Christmas time their rendition of "Angels We Have Heard On High", "Amazing Grace", and "How Great Thou Art. Also original Christmas songs "Full of Cheer", "Snow Globe", and my favorite "Cold Hard Cash". Happy Holidays.
Welcome, new Voiceplayer. You have set yourself on quite the musical journey. " Hoist the Colour's " is a fairly safe and tame introduction to " the theater kids of accapela ". My recommendation would be for you to follow up with the dual dualology of " My Mother Told Me " and " Valhalla Calling ". Both semi sea related, both costume involved, and though they have different guest artists tell a cohesive story when you watch/listen to them together. Not Voiceplay's first foray into musical story telling, but fun and more recent than other offerings. No matter what you choose to react to next from this group you simply can't miss, though.
Welcome to the Voiceplay rabbithole! The entire group is insanely talented. The make up right now is Layne the beatboxer (front left), Geoff the Bass (front right) and on the back row from left to right you had Cesar (Baritone), Jose (featured artist) and Eli (resident rock god). Geoff also has a solo channel and his range is insane! I would recommend Oogie Boogie next but also his solo channel is a rabbithole on it's own. You're in for a wild ride with both :D (I subscribed)
Oh this is going to be so much fun watching you go down this rabbit hole. And the base of the group (geoff castellucci) has his own channel and does his own solo work as well that you really need to hop on. To be honest, you'd be safe choosing anything because every one of their pieces is gold. Seeing as it's getting close to holiday season I would probably recommend You're a Mean One Mister Grinch, Christmas don't be late, the Frozen medley, and Oh Holy Night. And the bass singer released an absolutely epic version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Got to say it's my all-time favorite version of that song. Welcome to the rabbit hole. Have a nice fall
I hesitate to say this to an opera singer, but it’s always been my feeling that this is sort of like a mini opera. They’ve got pageantry, great music and a storyline. For years this was my favorite and it’s currently tied as number two. A very very close second. I think you’re the first reactor I have seen that caught on to the shackles! They will occasionally bring in something like that but it’s always shown on screen. You also noted one of my favorite parts visually when Jose lifts the sword into the air. This was finally knocked out of my number one favorite spot by their cover of MJ’s The Way You Make Me Feel. They have slowed it down a bit and made it kind of bluesy and jazzy. Very sexy. Most recently they covered a song they used to sing in the old days in front of pizza parlors and on street corners. One of their original members from high school join them , Mykal Kilgore. They released Stand by Me most recently. They do a lot of shorts, a minute or so long, and they usually film those in a vertical format and have been using an iPhone to record the video in the shopping mall where PattyCake Productions is located. (That is the production company that the boxer and one of their prior baritone co-own and many of their videos are shot there.) They wanted to give Mykal the whole video-in-the-mall experience so their most recent video was filmed in that format. It’s not getting a lot of coverage and I think it’s because people think it’s just a short but it is definitely worth it. Mykal has an absolutely astounding voice. He left the group to pursue a career on Broadway and has been very successful and has a Grammy nomination to his name. You remarked it’s never the person you think it is. Earl, who was the incredibly high tenor, was a pretty big guy and it always surprised everybody that tall lanky Geoff was the bass and big burly Earl was the high tenor😂. Liked and subbed and hoping you’re going to continue down this rabbit hole.
Current members: bottom left Layne Stein, baritone and beatboxer, bottom right Geoff (sounds like Jeff) Castelucci, basso profundo extraordinaire, top left Cesar De La Rosa, baritone/tenor (with a whistle range!) top right rock god tenor Eliezer (goes by Eli, rhymes with jelly) Jacobson. Top center was featured guest Jose Rosario Jr, who stepped in last minute on this one to replace another guest who couldn't make it, but sang Jose sang Cesar's part and Cesar sang what he was supposed to sing so at the last moment everything was jumbled up and they were still able to produce this! Each one of these guys and all of their guests have all done such stellar work! Geoff and Layne have done the lion's share of arrangements, but Eli has done several recently and I think even Cesar is keen to get in and try his hand at it. I highly recommend The Dragonborn Comes, Valhalla Calling, My Mother Told Me, and Drunken Sailor if you like this genre. For some edgier stuff, Black Hole Sun, Seven Nation Army, Warriors, Enemy. They are great with Disney stuff - Be Prepared, We Don't Talk About Bruno, Hellfire, Moana, Little Mermaid, I Can Go the Distance, I Got Friends on the Other Side. I love their treatment of "classic" Rock tunes like Dream On, Carry On Wayward Son, even pop covers like MJ's The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror, Thriller (for this past Halloween) and even some boy band stuff like Butter and Bang. Also their Halo cover is amazing, and Classical Chaos is a hoot! And that's barely scratching the surface of their videography! Welcome to the fan club!😀
Welcome to VoicePlay, the Theater Kids of the Acapella Trinity Groups of RUclips, along with Pentatonix, the most commercially known and Home Free, the Country Boys (though they do other stuff really well too. This song really amazed reactors when it came out. One reactor got so excited he jumped out of his chair from behind his desk...forgetting he only had boxers on. Qofy is his name. It was hilarious. If you're interested, I can give you some info on VoicePlay and tips for optimum viewing of their videos. Also, another acapella artist, Peter Hollens is worth checking out too. This particular song, I have listened to close to a million times. I'm not kidding! According to Spotify last year, at the end of November, I'd listened to it over 400,500 time, January through November. And I've listened to it just as much this year. I sleep to it, you see. It makes me feel like I'm being gently rocked. The kicker is, it's my third place VoicePlay song, after Thriller and Valhalla Calling. But those don't have a beat you can sleep to. Those are my recommendations, though you really can't go wrong wit VoicePlay, with any member line up.💜
I would recommend everything by Voiceplay. Oogie Boogie is usually a jumping off point. Geoff, the bass, has his own channel and I would recommend everything there also.
Welcome to the wonderful world of VoicePlay. The are my favorite of the acapella groups. I have subscribed to hopefully see more VoicePlay reactions and hopefully Geoff Castellucci (the bass, has his own channel) reactions. VoicePlay are known as the theater kids of acapella. T For VoicePlay, I would recommend: "The Drunken Sailor", "Valhalla Calling" (my favorite), "The Dragonborn Comes", "Be Prepared", "Hellfire", "Oogie Boogie Song", "Nothing Else Matters", "Thriller", "Stand by Me" & "Dream On". For Geoff Castellucci, I would recommend: "The LOTR/Hobbit trilogy ("Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold", "I See Fire" & "Song of Durin"), "16-Tons", "Unshaken" & "Jack's Lament". Goeff will clone himself in the videos, so it is all him singing the parts. He has an amazing 5-octave range. Welcome to the rabbit hole. No matter what you choose you won't go wrong. Enjoy.
