Pentatonix is an a cappella group of five vocalists, Scott Hoying, Kirstie Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, Avi Kaplan and Kevin Olusola, originating from Arlington, Texas. The group won the third season of The Sing-Off on November 28, 2011 broadcast on NBC, singing an a cappella arrangement of "Eye of the Tiger" originally performed by the band Survivor. Pentatonix won $200,000 and a recording contract with Sony. Pentatonix began with three friends: Kirstie Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, and Scott Hoying at Martin High School in Arlington, Texas.Hearing of a local radio show hosting a competition to meet the cast of Glee, they arranged a trio version of "Telephone" and sent it in. Although they did not end up winning the competition, it sparked attention around their school, where the group began performing. After their version of "Telephone" gained attention on YouTube, they continued performing. With The Sing-Off auditions announced for season three, they added two more performers, Avi Kaplan and Kevin Olusola and renamed the group "Pentatonix".[2] They successfully auditioned for the show and eventually went on to win the title for 2011 (season 3). The group derives its influences from pop, dubstep, electro, reggae, and hip-hop. As of January 2012, they have been releasing music videos. Their much-anticipated EP, "PTX Vol. 1", was released on June 26, 2012, charting at #14 in the US Billboard 200 :. It sold 20,000 copies in its first week of release.
