Honestly I don’t really have much to add to the discussion at this point, so I won’t belabor this here!  If somehow you stumbled on my site and you have no idea what The Sing-Off is, I was asked to write an article for CASA.org on the subject of the show and why it’s important to me to save it.  You can check that out here, and of course the official petition to save the show is here.  I’d also encourage you to check out SaveTheSingOff.com for more resources on how to show support for the show.

That’s all I’ve got for now!  If I hear any news worth sharing, I’ll post it here.  In the meantime THANK YOU to everyone who has supported the movement so far!  Seeing people say things like “this show made me start singing again,” or “I’m a teacher and I show The Sing-Off to my kids to inspire them” reminds me not just of why I love The Sing-Off, but why I love a cappella in general!

Let’s keep it going as long as we can – this movement can make a difference if we make our voices heard!

#SaveTheSingOff!

News

I just finished up my second arrangement for the upcoming Forte Originals Project.  I’m really happy to see this group pick up where I left off with Ascending Height six years ago – more original music coming from the high school level is just what we need!  As I’ve said before, those high schoolers become college singers, who in turn graduate and join CAL/pro groups.  The fact that these guys and gals are already writing at such a high level is wonderful, and I can’t wait for you to hear what we’ve come up with together!

I’ve also have another arrangement coming out very soon for a super-secret project that I can’t speak of yet.  Suffice to say, I heard a first cut the other day, it sounds awesome, and it features lots of people who sing really, really well.  Vague, I know, but I’m excited to share!  Stay tuned!

My Friends Are Doing Cool Things

It’s been too long since I’ve done one of these.  Since I clearly have The Sing-Off on my brain, let’s do a Sing-Off alumni addition!

Amy Whitcomb, one of the lead singers for Delilah has a fantastic version of Beyonce’s “Love On Top.”  The video is cute, and the key changes are expectedly awesome.  I was in awe of her voice all summer, and nothing’s changed.

By the way, this video is currently in a head-to-head contest over at TopBlip, so you should definitely Check that out and vote her through!

Michael Odokara-Okigbo of the Darmouth Aires just put out this nice video covering Sara Bareilles’ “Gravity.”  Michael was known on the show for doing big, in-your-face theatrical numbers, so it’s nice to hear him slow it down here.  The falsetto notes at the beginning are really sweet!

Finally, Peter Hollens and Scott Hoying of Pentatonix recently released a preview of their a cappella cover of Chris Brown’s “Turn Up The Music.”  You can check it out here.  Keep your eyes peeled for the video coming soon – the screenshots I’ve seen look really amazing.

‘Til next week!

-R

Last week’s article was by far the most viewed post in the history of the site!  I feel now a tremendous pressure to follow up with something equally as interesting and provocative that gets to the heart of issues burning within all of us.

I got nothing!

Well, not nothing – last week’s entry resulted in lots of great conversation that I’m still working to process.  I had a fantastic Twitter discussion with Ben Stevens that revolved around the question of whether a group can or should entirely disengage from the grading rubric presented by what I like to think of as the “tastemakers” in the a cappella community (these being organizations that typically reward successful groups with bragging rights, exposure, and/or great experience – the ICCAs, BOCA, SING, Voices Only, etc…).

This discussion feeds a concept that I find very interesting within our ranks: namely the fact that “amateurs” contribute a large chunk of our communal creative output (and by “amateurs” I mean the traditional, French definition: “lover of,” or those doing it for fun!).  A significant portion of a cappella obviously happens at the collegiate level, and the groups creating this music vary wildly in their goals.  Some want to win competitions; some just want to host drinking competitions.

I’m a firm believer that there’s no right or wrong there – art should be an outlet for enjoyment as much as an outlet for expression and creativity for those who wish to pursue it as such.  If your enjoyment comes from singing once a week with your friends and cracking a brew afterward, go for it!  If your enjoyment comes from winning ICCAs and turning the world on its ear with great albums, go for it!  There’s no wrong way to enjoy music.