Yes the same guy did those crazy deep notes and the climb into almost a rock tenor type tone. I think they said he slid up four octaves or so at that bit.
Welcome to the VoicePlay rabbit hole! There is SO MUCH good music here - you really can't go wrong with anything they've done. I don't have much to add to what others have said, just want to let you know that I'll be here for your VoicePlay (and hopefully Geoff's solo channel?) journey!
As others have said, currently they have a core of 4 people, likely keeping the 5th permanent position for J.None while he serves in Navy (but often sings with them as featured anyway). If you want to see most of vocalists they included in the past or have collaborated with over the years, watch their Just Sing (don't forget to have CC on while doing that)
Since VoicePlay (or the group of people whose name eventually morphed into VoicePlay) started out right out of high school back in 1997, a few personnel changes are to be expected. All 4 current members of the group are in this video, with the featured artist Jose Rosario Jr. taking taking the top center position. Layne Stein (beatboxer/baritone) and Geoff Castellucci (bass) are the two remaining original/founding members of the group, taking the front row (as is fairly normal for a beatboxer/bass combination in a smaller a cappella group). Top left is Cesar de la Rosa, the newest member, and top right is Eli (short for Eliezer, so pronounced to rhyme with jelly) Jacobson, who has been with the group for well over 10 years now. This particular video has a rather complicated history. The original guest artist (Anthony Gargiula, who has appeared in several videos with VoicePlay) was unable to make the filming due to COVID travel restrictions at the time. Jose Rosario Jr., who is located in Tampa, FL (VoicePlay is based in Orlando) was able to step in and help out the filming and recording, but his voice is very different from Anthony's, who had already recorded his part. So Eli stepped in and re-recorded the part that Anthony originally had recorded, and Jose re-recorded the part that Eli had originally recorded. While Eli's and Anthony's voices aren't exactly the same, they are much closer than Anthony's and Jose's, so the arrangement only had to be tweaked a little bit. Jose has also appeared in a number of VoicePlay videos, so working with him wasn't new, but in this case the "featured" artist didn't have the spotlight that they would normally have in a VoicePlay video - VP is very good about actually featuring their "feature artist". But being able to get the recording and video out on schedule was a huge help to VoicePlay, and Jose has appeared in several videos since this one. I'm sure others will give you all kinds of recommendations for more VoicePlay videos; I'll just say that they've truly earned the nickname "the theater kids of a cappella", and I very much doubt you'll be disappointed in whatever you listen to next!
Okay, others have told you about the different members of the group, so I will just join them in saying welcome to the rabbit hole! You are in for such a fun ride.😊 And I am here for it - subscribed to watch more. If you want a song that is just straight up goodness, wholesomeness, I don't even know what more to say about it except that it's wonderful, check out their most recent release which is a cover of Stand By Me featuring Mykal (Michael) Kilgore who was an original member of the group back in 1997-98. Yes, they've been around that long. An older song of theirs that fits into the category of wholesomeness is their cover of Daddy Sang Bass. Would love to see you react to both of those. That one has a slightly different lineup- it includes Layne and Geoff, the two guys in the front row of this video, and Eli (Ellie) the bald guy behind Geoff. But then it also has Earl who was their high tenor, and who was also an original member of the group, and J.None, who was their baritone until he left to sing for the Navy.
Many of VPs videos turn out to be duos and trilogies. The follow-up to this one is Drunken Sailor, which features Jose Rosario again, with a fun appearance by former member and long-time buddy William Buckner as the drunk sailor. (Bucky choreographed Geoff's solo video of Monster Mash.) Another fun pair is My Mother Told Me, a Viking song with guest Jose, and J.None when he was a full time member, and Valhalla Calling, which has newest member Cesar (playing the shackle here), and J.None on leave from the Navy as a featured guest. They filmed VC the day before J's wedding. If you want to get apocalyptic, try Warriors, then Dream On, and Seven Nation Army. This trilogy will show several different members, featured guests, and unexpected talents. 😊
Oh, you'll have a field day exploring the Voiceplay and Geoff's own back catalogue. For another acapella take, Van Canto (despite being quiet for a while) step things up - take the lead vocalists from 4x metal bands, give them a drummer because few beatboxers can last more than a song, and then let them loose on metal/rock/medieval inspired folk tracks. To Sing A Metal Song, Kings Of Metal, and Last Night Of The Kings are good introductions
Welcome to the best a cappella rabbit hole on the Tube, at least IMHO 😅. Others already gave you lots of informations. I'd just add that 'til now there's NEVER been a single cover by them that didn't leave me speechless. 🙂 One of the things that I like about them is their self irony and sense of humour. Watch their, and I quote, "ridiculous version" of "Drunken Sailor" for proof... Or "We don't talk about Bruno!" from Disney's "Encanto". Or "Christmas don't be late (the Chipmunks song)". Or any of their Halloween releases (BTW, they - and Geoff - just OWN Halloween 😅), and many of their "normal" ones, if that word still has meaning with them 😁. As other said, Geoff has his own channel, which he started when the pandemic shut down pretty much everything. He doesn't pure "a cappella" there (he says that if he wants to do a cappella, he does it with Voiceplay, and it makes all the sense in the world), but he almost always clones himself into other 3 or 4 "parallel Geoffs", who even have NAMES mostly taken from the mis-spelling of his name so many people does. He's got an awesome range and uses it all beautifully. I love both Voiceplay and "solo Geoff". Just subscribed in anticipation for more VP and maybe some solo Geoff. 🙂 See you next time! PS: this video of yours doesn't appear in my usual search for VP reaction videos. Don't know why though. 🤔
Check out Home Free as well, Tim Foust is their bass and they are all friends, Tim has a 5 octave range as well....start with Man of Constant Sorrow, then check out the Sea Shanty Medley and Skull and Bones. Also, 2 of the member of Home Free tried their hand at Opera "Nessun Dorma" BTW, love the retro arcade in the background...I do retro games as well....great stuff.
