The idea of 5-Alone was conceived in the fall of 1999. I approached four students about starting a jazz a cappella quintet with myself as the fifth member. Encouraged by the succss of our first performance, we continued singing throughout the spring and debuted officially as 5-Alone at the Iron Horse in June, 2000.

Now 5-Alone is an accredited performing arts class at PVPA. We’ve come a long way from the days of rehearsing at lunch and after school. 5-Alone has gained a considerable amount of attention in a very short time. Awards and honors have been piling up from DownBeat Magazine, C.A.S.A., A-Capella.com, The National Harmony Sweepstakes, R.A.R.B., Primarily A Cappella, Berklee College of Music, and the I.A.J.E. 5-Alone has performed all over the world, including New York, California, and The Netherlands, and has turned the world of high school a cappella upside down.

The name 5-Alone comes from the five part close harmony jazz arrangements that we sing: five singers, each singing alone on a part. These days it’s become a running joke in the group that rarely are there five people on stage, but the majority of our songs are five part harmony.

5-Alone strives to reproduce the songs of our favorite groups (see links) as well as to create our own unique sound. If you like what you hear, please send us a message and say hello. Or better yet, purchase a CD and help to support our program. We hope to see you at a performance soon!


Tony Lechner
Founder/Director, 5-Alone



PVPA is "short" for
Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter High School.
Please click on this LINK to find out more about the school.