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Three a cappella groups in Prince George's County defy what most people think of when they think of a cappella, which tends to be the old barbershop quartets.

The Chromatics sing comedic, educational songs about science; they are sort of the Bill Nye The Science Guy of a cappella. The Maryland Generics, the all-male a cappella group at the University of Maryland, College Park, are far from being generic.

Kol Sasson, a Jewish a cappella group, also from the University of Maryland, College Park, sing an array of music: from Israeli and American pop music to songs in Hebrew.

But all three hope to expand the definition of groups who sing without any instruments to support them.

The Chromatics

Combining their passion for music and science is how The Chromatics created their name. The name was chosen because of the musical chromatic scale and the light spectrum.

The Chromatics, based in Greenbelt, began singing together in 2002. There are six members: Padi Boyd, soprano, and Deb Nixon, mezzo-soprano, both of Greenbelt; Barry Mahaffey, tenor, of Lancaster, Pa.; John Meyer, baritone and vocal percussion, of Westminster; and Alan Smale, bass, and Karen Smale, alto, both of Gambrills.

The Smales and Boyd work at NASA and the other three members hold technical jobs. Because of their career fields, singing about science is natural to them and a way to relax.

"It's a release from our day jobs," Karen Smale said. "We work in technical fields with high pressure. It's nice not to think about work and release."

Alan Smale enjoys being part of the group because of the way members connect.

"At the end of a bad day or week the last thing I want to do is rehearse," he said. "But when we're all here singing, it clicks again and it's just a wonderful thing. It's a great group of people."

The group rehearses one night each week for about three hours and performs about 20 times per year.

The songs have educational messages and are word heavy, said Boyd, a program scientist for NASA's Kepler mission at NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C. She wrote "Swift Song" – about NASA's Swift satellite – as NASA was working on Swift in 2004.

"We have light-hearted songs and don't take ourselves too seriously," she said.

"Doppler Shifting" is about how The Chromatics know what they do about astronomy.

Since 1997 they have recorded at Blue House Productions in Silver Spring and released five CDs, Alan Smale said. Each member has more than 100 songs memorized; 80 can be sung without rehearsing.

They write most of their own songs, which are about everyday life: TV, the Internet, Blackberrys and traffic, Boyd said.

"It's collaborative; we aren't ego driven," Alan Smale said.

The Chromatics perform in Maryland and the Washington D.C., metropolitan area: at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., the national anthem at an Orioles game in Baltimore, at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C., and at First Night in Alexandria, Va.

The Maryland Generics

This collegiate a cappella group is anything but generic.

"We aren't a traditional barbershop a cappella group," said Will Stem, 21, a senior and group member for four years.

The Maryland Generics tell jokes to their audience in between songs and arrange their own music from songs written by groups such as Motown, Coldplay and OutKast.

The all-male group was formed in 1987 at the University of Maryland, College Park, under the name 501 Blues, said Christopher Barrow, a former group member and business manager who graduated from Maryland this year. 501 Blues – wearing Levi jeans and white t-shirts – went to different dormitories and sang to girls.

501 Blues' members petitioned the jeans company to sponsor the group, Barrow said. The clothier should jump at the chance to publicize its brand on Maryland's flagship campus, right? Not quite. Levi officials not only declined a sponsorship, they threatened to sue. In response, 501 Blues changed its name to the most generic moniker members could think of.

Currently, the group has nine members: Aaron Chamberlain, sophomore; Brandon Draper, junior; David Fakunle, senior; John Jubar, sophomore; Paul Lambert, junior; Ben Lurye, senior; Kevin McGuinness, junior; Jared Owens, sophomore; and Will Stem, senior.

"We depend on crowd response," Stem said. The Maryland Generics say collegiate audiences are most enthusiastic.

"The energy from the audience makes the show better," said McGuinness, 20, a group member for three years.

Barrow agreed.

"We get all fired up when the audience responds," he said. "Collegiate crowds are the most responsive."

The group performs 15 to 20 times each semester, on and off campus, McGuinness said. The number of songs they perform depends on the show and audience, but they average12.

Their first performance for the 2008-09 school year was Aug. 30 following the University of Maryland and University of Delaware football game.

The nine current members and two alumni performed for about 50 people, Barrow said. They sang: "Me Love," by Sean Kingston; "Uptown Girl," by Billy Joel; "Sir Duke," by Stevie Wonder; and "Thank You," by Boyz II Men.

On campus they perform four main shows each year, Barrow said. In the fall they perform a mid-semester show and at SpamJam and in the spring they perform a mid-semester show and at SpamFest.

At their four main campus shows they perform in front of 350 to 800 people, Barrow said. At home basketball games they sing in front of 10,000 to 20,000 people.

Big crowds create a higher energy level for the group.

"The more [people to perform in front of] the better," Lurye said.

The Maryland Generics call the week before a show "hell week" because rehearsals begin at 7 p.m. and last until 1 or 3 a.m., Barrow said.

Regular rehearsals are three times each week for at least two hours, Lurye said.

Group members frequently travel to other universities to perform: as far north as the University of Massachusetts in Boston and as far south as Duke University in Durham, N.C., Barrow said.

Since 1987, the group has released three CDs, Lurye said.

Members have about 60 songs memorized, Barrow said. One of their favorite songs is "I Want You Back" by Jackson 5.

Auditions were held Sept. 8 and 9 and anywhere from three to 30 people audition every semester, McGuinness said.

Kol Sasson

In Hebrew, Kol Sasson means "voices of joy." Group members sing together because of the joy singing and each other brings to them.

"It's fun to do what you love; singing with your friends," said Daniela Murch, 21, senior and group member for three years.

Kol Sasson president and junior Monique Lubaton, 19, agreed.

"We are role models when we sing at schools and we show college students they can keep their Judaism and be cool," she said.

Kol Sasson is one of two Jewish a cappella groups at the University of Maryland, College Park.

The group currently has 13 members: Josh Aizen, sophomore; Rachel Attner, senior; Melanie Blatt, sophomore; Michael Braun, junior; Stefanie Corbin, senior; Hillary Hirsch, senior; Evan Lambert, junior; Shawn Levine, senior; Monique Lubaton, junior; Carolyn Muraskin, junior; Daniela Murch, senior; Jacob Silvermetz, junior; and David Zussman, junior.

The group formed in 1997, Murch said, but dissolved in the spring of 2002 after recording a CD. Kol Sasson reformed the following fall with new members. Current members are working on their fourth CD, which should be released in late spring 2009.

"We arrange our own music but don't write our own," Lubaton said. "It's very collaborative."

Kol Sasson sings traditional Hebrew songs and Israeli pop music, said Lambert, 19, a group member for two years. They also sing music by John Mayer, Billy Joel and Sara Bareilles.

"We sing half our songs in Hebrew and half in English," he said.

Kol Sasson practices two times each week for two and a half hours for its 15 to 20 performances each semester and 30 to 40 performances each school year, Lubaton said.

They usually perform off campus at bar and bat mitzvahs and at weddings but want to start performing more on campus, Murch said.

Their first performance for the current academic year was Sept. 5 at The Ben and Esther Rosenbloom Hillel Center for Jewish Life to welcome back students, get their name out and attract freshmen to auditions, said Zussman, 20, a group member for two years.

The group has performed the national anthem at home sporting events and at its various shows, Murch said. Off campus, it's performed twice at the National Security Agency, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., and at synagogues, community centers, schools. It's also preformed for dignitaries including former Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich and President George W. Bush.