Not much to add after all these fabulous previous comments, especially the one from @CynicalTesuji, who covered all the basics and then some, apart from my personal story: I was not particulary into a capella, but like it, when well done. So when YT pushed VPs Wellerman version in my feed l watched and liked it. I checked out their channel and so found their cover of Metallicas Nothing Else Matters, a live long fav of mine. I intended to dislike it, but got from 'HOW DARE THEY!' to 'WOW, this is MINDBLOWING, on par with the original!' That was hook, line and sinker for me, pulled me in and l don't see me leaving😅 Thanx for the fun reaction and l really hope for more.
At this point, there are four members. Eli Jacobson (pronounced Ellie) [Tenor, although he can sing down to baritone] Layne Stein (Beatboxer) [AKA VioLayne, AKA The Carrot Lord, AKA The Velociraptor] Geoff Castellucci (Bass, although he has a 5 octave range) Cesar dela Rosa (Tenor, although he can also get down to Baritone) Those are the four core members. JNone is currently in the Navy (and may return after his time is up). They have a lot of guest artists.
They have a wide range of song, from things like Oogie Boogie's Song, to stuff like The Little Mermaid medley or Moana and a lot more. The bass has a mind blowing range you have to hear to believe [while I love this song, it doesn't show that range well, he can go from C♯1 to A5, and he is able to move through that at a rate that is amazing]
Okay... done. You said, "Oh, my God... they have so many cool songs..." You just scratched the very surface. I'm sure many others will fill you in on membership. I LOVE a cappella. I consider the "biggies" to be: Pentatonix, Home Free, VoicePlay, and Voctave. Yes, there ARE others, but not with the fan base or popularity of these 4. If FORCED to pick my personal favorite, it would be VoicePlay by a fraction. They're ALL so good. You will get TONS of recommendations for what else to react to from this group. If you like to hear a classic with a 'modern spin,' check out "If I were a Rich Man/Girl." For a great example of very complex vocals check out "We Don't Talk About Bruno." For a thunderous and mind-blowing epic song (with otherworldly bass) watch "Valhalla Calling." There are SO many great choices, you won't be disappointed no matter what you choose, or in what order. Great reaction! Your appreciation is obvious! Welcome to the rabbit hole!
My favorites by VoicePlay would be Skyrim (The Dragonborn Comes), The Little Mermaid, and Good For You. Pretty much everything they do is excellent though.
Can't really say anything that hasn't already been said, but welcome to the rabbit hole. We have carrots. Please check out their latest, Stand By Me, which is simply gorgeous and wonderful and gives all the feels.
If you like his deep bass, pull up the Ogee Bogie song. Also check out Home Free, another a Capella group. Good one to start them with is, Man In Constant Sorrow.
Hello I'm new I rec Valhalla calling, Viking song and rec Geoff castelluchi deep bass cover of headless horseman enjoy voice play accapella is the top group with Geoff castelluchi bass singer is top in music and Geoff castelluchi also does his own stuff and remember all 4 or five people are Geoff castelluchi ya he is that good
No. 8 ish. Two separate schools. Music majors are quite involved and students often join multiple performance groups each year, increasing the years for a degree sometimes. But I had a blast!
There has been some discussion on this, but I agree with her - those are historically accurate shackles - the kind that are 'U' shaped with a moving rod to click in place. Now they MAY have used keys to make the noise while recording but those are most certainly shackles in the video. Personally, I doubt they used keys only because they are so good at showing in-video whatever they used for sounds. But I know people disagree on this.
VoicePlay's lineup is complicated. You are correct in that they are currently only 4 members, and all are present in this video. Geoff Castellucci (bass, and the arranger of this piece, and the director/editor of this video) and Layne Stein (vocal percussion, occasional baritone, also does arrangements and videos, as well as other things I'll let surprise you) are both original members, from back in 1997. Eli Jacobson, the bald rock tenor (and also the guy who did the lighting in the video, and recently has begun providing arrangements and more video work as well) has been with them for over 10 years. Cesar De La Rosa is the breathy baritenor with amazing hair and sass for days, and he's the newest member of the group. He replaced J. None (buttery smooth baritone) who left to sing with the US Navy. J. None himself replaced Tony Wakim as the group's baritone when Tony and Layne started Pattycake Productions, a video production company where VoicePlay now shoot a lot of their videos. Earl Elkins Jr., another original member of the group and a high tenor with a surprisingly laser-like focus in his voice, left the group for personal reasons in 2020, and since that time VoicePlay has relied on guest vocalists to fill out their ranks. It seems to work well for them; they have many very talented friends and associates, and they always manage to sound as though they had been singing together for years. Rachel Potter has featured with them so often that she's pretty much an honorary member, and while J. None technically left the group, he also kind of hasn't since he features with them as often as he's able to make it to Orlando. And Kathy Castellucci, Geoff's wife, is the group's production manager, and she's the backstage hero. This group is practically a family, in case you hadn't picked up on that just through this description, and they are all genuinely lovely people. It's part of why their fans adore them.
(there were many other changes in their lineup in the years before they came to RUclips, but I don't claim to know all of those members or which order they came in. Check out Huldra Draco's youtube channel for more information- she knows all!)
They are not attached to any label, so everything you see and hear from VoicePlay is going to be something they created from the ground up. It's incredible that a group can be nearly 100% fan-funded, and compete both vocally and in video with signed groups like Pentatonix and Home Free. It's just very unfortunate that they don't get nearly enough recognition for their immense talents.
But all that said, please do dive into their catalog! You will have absolutely the best time, and once you've had some fun there be sure and hop over to Geoff Castellucci's solo page and see what he can do on his own. It will blow your mind.
Just a little point, Cesar replaced Earl and not J. None, J.None was replaced Tony Wakim that was the original member.
@@remiavard7709 To be fair, Cesar's range doesn't match either Earl's or Tony's; when I say he replaced J. None, I mean that J was the last one to leave prior to Cesar joining the group. I don't think that anyone has been a one-for-one exchange. FWIW, Tony wasn't an original member either, just one of the first ones appearing on RUclips. There have been a whole lot of people in VoicePlay/4:2:Five over the years. Huldra Draco has a fantastic video detailing everyone who has ever been in the group on her channel.
@@CynicalTesuji You could say that Earl was replaced by Eli, since in my view Eli's tenor has really blossomed since Earl's departure. Cesar has replaced J.None in the sense that Cesar is a baritone who can also access a tenor range. I think VP keeps its fifth slot open for J.None to return when he's done with his stint in the military.
