This year Wilsonville High School’s Acapella group Soul’d Out placed first in the semifinals for ICHSA competition. This win puts them in the running for the finals, meaning they will travel to New York in late April to compete against the best groups in the country. On Friday, the 26th of January, Soul’d out performed 3 songs; Nothing Hold Me Back, Brother, and Green Gardens. They won the competition by 1 point, just beating Sunsets group.

The group put in a lot of prep for the conversation. Michael Dart said that the really worked on being a strong group rather and better themselves then worry about the conversation. He said they also focused on their songs and connection as a group by having a lot of talk about how they work together. “Before each performance” Michael said, “we get in a circle and talk about how each of us feel and appreciate each other, I think it really connects before the performance. When we won, I think we all just embraced and hugged each other. We were so surprised and proud.”

Soul’d Out has traveled to the finals before, most recently in 2014. This exposes them to groups from all over the country. The group is going to put in a lot of hard work to do well. They plan on perfecting their performance as well as becoming closer as a group. Soul’d Out is also looking to fundraise for the big trip with performances and a possible concert. Each member is excited to compete in the finals on April 20th and show off Soul’d Out’s talent.