That being said, it’s also my belief that the latter camp is the one that needs more thoughtful attention in order to thrive!  A Google search will send casual singers and hobbyists in the right direction toward everything they need to be successful and have fun making music together (in fact, if you’re reading this, you’re already in the right place – just click around on that sidebar for resources!).  What is less readily available are the tools for those who wish to break boundaries and focus on the expression and creativity side of the art.

There will always be visionaries in any field who will break the mold on their own; who will rise above the system to succeed on their own terms.  However, I believe that it is unusual for those people to just emerge from thin air.  Most of them “play the game” first, so to speak.  They find great success within the established frameworks of their respective communities, picking up knowledge along the way that will be later brought to bear when they are in uncharted waters.

This is why I feel so strongly about constantly examining the way we do things now.  Like it or not, there are a small handful of systems in place that most people see as benchmarks to success.  Once in a blue moon someone will come out of nowhere to rock the boat, but more often than not they will begin by seeking to achieve the pre-established benchmarks.  I think it’s important that some of those benchmarks continue to include (to as great an extent as is reasonable) creativity, innovation, and expression, so that those who as thusly motivated have something to strive for without having to re-invent the game from day one!

(By the way, as you may have gathered, I’m as interested in re-inventing the game as I am in helping those who want to to simply play it better!  Those resources on the sidebar are for you folks, too.  Sure it’s a shameless plug, but this is my website, deal with it! )

Woah that turned into a much longer blurb than I expected!  I hope this sheds some light on why I feel the way I do about examining these issues – I think it benefits everyone in the long run.

Thanks for reading!  Next week I’ll try to steer clear of controversy and back into the realm of exploration and appreciation.  Some exciting announcements are coming really soon!

‘Til next time!

-R

But boy has this been a big part of my news feed…

Well ok, some of my work was showcased (more on that in a minute), so I was sort of there in spirit.  Still, why devote a blog entry to an event that I didn’t see with my own eyes?

Because the discussion is important, and I know from experience that without voices continually adding to the dialogue the topic disappears, and we miss the opportunity for growth as a community.  Part of what this blog has become, beyond my effort to keep those interested updated on my goings on, is a place for me to reflect publicly on things that I hope will spur critical thinking about important things happening in the world of a cappella music.  That thinking has brought us a tremendous way, and has so much further yet to carry us.

Ok, enough waxing poetic.  What do I have to add from my armchair that hasn’t already been said by those on the field?

Stuff I Did

The first part of this falls into the “keeping those interested up on my goings on” category!

I had two arrangements performed during the weekend – one in the High School competition and one in the Collegiate show.  Unfortunately, there’s no video of the High School one, but it was Briarcret OneVoice’s “Forever,” and by all accounts the kids did a fantastic job.  The group asked for a challenge with the arrangement, and I hope I delivered for them!  I can say with certainty that they delivered on the recording of it – keep your ears peeled for that soon!

The second arrangement was  the UGA Accidental’s closer “Something To Believe In.”

I watched the guys progress this tune through three rounds of competition, and I commend them immensely for the progress they made with it!  It’s always so gratifying to have a group really work through the challenges of what you give them, and the Accidentals are a group that I have seen do this time and time again.  As I once said on Twitter “these guys are a real mothingf-ing a cappella group!”

Stuff I Think

There has been a lot of controversy and disagreement surrounding the top three placements at this event – specifically many people bemoaning the lack of recognition for Voices In Your Head.

Here’s the deal: I’m not here to address the issue of who was “the best” (in quotes because even this idea is so subjective) or even who was “most deserving.”  I wasn’t there, and I didn’t see it myself, so I cannot have a reasonable opinion about this that isn’t based on second hand information or grainy YouTube footage.  Furthermore, as is usually the case at finals, I’m sure most of the groups deserved recognition for something.

No, what I do want to address are two key topics.  The first is an important issue that has risen from this controversy that, no matter your stance, I believe is a crucial point that needs to be considered with respect to the ICCAs in the future.  The second is a lesson that I think all groups can take away from this, and it’s something nobody is really talking about.