Welcome to the Voiceplay rabbit hole. The fact they are independent gives them more freedom in choosing songs. They cover such a wide variety of styles. Want more sailor songs, check out drunken sailor, but watch through to the end for some extra goodies. Like Viking songs, their covers of My Mother Told Me and Valhalla Calling are great. Into gaming, try their versions of Halo (another one to watch till the end) or The Dragonborn Comes. Want something really off the wall, a capella with no words, try Hall of the Mountain King or Classical Chaos. What ever you choose, enjoy the ride down this rabbit hole.
This is the video that famously made one reactor jump up out of his chair and walk out, forgetting he was in his underwear. 😆 All the current members are in this video, plus guest artist 'Captain' Jose Rosario Jr. They have a whole constellation of amazing artists who drop in with greater or lesser frequency to fill their fifth position--some other general favorites are Deejay Young, Omar Cardona, Rachel Potter, Anthony Gargiula, Ashley Diane, and J.None, Scott Porter and Mykal Kilgore--those last three are all former members of the group.
You literally won't find a bad piece of music in their catalog, but some of the other highlights are Nothing Else Matters, Valhalla Calling, Creep, The Way You Make Me Feel, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, and Seven Nation Army. Queen in Five Minutes, the Moana Medley, Don't Stop Believin' and Man in the Mirror are favorites of mine featuring previous VP lineups. I bet you'd also love their Classical Chaos medley and its prequel, In The Hall of the Mountain King.
Also, if you love bass, Geoff 'The Human Subwoofer' Castellucci has a five-octave range and an entire solo channel filled with songs in which he covers multiple parts, often 'cloning' himself on-screen and sometimes elaborately costumed.
Liked and subscribed, looking forward to more!
QOFY!!
Oooooh - you're going to love this VP rollercoaster! Widest genre range, independent and never ever disappoints!
They currently have 4 permanent members and always get a guest artist in - which switches things up and keep it very interesting.
Hoping to hear more?
Thank you for the reaction!
⚘️🕊
Voiceplay is by far my favorite acapella group. I am so glad you are finally getting to react to them! Great reaction. They have amazing covers. I can't wait to see more reactions of their covers. The bass, Geoff Castellucci (Jeff Casta-loo-chee), has a solo channel where he does all the parts. He has an incredible range. You definitely need to check his stuff out as well. both on Geoff's channel and Voiceplays, they do all their own arranging, videography, editing, costuming, etc. They do hire a steady cam operator and makeup artist when they need to. Check the video description to see who did the arranging and other stuff. Hope to see more on your channel.
You should hear. Valhala calling, Oogie boogie son, dream on, seven nation army, wellerman, we don’t talk about Bruno, …they are 4 now, Eli, Geoff, Layne and Cesar and they have a lot of guests…. I love them…. We almost forget there are no instruments, just their voices….❤❤❤❤❤❤
VP is my favorite acapella group. The remaining founding members have been singing together for 20+ years. They're solid and so talented it's insane. Check out their cover of "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica....it will blow your mind.
You’re in for a treat with Voice Play. As far as harmonies Hoist the Colors is my favorite. They do A-1 in every cover plus you get a bit of a stage show with most of their songs. They’re the best and they do it with our record label funding about one a month. The bass Geoff, does his own covers in between. The four extremely talented members bring in one other very talented person to sing with them each month. They have their favorites and a lot of times it’s previous members. Voice Play is just perfection.
I think you would greatly appreciate the adventures of their "characters" they've named "Grundels" : start with their first appearance in "In the Hall of the Mountain King ", and then it's sequel, "Classical Chaos". (Both are Layne arrangements.)
For a mind-boggling one, I'd also add their cover of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters".
Also note, their bass, Geoff, has become a master of a technique known as subharmonics. It allows him to sing lower than his natural chest range, which in and of itself is beyond impressive (see their cover of "Whiskey in the Jar" or Geoff's solo cover of "Folsom Prison Blues" for jaw dropping lows in chest voice).
Geoff Castellucci, the bass, also has his own channel. You have to checkout his cover of sound of silence and his hobbit songs (misty mountains, I see fire, and song of durin)
I watch/listen to every cover VoicePlay puts out. They are my favorite acapella group; known as the "theater kids". And Geoff (Jeff) has his own channel where he sings solo (usually with layered tracks). Both are independent and aren't sponsored by the music industry. Hence, they can choose whatever they want to cover; and they choose almost every genre. Since they're from the Orlando area, they cover many Disney songs/medleys. These days, they've enjoyed just having four men and incorporate a fifth member (male/female), depending on the song they cover. They're also known as the kings of Halloween. Geoff does an excellent Jack Skeleton in "Jack's Lament" from the Nightmare before Christmas. And, VP did the "Oogie Boogie" song from that same movie. Enjoy this large rabbit hole you've entered.
My favorite group! They are so creative and talented, and always give 200%.
Yeah, it’s always said they’re an award-winning QUINTET, even though they’ve only had four regular members for the last couple years. I think they’re saving a spot for J None to come back (you’ll meet him-he’s in a LOT of their videos as a guest even tho he’s singing for the Navy these days).
Anyway, I’m glad you’re checking these guys out. Basically just point and click-there are no bad songs by this group. Have fun!!
Welcome to the voiceplay and Geoff Castelluci rabbit hole. We are all mad here.❤
You can't watch that and not get shivers. Pick a genre. Any genre. You'll be happy.
Think of Pentatonix as the student council, Home Free as the guys having the tailgate at Homecoming, and Voiceplay as the theatre kids.
We'll, I'm late to the party so won't repeat all that you've heard.
In addition to being incredibly gifted musicians they are genuinely nice people. They used to your extensively until COVID shut the world down. I'm fact they were on one of the cruise ships that sat offshore for weeks before it was allowed to dock. Since they couldn't your, they upped their studio work which was already impressive. They have chosen not to go back on the road. Geoff, Layne, and Eli are married with children and love being home. They have done a few private corporate gigs and appeared in concert with Chicago last year. Subscribed in anticipation of more Voiceplay and Geoff.
Oohhh excited for a new VoicePlay, and hopefully soon Geoff, reactor. You're going to love it here. 😁
Voiceplay are considered the "Theater kids" of acapella. They have an extensive catalog of music from pop and rock to classical. They love Halloween songs and have a bunch of great ones. They also have a bunch of Disney stuff. Some of the members come and go, like J None, a fabulous tenor who is in the US Navy right now. He sings with them when he's on leave. They also bring in some fabulous ladies to help with some stuff. I'm sure other commenters can give you all the background of the group. I just love anything they do. Enjoy this rabbit hole!
VoicePlay is incredible! Choose any song you find interesting and enjoy..
