Alphabeat Acapella, one of Google’s a capella groups, performs during the 7th annual Techapella, a concert series featuring the tech industry’s employee-organized a capella groups. This year’s event will include four concerts showcasing a total of 19 different groups. (Photo by Federica Armstrong)

Silicon Valley Harmony: the one thing all tech companies agree on is…a capella singing?

Check out our photos from Techapella, the highly spirited singing showcase of Bay Area tech employees.

What do all tech companies have in common? Employees who gave up on their dreams of winning American Idol. There are so many of these crooning coders, in fact, that they set aside a few nights every year to live out their wildest harmonic fantasies in a wholesome, hilarious, talent-filled phenomenon called Techapella. For seven years, Techapella has served as a showcase of vocal skill, where teams of coworkers from every major tech company compete in well-rehearsed a cappella battles (think dozens of software engineers belting out the Backstreet Boys facing off against app developers tearing up your heart with NSYNC).

Last weekend, the top tech talent at Apple, Facebook and the rest of the industry’s behemoths shed their glasses and hoodies, emerging from dressing rooms at Redwood City’s Fox Theatre clad in black leather and gold, or color coordinated blazers, or matching blue bows. They were no longer Googlers — they were Alphabeat. No longer LinkedIn employees, but InTune. And while the sight of groups of millennials loudly harmonizing on various street corners before the show can be comical, a lot of these techies have some serious skill.

Six Fifty photographer Federica Armstrong was on hand to capture all of the up-tempo tech tunes. Take a look….

Apple’s a capella group — ‘Keynotes.’ Founded in 2016, the group performs mostly contemporary music. (Photo by Federica Armstrong)

Alphabeat hit the high notes. (Photo by Federica Armstrong)

Lindsay Alford welcomes the audience to the Techapella concert at the Fox Theatre in Redwood City. Alford, a member of Google’s Googapella, began producing the concert four years ago and is the CEO and Executive Director of the newly formed Techapella non-profit organization. (Photo by Federica Armstrong)

“Internote” is the first inter-company a capella group. Alex Feldman, center stage, is one of their leading singers. (Photo by Federica Armstrong)

Founded in 2014, LinkedIn’s a capella ‘InTune’ is famous for their mashups and lively performances. (Photo by Federica Armstrong)

Google’s Googapella performs a rendition of “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego” with Alex Feldman as the famous video game villain. (Photo by Federica Armstrong)

‘Alphabeat’ is one of the 25 tech-employee a capella groups based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The goal of the newly formed Techapella non-profit organization is to bring together tech workers to form friendships and support the arts in Bay Area communities. (Photo by Federica Armstrong)

Facebook’s ‘The Vocal Network’ was founded in 2013 and—together with Googapella—is one of the two original tech-employee a cappella groups who performed at the very first Techapella concert 7 years ago. (Photo by Federica Armstrong)

Mary Belcher and Alex McCarthy lead the performance of Google’s Googapella. (Photo by Federica Armstrong)

Members of ‘InTune’ take a break backstage, at the Fox Theater in Redwood City. (Photo by Federica Armstrong)

Members of Apple’s ‘Keynotes’ perform during the concert at the Fox Theatre, in Redwood City, on Sunday, October 20, 2019. (Photo by Federica Armstrong)

Michelle Zhang takes the lead with ’Internote.’ (Photo by Federica Armstrong)

Friends wait for the singers after the concert to congratulate them on their performance. (Photo by Federica Armstrong)

Techapella’s next concert will be held in San Francisco on November 10th. Click here for full details.

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