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Where in the world is Rocapella

With voices like the members of the a capella group Rockapella, who needs musical instruments? The group's name comes from the unique type of music they perform, a vocal composition without instrumental accompaniment.

As a part of Alpha Chi Omega's Celebration Series, Rockapella brings their music to the University of Arizona campus in a free concert tonight. The UA is just another in a long list of Rockapella's previous national performances including Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall.

While many people might remember Rockapella from their five-year stint as house band for the TV show "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" they have evolved to include a wider audience.

Ryan Koerner, collegiate leadership consultant for Alpha Chi Omega, says that Rockapella is a "large-name group that covers entertainment for all ages."

According to Koerner, Alpha Chi Omega was originally founded as a musical women's fraternity, and they like to incorporate the fine arts into their programs. Their goal in the Celebration Series is to combine educational and entertainment events "and tie it all into a nice package."

Rockapella's act wraps up the package neatly. Heading out of their own experience combining education and entertainment on the set of "Carmen Sandiego," Rockapella has just released their album Don't Tell Me You Do.

The members of Rockapella rely solely on their own voices to make up a blend of rock, pop, jazz and R&B.

Whatever Rockapella is lacking in musical accompaniment, vocal percussionist Jeff Thacher makes up for in his imitation of drum noises.

And how exactly does one master a talent such as this one?

In an interview with Amazon.com's David Horiuchi, Thacher said that he believes vocal percussion is an entirely self-taught discipline.

"I never listened to anybody do it. It just kind of happened," he said.

As was the case with Rockapella's recent success. They started out singing barbershop harmony in the early 1980s as members of Brown University's vocal group "High Jinks." After they graduated, they spent their free time singing on New York City street corners for spare change.

As it turned out, fans ended up sparing more than their change, and Rockapella became the entertainment act for many private parties. Their careers evolved from providing the music at bar mitzvahs in Long Island to TV commercials for Folgers Coffee to the tour they bring to campus tonight.

The more they started to spark an interest in the public eye, the more they began to incorporate their own songs.

"That's really what it's all about, original material," Thacher said. "To really get noticed, you have to do your own thing."