#TheatreKidsOfAcapella. They cover everything from Metallica to Disney and more. The bass Geoff Castellucci has his own channel and does low bass covers and clones himself to sing all the parts. He has an amazing vocal range.
My best advice is to find songs or medleys you already love and watch those. Voiceplay always brings something new and exciting to their covers both musically and visually
Their bass, Geoff (pronounced Jeff) Castellucci, also has his own solo channel that’s well worth checking out. I couldn’t tell if you noticed, but the second time he did “Never shall you die,” he slid from that low note up higher, showing some of his 5-octave range. When he hit that first low note on “die” and you said “You never know which one it’s going to be,” it reminded me of when I shared his solo cover of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” with my ex. She’s deaf, but also a lifelong diehard John Denver fan. Her response was “Where’s all that bass coming from in that skinny dude?!”
VoicePlay's initial members in 2012 (there even was a predecessor group):
- Geoff Castellucci (Bass)
- Layne Stein (Baritone, Beatbox)
- Elizer (Eli) Jacobson ((Rock-)Tenor)
- Earl Elkins (Tenor)
- Tony Wakim (Baritone)
- 12/2016 Tony left VoicePlay (still running Pattycake Productions with Layne, the studio where VoicePlay's and some of Geoff's videos and a lot of genuine videos are produced)
- 03/2018 J.None (Baritone) joined
- 06/2020 Earl left
- 05/2021 J.None (temporary?) left for an engagement in the US-Navy
- 07/2021 Cesar de la Rosa (Baritone) joined
So the current members (beside featured singers) are
- Geoff Castellucci (Bass)
- Layne Stein (Baritone, Beatbox)
- Elizer (Eli) Jacobson ((Rock-)Tenor) (the bald guy)
- Cesar de la Rosa (Baritone)
Most arrangements are done by Layne or Geoff (in most cases mentioned in the description).
To continue your VoicePlay expericence, you may want to watch
OOGIE BOOGIE'S SONG | The Nightmare Before Christmas
ruclips.net/video/EbxkOntz2SA/видео.html
or
Valhalla Calling | Miracle Of Sound
ruclips.net/video/mI8hPSSZSL4/видео.html
but there are much more. My other personal favorites (in chronological order):
Grim Grinning Ghosts
ruclips.net/video/B5TYZ8GqZbU/видео.html
This Is Halloween | The Nightmare Before Christmas
ruclips.net/video/YL44YFyNLys/видео.html
QUEEN IN 5 MIN
ruclips.net/video/krcU5xmlzqA/видео.html
Warriers | Imagine Dragons
ruclips.net/video/DNh6_XubM2A/видео.html
ACA TOP 10 MOVIE THEMES
ruclips.net/video/GC0AQmapnUQ/видео.html
KIDNAP THE SANDY CLAWS | The Nightmare Before Christmas
ruclips.net/video/P8STSy-S5UA/видео.html
YOU'RE A MEAN ONE MR. GRINCH
ruclips.net/video/8fbJ03HhgIU/видео.html
My Mother Told Me | Vikings
ruclips.net/video/bs4ZJpWJh_Q/видео.html
Friends On The Other Side | The Princess And The Frog
ruclips.net/video/POTbOgMLrUE/видео.html
The Dragonborn Comes | Skyrim
ruclips.net/video/6ys4Q1PO5ek/видео.html
We Don't Talk About Bruno | Encanto
ruclips.net/video/5vOjk2H_g9k/видео.html
Enemy | Imagine Dragons (Arcane League Of Legends)
ruclips.net/video/yR7caU0R__E/видео.html
In The Hall Of The Mountain King
ruclips.net/video/Y2a5v26q1AM/видео.html
Hide and Seek (Ding Dong!)
ruclips.net/video/KkN49k4EtT4/видео.html
The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
ruclips.net/video/f2J7aKAE07Q/видео.html
Nothing Else Matters | Metallica
ruclips.net/video/f31q5KdfLnM/видео.html
Seven Nation Army | The White Stripes
ruclips.net/video/B4xjwkoQ8Uk/видео.html
Wellerman
ruclips.net/video/J4YznRtXlE0/видео.html
Drunken Sailor
ruclips.net/video/oNpanA0VIz4/видео.html
Hellfire | The Hunchback of Notre Dame
ruclips.net/video/bVbetHB815E/видео.html
Time warp | Rocky Horror Picture Show
ruclips.net/video/V0Eun9OgK_I/видео.html
Jingle Bell Rock - Mean Girls
ruclips.net/video/SAn83-y2MuE/видео.html
The Lyon Sleeps Tonight
ruclips.net/video/lZh3D1ndNKY/видео.html
Sleeping In The Cold Below | WARFRAME
ruclips.net/video/Dq6kwimqlZ0/видео.html
Classical Chaos
ruclips.net/video/RxvbwvJrzQw/видео.html
I wish you a lot of fun with them.
Just a tiny correction - Eli's full name is Eliezer, not Elizer.
@@tatewakinew And for future info - Eli is pronounced to rhyme with 'jelly'
This was the first thing I ever heard by VoicePlay. They are an independent group so they get to decide what to do, how they want it, etc. Geoff (bass) and Layne (now he's the beatboxer, he was the baritone) are the remaining 2 from middle school and high school. At that time the name was 4theLove (4 people and Earl and Mykal were the 2 tenors who were in the group making the 4 original members). In 1997, they got a beatboxer, Scott Porter, and changed the name to cover 5 people 4:2:Five. They toured had a good time and then Scott wanted to get into acting and Mykal went to Broadway and they both have successful careers. Layne really wanted to do beatboxing so Geoff taught him what he knew and Layne ran with it and is one of the best beatboxers around. Shortly before being on The Sing-Off show in 2014 they changed the name once more to VoicePlay. They went through some new members, one is Eli (bald tenor in this) who came on in 2010, got a baritone by the name of Tony Wakim who sang for a few years with them but wanted to get into productions. Layne and Tony bought a studio where VoicePlay and Geoff solos are often done. They were then down a baritone and J None became a member 2018 or so. Earl (original tenor) left the group in 2020 for personal reasons. J None was being heavily recruited by the US Navy and he is currently singing with their chorus for 5 yrs. His first base was in the Pacific Northwest which made it tricky to get back to sing although he did it, see him in VoicePlay's Friends On The Other Side after boot camp and shortly thereafter he was in Valhalla Calling with them. He comes as often as he can get away. VoicePlay did Thriller for their Halloween treat w/J None, and in Be Prepared with Mykal! Earl was with them a long time and one of his best with VP is Queen in 5 Minutes. But at that point, VoicePlay was short 2 people, opted for Cesar (shackles guy) who has a strong baritone and tenor range. His audition is We're Good (Dua Lipa) and it's a small wonder they snapped him up. VoicePlay members have performed at Disney and Universal so they have great contacts to call on when they need or want a specific voice for their latest video. It works.
