A new Montville Township High School music ensemble, “Mpulse”, was introduced to the Montville Township Board of Education, by Theodore “Ted” Cherney, on Tuesday, December 5, 2023. Cherney, the Montville Township High School Director of Choirs, launched the a cappella group this year as part of the district’s award-winning music education program.
A competitive a cappella group, “Mpulse” will be taking their musical stylings to ICHSA in January. ICHSA is an a cappella singing competition. ICHSA stands for International Championship of High School A Cappella. The Montville BOE invited the ensemble to a command performance before the new group’s first official contest.
Nineteen “Mpulse” singers presented a powerful performance to the Montville BOE with a sampling of the music and choreography the ensemble will perform in the upcoming competition.
Soloist Meghana Neelisett, a sophomore, was accompanied by “Mpulse” with four to six-part harmony backup. The MTHS singers of “Mpulse” are students in grades 9 through 12. Neelisett sang the lead vocals to an a cappella adaptation of “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor.
Smiling, the nine-member board of education, along with the MTPS administrators on the dais, tapped their feet and listened intently to the “Mpulse” performance.
Following the group’s rendition of the fast-paced and upbeat selection, the Montville BOE burst into thunderous applause.
“That was really wonderful,” said Superintendent Dr. Thomas A Gorman. “Obviously that was just a little tease with more to come. Can’t wait to see you compete and put on more performances for us. Thank you so much.”
The December 5 BOE meeting was also attended by several members of the public who joined in the enthusiastic response to the students’ a cappella performance.
“I am very happy to introduce ‘Mpulse’, our brand new a cappella group that I started this year,” Cherney said prior to the performance. “’Mpulse’ is different from some of the vocal ensembles we have at the high school. ‘Mpulse’ is a group that specifically studies and performs contemporary a cappella music.”
Made popular by movies like “Pitch Perfect” and other innovative a cappella entertainment, contemporary a cappella music is a highly competitive art form at both the high school and college levels.
“Something that is really awesome about this group,” Cherney continued, “is that we are going to be competing in annual competitions.”
Cherney, who competed during his college years in a cappella competitions, had set a goal, as the Director of Choirs for MTHS, to implement a competitive a cappella group in the MTPS district. “Mpulse” marks the start of this new initiative in the MTPS music curriculum.
“For eight years in a row Montville Township Public Schools has received the Best Communities for Music Education from the National Association of Music Merchandisers (NAMM) Foundation,” said the district’s Supervisor of Fine and Performing Arts Edward Fleischman. “The NAMM award recognizes the commitment of teachers, students, school administrators, BOE members, and parents who believe in the value of music education and are working to ensure that it is part of a complete education for all children. I am very proud of Ted’s contribution to the district’s ever-expanding music program, and I want to thank the Montville Township Board of Education and administration for providing the support that leads to outstanding music education.”
Cherney also explained that “Mpulse”, and the performance of a cappella music, provides students with “opportunities that they would not normally have in a normal choral setting.”
“We have a lot of wonderful soloists in this ensemble,” Cherney noted, pointing out that many singers will have an opportunity to sing lead.
“And,” Cherney added, “When you are competing in a cappella, you do so with full choreography. Choreography that, actually, I have put on the students to create themselves.”
“Mpulse” has identified the members of the ensemble who serve as their own choreography team. This team develops the dance steps and teaches the movements and timing to the full “Mpulse” ensemble.
“This group [“Mpulse”] gives students ownership,” Cherney emphasized. “It has been really rewarding this year to watch this group grow and to watch them just enjoy this contemporary a cappella singing.”
A video of the first “Mpulse” performance before the Montville Township Board of Education can be viewed on the Montville Township Public Schools YouTube Channel. Links to the video can also be found on the Montville Township Public Schools social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, and X . The YouTube link is also under the NEWS heading at www.montville.net.
Montville Township High School is one of seven schools in Morris County, New Jersey’s Montville Township Public Schools pre-k to grade 12 district.
“Mpulse” will be competing in the ICHSA competition on January 28, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. at Northern Highlands Regional High School. The regional school is located at 298 Hillside Avenue in Allendale, New Jersey.