Viral a cappella sensation Backtrack will be visiting with area students October 18 – 20. (File photo)

New Philadelphia, Ohio - The Performing Arts Center continues its tradition of connecting local students with internationally recognized artists when viral a cappella sensation Backtrack visits the area October 18 – 20. 

Backtrack will visit students at Newcomerstown Middle School and West Elementary, as well as students at New Philadelphia Middle School and South Elementary for in-school assemblies.

Performing Arts Center General Manager David Mitchell says getting musicians into the schools is something he's very passionate about. 

“As adults, I think we have an obligation to inspire the next generation and these in-school performances have the power to impact the students in so many ways. I’m on a mission to get to every school in the county and we’ve been able to check several off the list over the past few years,” he says.

In addition to school visits, a workshop for choir students on Saturday afternoon will give students the opportunity to learn from Backtrack. Students will then perform alongside Backtrack for the evening performance at the Performing Arts Center. Participating high schools include Dover, Indian Valley, Newcomerstown, New Philadelphia, and Tusky Valley, as well as the Kent State Tuscarawas choir.

“I encourage everyone to come to the Saturday evening show on October 20 at the Performing Arts Center,” Mitchell adds. “We’ll have over 120 students on stage performing with Backtrack. It’s going to be a magical experience for the students as well as the audience.”

Backtrack is an award-winning, five-person a cappella group based in New York City that explores the power of the human voice through unique vocal arrangements, tight harmonies and world-class beatboxing. They infuse heart and humor into every performance and push the limits of a cappella by creating impressive covers of past and present pop music, writing inspiring original compositions and daring to take on unexpected genres such as classical and electronic music. They’ve garnered over 10 million YouTube video views and have appeared on PopTV & Scary Mommy’s "Lullaby League" hosted by Parks and Recreation star, Jim O’Heir, Steve Harvey's daytime show, STEVE!, and Broadway's Kinky Boots.

In addition to performing, Backtrack is passionate about inspiring and educating the youth of America about a cappella and the Performing Arts. Backtrack demonstrates this passion by adjudicating a cappella competitions, such as the Wyvern International A Cappella Festival, showcasing at a cappella festivals, such as the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) and SingStrong NY, and providing workshops to students across the nation.

Support for the educational outreach activities was received from the Tuscarawas County Community Foundation and the Dover Exchange Club.

Backtrack will perform on Saturday, October 20 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $30 and are on sale now at the Performing Arts Center box office, 330-308-6400 or online at www.kent.edu/tusc/pac. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Performing Arts Center’s 2018-2019 Season is sponsored by Michael Taylor Insurance and Financial Incorporated, an Allstate Agency. 

Free parking is available for all shows. Kent State Tuscarawas is located at 330 University Dr. NE in New Philadelphia.

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, KENT STATE UNIVERSITY AT TUSCARAWAS