Voiceplay are completely independent and make their arrangements, videos, lights, own prop and make up group.
Really just browse their videos and pick one you are drawn to. They are elite on anything theater, game song, or halloween themed.
Welcome!!!They are fantastic you we love them!!!😊😊😊😊
Ah! You found my favorite music group!
VoicePlay is the best in my opinion. I look forward to seeing you react to more of their videos. I hope you enjoy the Rabbit Hole as muxh as I have.
Fun reaction! Welcome to the VP rabbit hole--we love new listeners and friends. Yes, look them up, learn about them, come on in and enjoy every single moment. :).
WooHoo! Welcome to VP! So many great songs and videos to explore! Enjoy!
Oh, yay!! I remember commenting on a video that I would love to see you react to them. They are my favorite group by far!! I saw someone else give a lot of info on the group but as far as recommendations you can’t go wrong with them so I would just pick what you are interested in listening to and you will love it! 😅❤
There are four main singers now. Earl left above three years ago and J.None joined the navy so now they feature different Guest singers per song. They do a various of songs because they are completely independent. No label. The bass has his solo channel also...since civic they do videos mostly. They did Nothing else matters and Chicago saw it and invited them to performs with them in Atlantic City in November 2023.... Welcome to my favorite!
Welcome to Voiceplay magic ! Aren't they wonderful ?
Thriller was their Halloween release, and it's fantastic ! :)
Another a cappella group to try is Home Free. Since it's getting on towards Christmas time their rendition of "Angels We Have Heard On High", "Amazing Grace", and "How Great Thou Art. Also original Christmas songs "Full of Cheer", "Snow Globe", and my favorite "Cold Hard Cash". Happy Holidays.
They are amazing!
Welcome, new Voiceplayer. You have set yourself on quite the musical journey. " Hoist the Colour's " is a fairly safe and tame introduction to " the theater kids of accapela ". My recommendation would be for you to follow up with the dual dualology of " My Mother Told Me " and " Valhalla Calling ". Both semi sea related, both costume involved, and though they have different guest artists tell a cohesive story when you watch/listen to them together.
Not Voiceplay's first foray into musical story telling, but fun and more recent than other offerings. No matter what you choose to react to next from this group you simply can't miss, though.
Welcome to the Voiceplay rabbithole! The entire group is insanely talented. The make up right now is Layne the beatboxer (front left), Geoff the Bass (front right) and on the back row from left to right you had Cesar (Baritone), Jose (featured artist) and Eli (resident rock god). Geoff also has a solo channel and his range is insane! I would recommend Oogie Boogie next but also his solo channel is a rabbithole on it's own. You're in for a wild ride with both :D (I subscribed)
Oh this is going to be so much fun watching you go down this rabbit hole. And the base of the group (geoff castellucci) has his own channel and does his own solo work as well that you really need to hop on.
To be honest, you'd be safe choosing anything because every one of their pieces is gold.
Seeing as it's getting close to holiday season I would probably recommend You're a Mean One Mister Grinch, Christmas don't be late, the Frozen medley, and Oh Holy Night. And the bass singer released an absolutely epic version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Got to say it's my all-time favorite version of that song.
Welcome to the rabbit hole. Have a nice fall
I hesitate to say this to an opera singer, but it’s always been my feeling that this is sort of like a mini opera. They’ve got pageantry, great music and a storyline. For years this was my favorite and it’s currently tied as number two. A very very close second.
I think you’re the first reactor I have seen that caught on to the shackles! They will occasionally bring in something like that but it’s always shown on screen. You also noted one of my favorite parts visually when Jose lifts the sword into the air.
This was finally knocked out of my number one favorite spot by their cover of MJ’s The Way You Make Me Feel. They have slowed it down a bit and made it kind of bluesy and jazzy. Very sexy.
Most recently they covered a song they used to sing in the old days in front of pizza parlors and on street corners. One of their original members from high school join them , Mykal Kilgore. They released Stand by Me most recently.
They do a lot of shorts, a minute or so long, and they usually film those in a vertical format and have been using an iPhone to record the video in the shopping mall where PattyCake Productions is located. (That is the production company that the boxer and one of their prior baritone co-own and many of their videos are shot there.)
They wanted to give Mykal the whole video-in-the-mall experience so their most recent video was filmed in that format. It’s not getting a lot of coverage and I think it’s because people think it’s just a short but it is definitely worth it. Mykal has an absolutely astounding voice. He left the group to pursue a career on Broadway and has been very successful and has a Grammy nomination to his name.
You remarked it’s never the person you think it is. Earl, who was the incredibly high tenor, was a pretty big guy and it always surprised everybody that tall lanky Geoff was the bass and big burly Earl was the high tenor😂.
Liked and subbed and hoping you’re going to continue down this rabbit hole.
Current members: bottom left Layne Stein, baritone and beatboxer, bottom right Geoff (sounds like Jeff) Castelucci, basso profundo extraordinaire, top left Cesar De La Rosa, baritone/tenor (with a whistle range!) top right rock god tenor Eliezer (goes by Eli, rhymes with jelly) Jacobson. Top center was featured guest Jose Rosario Jr, who stepped in last minute on this one to replace another guest who couldn't make it, but sang Jose sang Cesar's part and Cesar sang what he was supposed to sing so at the last moment everything was jumbled up and they were still able to produce this! Each one of these guys and all of their guests have all done such stellar work! Geoff and Layne have done the lion's share of arrangements, but Eli
has done several recently and I think even Cesar is keen to get in and try his hand at it. I highly recommend The Dragonborn Comes, Valhalla Calling, My Mother Told Me, and Drunken Sailor if you like this genre. For some edgier stuff, Black Hole Sun, Seven Nation Army, Warriors, Enemy. They are great with Disney stuff - Be Prepared, We Don't Talk About Bruno, Hellfire, Moana, Little Mermaid, I Can Go the Distance, I Got Friends on the Other Side. I love their treatment of "classic" Rock tunes like Dream On, Carry On Wayward Son, even pop covers like MJ's The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror, Thriller (for this past Halloween) and even some boy band stuff like Butter and Bang. Also their Halo cover is amazing, and Classical Chaos is a hoot! And that's barely scratching the surface of their videography! Welcome to the fan club!😀
Welcome to VoicePlay, the Theater Kids of the Acapella Trinity Groups of RUclips, along with Pentatonix, the most commercially known and Home Free, the Country Boys (though they do other stuff really well too. This song really amazed reactors when it came out. One reactor got so excited he jumped out of his chair from behind his desk...forgetting he only had boxers on. Qofy is his name. It was hilarious.
