Pierre Galloway named runner-up for Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award

On April 8, Pierre Galloway discovered that he had been selected as the runner-up for the Contemporary A Cappella Recording award for Best Male Collegiate Solo for his performance in the song “Recovery.”

Galloway, RC '18, is the president of the all-male a cappella group on campus, the Richmond Octaves. He was informed of his nomination on Feb. 8 and is one of five men across the country to be nominated for the award.

“It’s like the Grammys of a cappella,” Galloway said. “There was a red carpet and everything.”

Although he was unable to attend the award ceremony that was held in Boston this year, the excitement was still palpable once the results were posted on the Contemporary A Cappella Society (CASA) website.

“It was incredible to get noticed out of all of the people that were able to be nominated,” Galloway said.

Although it is a remarkable accomplishment to be recognized nationally, Galloway is no stranger to the spotlight, especially in the Richmond community. On March 18, the Octaves held a concert in which Galloway was featured in three different solos, the most solos out of the group.

After listening to Galloway’s performance in the “Rocktaves” concert, people could assume that the singer’s vocal performance or training history would be extensive, but it is quite the opposite.

His only prior singing experience was in his church choir. He decided to give singing a shot once he arrived on campus as a freshman and auditioned for the Octaves, Galloway said.

In addition to his natural vocal abilities, Galloway’s innate ear for music extends to the string family. He has been playing the viola since middle school, and is now a part of one of the chamber ensembles on campus after auditioning for the first time this spring.

Along with Galloway, the Richmond Octaves were nominated for Best Collaborative/Studio Project Song for its rendition of “Beneath Your Beautiful,” which can be found along with “Recovery” on their most recent album, “Beacon.”

In 2015, the Octaves won Best Male Collegiate Song for its arrangement of Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball,” showcasing the talent that the group and the university have to offer. Despite multiple runners-up and nominations in the past, the group had not won until 2015.

Although the a cappella group is brimming with other laudable and talented men, the impact that Galloway has had on the ensemble is unquestionable since his initiation his freshman year.

“Pierre is a positive influence over me as an individual singer and definitely the group as a whole, bringing us to the next level,” Blake Normandin, a sophomore tenor for the Octaves, said. “He led us to the semi-finals of the ICCAs and is currently leading us in a music video.”

Normandin also said that the Octaves president had been instrumental in helping him acclimate to the group and becoming a better singer himself.

Galloway has seen various CASA nominations, and even a win with the group, while also being a part of the production of a remarkable album.

“Beacon,” which was released on Nov. 23, 2016, features Galloway as a soloist on “Recovery” and “Weathered,” the album's eighth track, showcasing once again the range the singer possesses.

The album is currently available for download on Spotify and iTunes.

Contact lifestyle writer Alex Carroll at alex.carroll@richmond.edu.