Topic #1 – Innovation vs. Nailing the Basics

So the discussion I’ve been hearing revolves largely around the placement of Voices in Your Head versus All The Kings Men.  I did see Voices’ set at BOSS, so I’m comfortable confirming that indeed that set had some great moments of innovation (the microphone movement to imitate sidechain compression, the choral additions to “We Found Love,” etc…).  Though I didn’t see the set, I’ve heard the Kings Men compared to the King’s Singers, so I’ll get on board with the idea that their tuning, blend, and rhythmic accuracy were a cut above.

So the King’s Men placed and Voices didn’t.  Everyone is up in arms about whether just nailing the technical side of things ought to be enough anymore.  I think most would agree that ideally we want to see both exemplary tuning and innovation, but are you willing to let precision slide a little in favor of something new and exciting that you haven’t seen before?

I can tell you that the ICCA judging rubric isn’t really set up to address “innovation” as an idea (unless its been changed since I last saw it in 2011).  The closest approximations are 10 points for “interpretation” (which I could imagine being used if a judge really like the creative way in which a group interprets a song), and 5 points for “creativity of movement” (which is more visual, so it’s not really applicable).  If you believe that innovation should be part of the actual scoring, then I think you’ve definitely got a case here.

Without registering an opinion myself, I would say that what I see at the heart of those clamoring for innovation is a concern that the ICCAs might become stale.  The competition is one of the most visible events that comes from our community every year, so what happens when the results become predictable and you can tell who is going to take the title based on the kinds of things they do and do not attempt in their set?  The Contemporary A Cappella community is all about breaking the stigma of what a cappella music is considered by the public to be – I understand the fear of one of our most high profile competitions feeding into that stigma.  I think it’s worth continued discussion!

Topic #2 – A Lesson – Buzz is Important!

Why the internet uproar over Voices’ lack of recognition?  It probably would have happened no matter what, but I would argue that it’s being magnified due to the group’s recent success in the BOSS collegiate competition!  If Voices hadn’t shown up and knocked our socks off there, I’m not sure they would have been as favored to win ICCAs and thus as hotly discussed when they didn’t place.

The lesson is: be visible!  Come to festivals, release great recordings, be awesome.  That way, no matter where you rank in the final results, you can’t lose.  People will either be talking about how much you deserved to win, or how screwed over you were by not winning.  That’s publicity you can’t buy!  Go out and earn it!

That’s all for now!  Congrats to all of the groups on what I heard was a great show!

If you feel so inclined, please keep the discussion going at the Human Feedback Facebook!  Should ICCAs be more specifically rewarding creativity?  Should we be looking for groups to push boundaries in their sets, or is it enough to be nailing the current mold?  Discuss!

-R

The big news this week is something you’ve probably seen elsewhere in the social media world already: I’ve been appointed to the newly created position at the Recorded A Cappella Review Board (or RARB for short) of “Marketing Director!”

Some of you who are familiar with RARB might be wondering what exactly this new position is all about, and how the changeover at RARB will affect the organization’s future. The short answer is that we hope expanding the RARB executive board to three people and adding this position will allow us to get our reviews back on a consistent release schedule while simultaneously looking to the future. The site needs a facelift, and what we do needs to be integrated into the aforementioned world of social media. RARB is about discussion, and that’s where the discussion has moved. It’s time for us to follow.

So where does the “Marketing Director” fit in? Basically what we’ve done is split what was the former editor Ben Stevens’ job into two halves. The first half, the new position of “editor-in-chief,” is being filled by long-time RARB editor Kimberly Sailor. Kimmie is taking over the internal workings of RARB: assigning reviewers to new projects, keeping tabs on their work, and generally coordinating everything that happens behind the curtain.

The second half is my new job of Marketing Director. Where Kimmie is focused on the internal organization of RARB, my focus is external, doing things like interfacing with groups seeking review, maintaining the organization’s social media presence, and taking point on the development of RARB’s new online image (stay tuned for that).