If you're interested, I can give you some info on VoicePlay and tips for optimum viewing of their videos. Also, another acapella artist, Peter Hollens is worth checking out too.
This particular song, I have listened to close to a million times. I'm not kidding! According to Spotify last year, at the end of November, I'd listened to it over 400,500 time, January through November. And I've listened to it just as much this year. I sleep to it, you see. It makes me feel like I'm being gently rocked. The kicker is, it's my third place VoicePlay song, after Thriller and Valhalla Calling. But those don't have a beat you can sleep to. Those are my recommendations, though you really can't go wrong wit VoicePlay, with any member line up.💜
I would recommend everything by Voiceplay. Oogie Boogie is usually a jumping off point. Geoff, the bass, has his own channel and I would recommend everything there also.
Welcome to the wonderful world of VoicePlay. The are my favorite of the acapella groups. I have subscribed to hopefully see more VoicePlay reactions and hopefully Geoff Castellucci (the bass, has his own channel) reactions. VoicePlay are known as the theater kids of acapella.
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For VoicePlay, I would recommend: "The Drunken Sailor", "Valhalla Calling" (my favorite), "The Dragonborn Comes", "Be Prepared", "Hellfire", "Oogie Boogie Song", "Nothing Else Matters", "Thriller", "Stand by Me" & "Dream On".
For Geoff Castellucci, I would recommend: "The LOTR/Hobbit trilogy ("Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold", "I See Fire" & "Song of Durin"), "16-Tons", "Unshaken" & "Jack's Lament". Goeff will clone himself in the videos, so it is all him singing the parts. He has an amazing 5-octave range.
Welcome to the rabbit hole. No matter what you choose you won't go wrong. Enjoy.
Only 29 comments? The VP people haven't yet found you, lol They are amazing, and will keep you well informed. Have a wonderful week.
Yes the same guy did those crazy deep notes and the climb into almost a rock tenor type tone. I think they said he slid up four octaves or so at that bit.
Welcome to the VoicePlay rabbit hole! There is SO MUCH good music here - you really can't go wrong with anything they've done. I don't have much to add to what others have said, just want to let you know that I'll be here for your VoicePlay (and hopefully Geoff's solo channel?) journey!
Voiceplay - Classical chaos is my favorite. Fun song for the Halloween season.
As others have said, currently they have a core of 4 people, likely keeping the 5th permanent position for J.None while he serves in Navy (but often sings with them as featured anyway). If you want to see most of vocalists they included in the past or have collaborated with over the years, watch their Just Sing (don't forget to have CC on while doing that)
Even before the song starts, I have to say that you chose a GREAT example as a first-listen to VoicePlay. More later.
Since VoicePlay (or the group of people whose name eventually morphed into VoicePlay) started out right out of high school back in 1997, a few personnel changes are to be expected. All 4 current members of the group are in this video, with the featured artist Jose Rosario Jr. taking taking the top center position. Layne Stein (beatboxer/baritone) and Geoff Castellucci (bass) are the two remaining original/founding members of the group, taking the front row (as is fairly normal for a beatboxer/bass combination in a smaller a cappella group). Top left is Cesar de la Rosa, the newest member, and top right is Eli (short for Eliezer, so pronounced to rhyme with jelly) Jacobson, who has been with the group for well over 10 years now.
This particular video has a rather complicated history. The original guest artist (Anthony Gargiula, who has appeared in several videos with VoicePlay) was unable to make the filming due to COVID travel restrictions at the time. Jose Rosario Jr., who is located in Tampa, FL (VoicePlay is based in Orlando) was able to step in and help out the filming and recording, but his voice is very different from Anthony's, who had already recorded his part. So Eli stepped in and re-recorded the part that Anthony originally had recorded, and Jose re-recorded the part that Eli had originally recorded. While Eli's and Anthony's voices aren't exactly the same, they are much closer than Anthony's and Jose's, so the arrangement only had to be tweaked a little bit. Jose has also appeared in a number of VoicePlay videos, so working with him wasn't new, but in this case the "featured" artist didn't have the spotlight that they would normally have in a VoicePlay video - VP is very good about actually featuring their "feature artist". But being able to get the recording and video out on schedule was a huge help to VoicePlay, and Jose has appeared in several videos since this one.
I'm sure others will give you all kinds of recommendations for more VoicePlay videos; I'll just say that they've truly earned the nickname "the theater kids of a cappella", and I very much doubt you'll be disappointed in whatever you listen to next!
Okay, others have told you about the different members of the group, so I will just join them in saying welcome to the rabbit hole! You are in for such a fun ride.😊 And I am here for it - subscribed to watch more. If you want a song that is just straight up goodness, wholesomeness, I don't even know what more to say about it except that it's wonderful, check out their most recent release which is a cover of Stand By Me featuring Mykal (Michael) Kilgore who was an original member of the group back in 1997-98. Yes, they've been around that long. An older song of theirs that fits into the category of wholesomeness is their cover of Daddy Sang Bass. Would love to see you react to both of those. That one has a slightly different lineup- it includes Layne and Geoff, the two guys in the front row of this video, and Eli (Ellie) the bald guy behind Geoff. But then it also has Earl who was their high tenor, and who was also an original member of the group, and J.None, who was their baritone until he left to sing for the Navy.
Many of VPs videos turn out to be duos and trilogies. The follow-up to this one is Drunken Sailor, which features Jose Rosario again, with a fun appearance by former member and long-time buddy William Buckner as the drunk sailor. (Bucky choreographed Geoff's solo video of Monster Mash.)
Another fun pair is My Mother Told Me, a Viking song with guest Jose, and J.None when he was a full time member, and Valhalla Calling, which has newest member Cesar (playing the shackle here), and J.None on leave from the Navy as a featured guest. They filmed VC the day before J's wedding.
