University junior Michaela Cordova can always relive the last year. If there’s something she’s forgotten, she can look it up. But not in a diary or yearbook.
Cordova is a member of Divisi, the University’s female a cappella group, one of the subjects of “Pitch Perfect: The Quest For Collegiate A Cappella Glory.” Published by Gotham Books and released last week, “Pitch Perfect” was written by GQ editor Mickey Rapkin.
For the book, Rapkin spent the 2006-07 school year observing Divisi, as well as Tufts University’s Beelzebubs and the Hullabahoos from the University of Virginia, both male groups. At first, Divisi members didn’t know what to expect.

“After a while, we’d forget he was there,” Cordova said. “We’ll be reading something in the book like, ‘Wait, Mickey was there?’ He was this fly on the wall that disappeared into the background; he was a true writer.”
Rapkin, who sang with Cayuga’s Waiters while he was a student at Cornell University, said the “bizarre, hilarious, but often heartwarming world” of a cappella, which has been appearing in pop culture lately, is not something that many people know about.
“When there’s a running a cappella gag on ‘The Office,’ and one on ’30 Rock’ and another in ‘The Break Up,’ a cappella is begging for an investigation,” he said. “Someone needed to find out why college students wanted to sing Justin Timberlake covers without instruments.”
Cordova said, “He was interested in us because Divisi – we like to think we’re the original all-female a cappella group. There have been all women’s groups in the past, but their style is a lot different from us.”
She added that Divisi’s repertoire isn’t as “cutesy” with “strong female vocals” like Joss Stone and Imogen Heap.
Divisi was recommended to Rapkin by Varsity Vocals, an umbrella organization dedicated to promoting a cappella. He was intrigued by the group’s history, having narrowly missed winning the Varsity Vocals’ International Championship of A Cappella in 2005.
Divisi was given high marks by all but one judge, who gave the group 76 points out of 150, destroying its chances and diminishing individual judges’ power in future competitions. After taking a year off, Divisi competed again in 2007 and won the ICCA quarterfinals at the Hult Center.
While “Pitch Perfect” contains funny anecdotes – such as the Beelzebubs accidentally burning down their founder’s house in Somerville, Mass. – Rapkin said Divisi’s comeback is closer to the heart of the book.
“These stories are great. But it’s the heart in the Divisi story – about their defeat at the 2005 ICCAs, about their comeback in 2007 – that will resonate most with readers, I think,” he said. “For sports fans out there, Divisi serves as the Cinderella story of collegiate a cappella.”
Inspired by narrative nonfiction books such as “Word Freak,” which chronicles the lives of competitive Scrabble players, Rapkin spent about a year and a half working on “Pitch Perfect.”

When he finished, he said he felt relieved for two minutes before worrying.
“I want people to feel like they’re in the rehearsal room or on stage in Lincoln Center or in the recording studio with these people,” he said. “My biggest concern was that the girls felt that I got it right, that it was an accurate portrayal of their year.”
University junior Betsy Yates, who’s been singing with Divisi since her freshman year, said the book can teach readers about not only the groups profiled, but a cappella in general.
“This book really shows where the a cappella group is going,” she said. “Our new CD and all the music that’s coming out – so produced. It’s incredible what a cappella is doing now.”
Both Yates and Cordova agreed that “Pitch Perfect” was accurate and that even at its most unflattering, it’s clear that the author grew fond of them.
Rapkin, whose favorite Divisi song is “Truth No. 2,” made famous by the Dixie Chicks, said, “I think they’re just incredibly hard-working and caring about each other. They just have a ton of spirit. They’re curious, smart. It’s kind of boring, but I really can’t say enough good things about them.”
Cordova said, “Oh, Mick. We’re all going to marry him.”
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