Kimmie and I are of course joined by veteran RARB technical director Michael Marcus, who is in change of all of the nitty gritty tech details of keeping RARB moving forward. He’s already bailed me out by answering tech questions for me a couple of times – bless his heart!

So that’s where RARB is today!  I’m very excited by the possibilities that this new division of labor will afford us, and I look forward to being a part of big changes in the coming months!

Oh, and if you’d like to contact me with my RARB hat on, it’s rdietz (at) rarb DOT org!  I’d be curious to hear: what do *you* want to see from RARB in the future?

-R

I mentioned a big announcement coming last week, which I neglected to post when it actually happened, so here it is!

Some of you may remember that last year Ithacappella, along with IC’s Premium Blend and Voice Stream, recorded a version of Katy Perry’s “Firework” to raise money for The Trevor Project.  The group decided to do a similar project this year, and I was contacted last November by the current president of the group and asked to arrange the new song, Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.”  Originally the project was just going to be all three Ithaca College groups again, but at the last minute Pentatonix signed on to join us.  They sing the bridge of the tune, and I’m so happy with how the whole project came out!

All proceeds from this tune go to benefit the Born This Way Foundation, and The Ali Forney Center for homeless LGBTQ youth in New York City – both great causes!  You can click the link above to get the track – please share it with your friends and help us get the word out!

Boston

The reason I forgot to share this when it actually happened is because I was neck deep in a cappella at the BOSS A Cappella Festival!  Some highlights from the weekend:

Friday

Each of these festivals typically begin with a Friday night collegiate group showcase, and this was by far my favorite to date!  Ithacappella competed and took 3^rd place using two of my arrangements, the CARA awards were a lot of fun (I didn’t win in my categories, but I lost to some ridiculously talented, not to mention incredibly humble people!), and I saw one of the single best collegiate performances of my life in Voices In Your Head’s “Titanium.”  The group is performing in the finals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella at the end of the month, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see them do pretty well there.

Saturday

Workshop highlights included a cool lesson on in-studio soloing, a fun performance with my rag-tag a cappella group “The Pick-Ups”, and an awesome/intimidating time sitting on a vocal percussion panel with the likes of Jeff Thacher and Jon Pilat.  The Saturday evening show was a blast as well – it was fun to see Traces strut their stuff, and Cadence schooled us all with their impeccable harmony and crazy vocal trumpet imitations.

Sunday

We had a great panel about RARB that was well attended.  I was really glad to see so many people asking questions and seeming genuinely interested in the future of the organization.  Big things are coming, stay tuned!

Epilogue

The weekend ended with a trip to the Boston Harmony Sweepstakes, in which several of my friends were performing with their respective groups.  Everyone sounded fantastic, but unfortunately the event continued to prove what I talked about in my blog a few weeks back, giving first place to a barbershop group that, while certainly talented, lacked the innovation offered by many other groups in the evening.  It only strengthened my resolve that we need a new competition to reward these younger groups taking new chances with their music.

-R

Tomorrow I hit the road for a two-week trip to the East Coast!  First, I’m heading up to Boston this weekend for the BOSS A Cappella Festival.  If you’re going to be at the festival, I’ll be participating in the RARB panel on Sunday morning – come say hi!  I’m also nominated as part of the Friday night CARAs Live award ceremony for “Best Male Collegiate Arrangement,” and Ithacappella is nominated for several awards in the “Male Collegiate” category.  Looking forward to a fun weekend with friends both new and old!

Speaking of Ithacappella, the next stop in my travels will be my hometown of Ithaca, New York for Ithacappella’s Block IV alumni concert.  The concert this year is at the historic, 1600 seat State Theatre of Ithaca – should be a great show!

By the way…

Look for a big announcement from Ithacappella this week!  Suffice to say, I did an arrangement for them that’s going to be getting some great exposure and raising money for an awesome cause.  There are special guests involved too…but I guess I have to wait until they make it public to say anything.  They’re friends of mine, they’re really talented, and working with them was a blast.  Stay tuned – I’ll update the site when the project is live!

