To use the words of the infamous movie “Pitch Perfect,” UVU a cappella group, Bloom, is “aca-amazing!” Bloom is taking a cappella competitions and TikTok by storm all while making wolverine history. Garnering over 115k followers and 4.2 million likes on TikTok, Bloom has flourished into something bigger than imagined.
Originally created in 2021 by two friends, Jerick Rose and Sicily Poulter, Bloom was born as an outlet for the two to share their talents and love for music. As a way for the group to gain recognition and awareness, Rose and Poulter began to advertise through social media by filming themselves singing in a parking garage. Quickly afterwards the Bloom TikTok page experienced its dose of virality.
Following the success of the TikTok content, Rose spoke on the shift that occurred this season in an interview with the Review. Rose stated, “Our main focus has really pivoted to be more towards competition.” The success that has followed this growing season for Bloom is nothing short of grand. Sicily Poulter has received many Outstanding Soloist awards. The group took first-place awards at the quarterfinals and the semifinals, ranking them in 2nd place going into the international finals on April 25.
The a cappella competition season is about a semester long, starting in January and ending in April. The competition season leads up to the international finals, which take place at the Beacon Center Theatre in New York City. Like what is shown in “Pitch Perfect,” this competition is as big as it gets for Bloom.
In preparation for taking the stage come April 25, Bloom has been practicing multiple days a week for hours on end. Jerick Rose is the creative director behind the competition score. He described this process as being, “many hours of listening to a lot of music, but it is magical to see it come to life on stage.” Many of the team members speak to the nerves or pressure of the international competition, saying, “It is nerve racking and induces an ounce of imposter syndrome considering we are such a new group, but we all are ready to leave everything out on the stage.”
The magic behind this group is the mutual understanding of work and commitment, as well as the passion that exudes from each member. In the two years since Bloom was created, they have seen success through many various avenues. It is exhilarating to see where this success will take them and how much they will continue to grow in the years to come.
Bloom is the first a cappella group from UVU to make it to finals of the ICCA, beating out 400+ groups internationally to make it into the top ten. There are a lot of expenses that go along with travelling to New York to attend the competition, so they have started a GoFundMe to help cover the costs. Donate to help bring this historic moment to reality.
For more information regarding the UVU a cappella group, Bloom, you can find them on Instagram or TikTok @bloomaccappella.
