From the Beginning
One proud and happy chorus after our 2019 Division A win with a score of 596, 3rd Place overall.
A Cappella Unlimited Chorus began in 2009 as a concept by a carpool of Sweet Adelines traveling from Austin to Houston, TX, for weekly chorus rehearsals as dual members of the Houston Horizon Chorus. At the time, there were limited opportunities for women's a cappella singing in the rapidly growing central corridor of I-35 north of the New Braunfels and south of Austin, TX.
The first informational meeting was held on September 30, 2010 at Texas State University, and the group officially became Prospective A Cappella Unlimited Chorus on November 18, 2010. In February of 2011, Katy Dane and Grant Goulding joined the chorus as Co-Directors. The chorus received its charter from Sweet Adelines Interrnational on December 5, 2011.
Our Director
Our incredible director Katy Dane
Katy DAne
Katy Dane, a multi-talented music educator, director & coach, received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa where she concentrated in K-12 Vocal and Instrumental Music Education. She moved to Texas to pursue a Masters of Music in Choral Conducting at Texas State University – San Marcos, joining Sweet Adelines International (SAI) as a Director with A Cappella Unlimited in 2011 and the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) as a Director with A Cappella Texas in 2017. Katy has been teaching for 13 years; private voice & quartet coaching, 7-12th choir, 9-12th music theory, 4-12th strings, and founded the SCUC ISD contemporary a cappella group Mixed Company. As a Director she lead Mixed Company to 6 ICHSA Regional Semifinal contests, Southwest Regional Champion in 2013 and qualified in the Top 10 at ICHSA Finals in NYC. In the barbershop genre she has been on the Music Education team for Great Gulf Coast Region 10 (SAI), a faculty member at Harmony University International in Orlando & Nashville (BHS), and directed the Region 10 Young Women in Harmony Chorus, Southern Belles, to the BHS Midwinter Festival in 2017. As Director of A Cappella Unlimited, founded in San Marcos in 2011, she directed them to 1st Place Division A Small Chorus Championships in 2013-2015, 2017-2018, 3rd place overall chorus, and the 2018 Audience Choice Award in Region 10 (SAI). A Cappella Unlimited has qualified in the top 5 International for Division A Choruses and will be competing in New Orleans in 2019 in Harmony Classic (SAI). As Director of A Cappella Texas in Austin, Texas since 2017, they earned Most Improved Chorus in Plateau A Southwestern Division, overall Most Improved Chorus in the Southwestern District, and 4th place in the Southwestern District (BHS). Katy is a past participant of the Sing! Texas Festivals, a 3 year member of the Sing! Texas Board of Directors and is serving as President for 2018-2019. She currently lives in Georgetown, TX where she teaches middle school Orchestra, Choir, and Theatre 1 at Benold Middle School.
Through the Years
2010 – First rehearsals
2011 – Chartered December 5th
2012 – First SAI Contest with Great Gulf Coast Region 10; 5th place Division A Chorus, 8th place overall
2013 – Barbershop Day in San Marcos June 22nd, AuFM Radio Show at Dick’s Classic Car Garage, San Marcos, TX, State of Texas Barbershop Appreciation Day established July 13th, United We Sing with Heart of Texas Chorus, SAI Contest with Great Gulf Coast Region 10; 1st place Division A Chorus, 5th place Overall Chorus, Most Improved Chorus
2014 – Texas A Cappella Celebration with the Contemporary A Cappella Society and Delila, United We Sing with Heart of Texas Chorus, Sights & Sounds of Christmas in San Marcos, TX SAI Contest with Great Gulf Coast Region 10; 1st place Division A Chorus, 5th place overall chorus
2015 - STACCATO A Cappella Festival with Cluster & Clearly Vocal, Recording Session Music Lab, Austin, TX, United We Sing with Heart of Texas Chorus, SAI Contest with Great Gulf Coast Region 10; 1st place Division A Chorus, 5th place overall chorus
2016 – Sing! Vocal Arts Festival with Mark Hale, Deke Sharon & Straight No Chaser, SAI Contest with Great Gulf Coast Region 10; 2nd place Division A Chorus, 4th place overall Chorus
2017 - SAI Contest with Great Gulf Coast Region 10; 1st place Division A Chorus, 4th place Overall Chorus, Region 10 Summer Workshop Masterclass with Kim Wonders. Region 10 Competition 1st Place Division A Chorus; 4th Place overall
2018 - Coaching with Joe Cerruti, Kim Wonders, Steve Scott, MaryAnn Wydra followed by an awesome showing at Regional Competition in March with a 1st Place Division A, 3rd Place overall and Audience Favorite! In May received an invitation to compete in SAI’s September 2019 Harmony Classic in New Orleans, LA….ecstatic barely describes how we felt receiving this honor. This is a goal we have worked for since the beginning. Now the journey starts!!
2019 - Began our year being coached by Vickie Mabury and our annual retreat with Joe Cerutti. • Then on to regional competition where we once again finished 1st in Division A Small Chorus and 3rd overall out of 15 choruses with our highest score ever…596! We debuted our new costumes at the Show of Champions…gold sneakers were a hit! • Participated in the SING Texas Crossroads event in April with the Marcsmen, hosted by Cuero ISD. It was a day-long music “camp” for middle school students. HARMONY CLASSIC. It was an awesome experience for Au…our first-ever trip to International as a competing chorus. We came away with a 2nd Place finish in Harmony Classic Division A and achieved Master Singer status with a score of 1200!