If you want to get apocalyptic, try Warriors, then Dream On, and Seven Nation Army. This trilogy will show several different members, featured guests, and unexpected talents. 😊
Oh you have opened the VP can of worms, welcome welcome! Also Geoff (the bass) has his own channel!
that facial expression where there's so many sounds happening at once and its so overwhelming but sounds so right..
Oh, you'll have a field day exploring the Voiceplay and Geoff's own back catalogue.
For another acapella take, Van Canto (despite being quiet for a while) step things up - take the lead vocalists from 4x metal bands, give them a drummer because few beatboxers can last more than a song, and then let them loose on metal/rock/medieval inspired folk tracks.
To Sing A Metal Song, Kings Of Metal, and Last Night Of The Kings are good introductions
Welcome to the best a cappella rabbit hole on the Tube, at least IMHO 😅.
Others already gave you lots of informations. I'd just add that 'til now there's NEVER been a single cover by them that didn't leave me speechless. 🙂
One of the things that I like about them is their self irony and sense of humour. Watch their, and I quote, "ridiculous version" of "Drunken Sailor" for proof... Or "We don't talk about Bruno!" from Disney's "Encanto". Or "Christmas don't be late (the Chipmunks song)". Or any of their Halloween releases (BTW, they - and Geoff - just OWN Halloween 😅), and many of their "normal" ones, if that word still has meaning with them 😁.
As other said, Geoff has his own channel, which he started when the pandemic shut down pretty much everything. He doesn't pure "a cappella" there (he says that if he wants to do a cappella, he does it with Voiceplay, and it makes all the sense in the world), but he almost always clones himself into other 3 or 4 "parallel Geoffs", who even have NAMES mostly taken from the mis-spelling of his name so many people does. He's got an awesome range and uses it all beautifully. I love both Voiceplay and "solo Geoff".
Just subscribed in anticipation for more VP and maybe some solo Geoff. 🙂
See you next time!
PS: this video of yours doesn't appear in my usual search for VP reaction videos. Don't know why though. 🤔
Check out Home Free as well, Tim Foust is their bass and they are all friends, Tim has a 5 octave range as well....start with Man of Constant Sorrow, then check out the Sea Shanty Medley and Skull and Bones. Also, 2 of the member of Home Free tried their hand at Opera "Nessun Dorma" BTW, love the retro arcade in the background...I do retro games as well....great stuff.
Welcome to the Voiceplay rabbit hole
Not much to add after all these fabulous previous comments, especially the one from @CynicalTesuji, who covered all the basics and then some, apart from my personal story:
I was not particulary into a capella, but like it, when well done. So when YT pushed VPs Wellerman version in my feed l watched and liked it.
I checked out their channel and so found their cover of Metallicas Nothing Else Matters, a live long fav of mine.
I intended to dislike it, but got from 'HOW DARE THEY!' to 'WOW, this is MINDBLOWING, on par with the original!'
That was hook, line and sinker for me, pulled me in and l don't see me leaving😅
Thanx for the fun reaction and l really hope for more.
They're amazing. You need to listen to Vahalla Calling, Hellfire, Oogie Boogie, Hall of the Mountain King, Classical Chaos just for starters
At this point, there are four members.
Eli Jacobson (pronounced Ellie) [Tenor, although he can sing down to baritone]
Layne Stein (Beatboxer) [AKA VioLayne, AKA The Carrot Lord, AKA The Velociraptor]
Geoff Castellucci (Bass, although he has a 5 octave range)
Cesar dela Rosa (Tenor, although he can also get down to Baritone)
Those are the four core members. JNone is currently in the Navy (and may return after his time is up).
They have a lot of guest artists.
They have a wide range of song, from things like Oogie Boogie's Song, to stuff like The Little Mermaid medley or Moana and a lot more. The bass has a mind blowing range you have to hear to believe [while I love this song, it doesn't show that range well, he can go from C♯1 to A5, and he is able to move through that at a rate that is amazing]
With the wicked film just out, watch their Wicked Medley, it's really really good
Okay... done. You said, "Oh, my God... they have so many cool songs..." You just scratched the very surface. I'm sure many others will fill you in on membership. I LOVE a cappella. I consider the "biggies" to be: Pentatonix, Home Free, VoicePlay, and Voctave. Yes, there ARE others, but not with the fan base or popularity of these 4. If FORCED to pick my personal favorite, it would be VoicePlay by a fraction. They're ALL so good. You will get TONS of recommendations for what else to react to from this group. If you like to hear a classic with a 'modern spin,' check out "If I were a Rich Man/Girl." For a great example of very complex vocals check out "We Don't Talk About Bruno." For a thunderous and mind-blowing epic song (with otherworldly bass) watch "Valhalla Calling." There are SO many great choices, you won't be disappointed no matter what you choose, or in what order. Great reaction! Your appreciation is obvious! Welcome to the rabbit hole!
Being a Opera singer you might enjoy Hall of the Mountain king or classical Chaos
My favorites by VoicePlay would be Skyrim (The Dragonborn Comes), The Little Mermaid, and Good For You. Pretty much everything they do is excellent though.
Can't really say anything that hasn't already been said, but welcome to the rabbit hole. We have carrots. Please check out their latest, Stand By Me, which is simply gorgeous and wonderful and gives all the feels.
If you like his deep bass, pull up the Ogee Bogie song. Also check out Home Free, another a Capella group. Good one to start them with is, Man In Constant Sorrow.
WELCOME to the rabbit hole. TBH, go to their page and just pick a song, you won't be disappointed
Commenting to help with the algorithm. Thanks for another great video ❤
You're the best!
Check out THRILLER 😊
Listen to the Wicked Medley!!
❤❤❤
Welcome to the Voiceplay Rabbit Hole.
Plus de voiceplay please 😁
Hello I'm new I rec Valhalla calling, Viking song and rec Geoff castelluchi deep bass cover of headless horseman enjoy voice play accapella is the top group with Geoff castelluchi bass singer is top in music and Geoff castelluchi also does his own stuff and remember all 4 or five people are Geoff castelluchi ya he is that good
😍
Wait, you were in college for 11 years?
No. 8 ish. Two separate schools. Music majors are quite involved and students often join multiple performance groups each year, increasing the years for a degree sometimes. But I had a blast!
It is not Shackles...it is the Keys the dog held from the Jail.
There has been some discussion on this, but I agree with her - those are historically accurate shackles - the kind that are 'U' shaped with a moving rod to click in place. Now they MAY have used keys to make the noise while recording but those are most certainly shackles in the video. Personally, I doubt they used keys only because they are so good at showing in-video whatever they used for sounds. But I know people disagree on this.