Videos

This week I have several videos that I want to share with you guys from a concert I was part of in (of all places) my friend’s house a couple weeks ago!  The concert was a sort of “living room sessions” type deal – we literally set up a stage in my friend’s living room and invited a bunch of our talented friends over to play!  This actually resulted in some very cool collaborations, such as…

This was a tune of mine that I wrote in Australia for a project that never came to fruition.  I really liked the song though, and I wanted to do something to include the huge pool of talent in the room.  The result was this collaboration with fellow Sing-Off arranger Ben Bram, and YouTube sensation “Celloboxer,” Kevin Olusola!  Yep, he’s playing cello and doing the beat for me at the same time.  We put this together in an afternoon, but I’m really happy with how it came out!

After Kevin was nice enough to play and drum for me, I thought I’d pay it forward and do the same for Nate Tao.  You may have seen the video we posted of us doing this tune casually a few weeks ago – well we decided to practice a bit more and do an official version for this concert!  It was my first time beatboxing and playing guitar at the same time in front of people, but I actually really like how it all came out (and Nate sounds awesome, as usual).

There are many, many more awesome videos from this concert that you should definitely check out here.

Finally…

Not from that concert, but here’s a sneak preview of Harry Nichols’ upcoming album, on which I do a little singing and harmonica playing (and I also did the vocal editing for the whole album).

It’s gonna be gooooooood!

See you at BOSS!  Safe travels to all.

-R

Albums You Might Not Have Heard

I follow an online series of videos about the video game industry called Extra Credits, and I got this idea from them.  Every now and again they do an episode about games that they’ve played that, while maybe not technically the best games out there, are in some way charming or expand the genre in interesting ways.  Looking through my iTunes I saw several albums that I felt fit this category for a cappella music – albums a little off the beaten path that nevertheless are very much worth a listen.  Without further ado, here are four:

(By the way, you should check out that web series.  I’m not even really much of a gamer anymore, but they cover topics that pertain to all industries in a way that I find really engaging.  I’m planning to write an article soon about their episode on pacing, and how it relates to a cappella arranging!)

Ok, seriously, no more ado:

The Euphorics: Born To Sing 

www.euphorics.com

In five years of reviewing for RARB, this might actually be my favorite album to ever end up in my queue.  It’s not technically perfect, and I disagree with my fellow reviewer’s assessment that “the programmers at Melodyne could use the Euphorics as a reference point” (though I think that’s an awesome sentence).  No, in a deep ocean of tuned perfection, Born to Sing floats to the top because it is decidedly not so.  What it is, in large measure, is soulful, confident, positive, and charming.

Some may take issue with the minimalist arranging.  To that I say: an arrangement is only as good as what it allows the group to communicate.  Be it 40 parts or four, what matters is whether or not the performers make you feel something.  This group takes me though a spectrum of emotions on this album, and leaves me feeling good at the end.  90% of a cappella out there right now can’t touch that, and most doesn’t even try.  If you don’t mind a little honest, untuned singing (and trust me, you won’t), this album will make you smile.

(Side note – this group is Canadian.  Why they’re not a bigger part of the growing Canadian vocal music scene, I don’t know!)

The Ghost Files: New Folder

www.myspace.com/theghostfiles

In many ways, New Folder is a complete 180 from Born To Sing.  The latter is charming, warts and all, while the former is a bit more pristine and cerebral.  The common thread is the fantastic musicality.

Despite opening with a of pop, sort of dance-y tune, New Folder is really a choral album more in line with Whitacre than Whitney Houston.  The harmonies are lush, and the arrangements filled with those hair-raising chords that make you hit rewind.

When I first reviewed the album, I commented on the pacing making it a bit inaccessible.  I think it really depends on the mindset with which you enter the album.  If you’re expecting more of a pop/R&B vibe (which I was), you’ll be disappointed.  If, however, you go in looking for some arrestingly beautiful choral work, you’ll find yourself listening to some of the best out there.

