Sing-On! Pentatonix has gone from record label reject to mainstream success in just a few years.... [+] (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images).
The five members of Pentatonix--Scott Hoying, Kevin Olusola, Kirstin Maldonado, Mitch Grassi and Avi
After winning The Sing-Off in 2011, the group got a $200,000 record deal--and was quickly dropped. So they turned to YouTube, where their pop-rock covers have garnered over 1 billion views. In 2014 their Christmas album sold over 1 million copies, one of only three acts to accomplish the feat that year; in 2015they took home their first Grammy and their self-titled album debuted atop the Billboard charts.
Like most of their fellow members of the Class of 2016, the singers of Pentatonix answered a battery of questions about their origins, influences and philosophy. Below you'll find out everything you need to know about the group (and possibly few things you didn't).
Date Of Birth
Scott Hoying: 09/17/91
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: 10/05/88
Mitch Grassi: 07/24/92
Kirstin Maldonado: 05/16/92
Avi Kaplan: 04/17/89
College / Major
Scott Hoying: USC (dropped out)
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: Yale / East Asian Studies & Pre-med
Mitch Grassi: N/A
Kirstin Maldonado: University of Oklahoma (dropped out)
Avi Kaplan: Mt. San Antonio College
Residence / Hometown
Scott Hoying: Los Angeles,
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: Los Angeles, CA / Owensboro, KY
Mitch Grassi: Beverly Hills, CA / Arlington, TX
Kirstin Maldonado: Los Angeles, CA / Arlington, TX
Avi Kaplan: Sherman Oaks, CA / Visalia, CA
Are you married? Do have children?
Scott Hoying: No / no
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: No / no
Mitch Grassi: No / no
Kirstin Maldonado: No / no
Avi Kaplan: No / no
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
Scott Hoying: Both
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: Early bird
Mitch Grassi: Both
Kirstin Maldonado: Night owl
Avi Kaplan: Night owl
How much student debt do you have?
Scott Hoying: $0
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: $0
Mitch Grassi: $0
Kirstin Maldonado: $0
Avi Kaplan: $0
Who's your dream mentor?
Scott Hoying: Beyonce
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: Quincy Jones
Mitch Grassi: Imogen Heap
Kirstin Maldonado: Meryl Streep
Avi Kaplan: Sam Beam of Iron & Wine / Simon & Garfunkel
Who's your single biggest influence?
Scott Hoying: Beyonce
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: My parents
Mitch Grassi: Imogen Heap
Kirstin Maldonado: Jennifer Lopez / Kelly Clarkson
Avi Kaplan: My family
Which gadget can't you live without?
Scott Hoying: iPhone
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: iPhone
Mitch Grassi: iPhone
Kirstin Maldonado: iPhone
Avi Kaplan: Computer
What's your go-to app?
Scott Hoying: Twitter / Postmates
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: iBooks
Mitch Grassi: Twitter
Kirstin Maldonado: Instagram
Avi Kaplan: Twitter / Instagram
At what age did you decide what you wanted to do in life?
Scott Hoying: 8
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: 20
Mitch Grassi: 14
Kirstin Maldonado: 16
Avi Kaplan: 15
What's the single most important trait for entrepreneurs?
Scott Hoying: I have found that it is crucial for an entrepreneur to execute an idea shortly after it comes. Move fast while you're still inspired.
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: Belief in your ability.
Mitch Grassi: Work ethic.
Kirstin Maldonado: Drive.
Avi Kaplan: Drive.
How do you define success?
Scott Hoying: Success is being able to live a comfortable and happy life doing what you love to do.
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: If I’m fulfilled mentally, spiritually, and physically by my daily activities and I’m constantly striving to grow by living out of my comfort zone, then I am successful.
Mitch Grassi: Success is feeling fulfilled in your work, but striving to progress even when you've reached a high point.
Kirstin Maldonado: Success is not defined by money or status necessarily, but by how many people you've impacted and how fulfilled you feel with your decisions. If you can garner all of these things, then more power and success to you, but all in all you must feel happy and satisfied with what you personally have put out into the world.
Avi Kaplan: By how many people you positively affect and how much good you do in the world.
Why did you start your career?
Scott Hoying: I started my career because I love to sing and felt I was really good at it. I thought it would be a successful avenue for me.
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: I finally realized that not only was I passionate about music, but I had a unique way of thinking of music. I loved the idea of playing cello whilst beatboxing, and I ran with it. I didn’t realize that it would put me in front of people like Quincy Jones or Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang, or even lead me to my current job, being the beatboxer of Pentatonix.
Mitch Grassi: I feel stifled if I can't express myself. I want to share my perception of the world with others through my music. Primarily, I want to enrich others' lives with the music I make, because that's what music did for me all my life.
Kirstin Maldonado: I loved performing and knew it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, that regardless of monetary success I wanted to make an impact while doing what I loved and that would be successful for me.
Avi Kaplan: To bring light to others with music.
Where were you when you launched your career?
Scott Hoying: I was in college living with eight other people from my collegiate a cappella group, SoCal VoCals. They encouraged me to go for it.
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: I was in my residential college at Yale (Morse College) during spring break of my junior year. I was in the library on my knees praying to God to show me how to make a career out of music.
Mitch Grassi: It truly took off when I moved to Los Angeles with Pentatonix. That was the moment we decided that what we had was something very unique and special, and that we wanted to create an empire.
Kirstin Maldonado: My career started the second we auditioned for The Sing-Off on NBC in 2011.
Avi Kaplan: In the SoCal Vocal house.
What's the best way to describe this generation?
Scott Hoying: Busy.
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: Questioners.
Mitch Grassi: Creators / Consumers.
Kirstin Maldonado: This generation is incredibly creative and has all the potential and resources in the world. The only thing standing in their way is social media/internet prattle that boggles down their ability to truly believe in themselves.
Avi Kaplan: Impatient.
What's the first song you ever learned by heart?
Scott Hoying: "Something To Talk About" by Bonnie Raitt.
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Variations" (Suzuki Method) on my cello when I was eight.
Mitch Grassi: Most likely a Britney Spears song.
Kirstin Maldonado: "Love Story" by Andy Williams.
Avi Kaplan: Something by Bill Withers.
What's the best concert you've ever attended?
Scott Hoying: Beyonce's I Am... Tour.
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: Justin Timberlake: The 20/20 Experience Concert.
Mitch Grassi: James Blake or SOPHIE.
Kirstin Maldonado: Sara Bareilles.
Avi Kaplan: James Vincent McMorrow.
If you could listen to only one album for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Scott Hoying: Our self titled album, Pentatonix. I know that's a self-absorbed answer, but it is my proudest creative accomplishment, and I genuinely enjoy listening to it a lot. There are so many good memories associated with it.
Kevin "K.O." Olusola: Jacqueline du Pre playing Elgar's Cello Concerto.
Mitch Grassi: Details by Frou Frou.
Kirstin Maldonado: 21 by Adele.
Avi Kaplan: Our Endless Numbered Days by Iron & Wine
For more about the business of music, check out myJayZ biography,Empire State of Mind,and my other book,Michael Jackson, Inc. You can alsofollow me onTwitter,Facebookand bysubscribing to my quarterly newsletter.