Issaquah High School graduate Aryn Chatterton, a member of the singing group Boots ‘n’ Cats at Central Washington University, is preparing to travel to Southern California to compete in the Varsity Vocals International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella regional semifinals on April 5.

Chatterton is a junior at the university in Ellensburg where she and six of her classmates formed the small, mixed a cappella group. She is pursuing a degree in music.

Chatterton grew up in a musical household with a father who plays piano and a mother who sings. This is the first time she’s been part of an a cappella group.

“It’s kind of like being in a great relationship. It’s not a connection you find every day,” she said.

The other singers who make up Boots ‘n’ Cats are Bo Mendez, Emily Salisbury, Nicole Prigge, Antonio Fernandez, Sarah Hemenway, and Ben Lundgren.

The name Boots ‘n’ Cats was suggested as a joke, but it stuck. Repeating the words boots and cats while emphasizing only the consonants is a way for beginners to grasp the concept of beat boxing, aka vocal percussion.

The group sings feel-good music with toe tapping beats. Each song tells a story, and the group’s set arrangement tells another story. It’s a 12-minute presentation that compels anyone within earshot to groove along.

Boots ‘n’ Cats finished second out of 10 groups in the February quarterfinals at Pacific Lutheran University. The placement advanced them to the semifinals next month at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif. The winners of that contest will advance to nationals on April 26 in New York City.

To learn more about the group, find them on Facebook. For more information about CWU’s music department go online to cwu.edu/music.