Vox 11: Take Off

http://vox11.dk/?lang=eng

I almost didn’t include this one because it was featured on the Sing series, but I’d venture a guess that most people didn’t seek out the rest of this album.  You should.  It’s great!

Without naming names, I played some of this album for a member of a prominent American a cappella group who I knew wasn’t a big fan of most typical Contemporary vocal music.  His response: “that’s the first a cappella music I’ve heard in ten years that made me really want to go listen to more.”

You see, this album is inventive in all the right ways.  It presents non-Western soundscapes alongside radio pop quite seamlessly, with each style enhancing the other.  It’s actually sort of what I had originally expected from New Folder – some lush choral sounds with an equal measure of Contemporary music.  The result is truly interesting and well worth a look.

Todd Rundgren: A Cappella

Let’s end with a throwback, shall we?  If you’re an a cappella fan who was born before 1980, you may have heard this album.  I’ve included it for the folks my age, because it’s an integral part of the evolution of the sound of what we do, and I doubt it’s on the radar for most singers who joined the scene in the 2000’s.

Here’s the deal: this album came out in 1985.  To say that it was ahead of its time would be an understatement.  It would be almost a decade before the House Jacks would give us Naked Noise, and in the interim (at least to my knowledge) nobody tried anything like this.  The way he used his voice to create that full rock sound is something that became the foundation of the “vocal band” genre, which has since been the gateway to all kinds of styles that make up the scene today.

You may not love every song on this album (though there’s some pretty cool stuff there), but it’s worth a listen for the history lesson alone.  This was a look at the future of vocal music almost 30 years ago, and the blueprint we’ve been building on ever since.

That’s all for now.  Until next week, happy listening!

-R

That pretty much sums it up!  Ok, maybe not completely – the real question is why was everyone smiling?  Short answer: SingStrong is awesome!

Long answer: there’s a lot that I want to say about this weekend, and I struggled with how I wanted to present it in a single post.  Basically I realized that there are two main points I wanted to get across:

1) I saw a lot of really awesome talent that you should check out.

2) This event does a lot of things really well, and you should know about them if you plan, or are planning to plan, an a cappella festival.

I’ll tell you all about both, but first a little info on the event as a whole.

What is SingStrong?

Click here for full details, but here it is in a nutshell.

SingStrong is a yearly a cappella festival held in March, which happens at South Lakes High School in Reston, VA.  Over the course of Friday – Sunday there are a grand total of five main stage performances, two competitions (one open and one high school), numerous workshops and master classes, and two excellent after parties.  The festival is in its 5^th year at the South Lakes location, and the team behind it has been working together to plan events like this for eight years.

That’s what it is – here’s what makes it awesome.

The Talent

One of the coolest things about SingStrong is that the organizers make a point to showcase as many different styles and levels of a cappella music as possible.  Each of the five shows has a bit of a different flavor, but they all spotlight a wide array of talent.  Here are my highlights.

GQ

The core is barbershop, but the group’s repertoire extends to folk and pop music as well.  The result is a powerful sound that made both the Friday night judges and audience take notice and crown this group the “Aca Idol” champions.  That video doesn’t show their more modern repertoire, but this group is a great example of how you can take an older style of singing and use it to enhance current tunes.

The Cocktails

I had the pleasure of workshopping these girls on Saturday – keep your eyes out for them in the competition scene!  They’re driven, talented, willing to take chances, and really just the nicest girls you could hope to meet.

Julia Easterlin

Live looping is always cool, but what I think what sets Julia apart is how organically her songs seem to come from her voice.  The grooves that she sets up are awesome, but what really grabs me about her is how her hooks are so perfectly suited to her vocal style.  Because of that, her songs feel like they’re coming from a place that’s uniquely her, and it’s really compelling to watch.  So compelling, in fact, that the Saturday crowd gave her a standing ovation after her first song…and her second…and third.  I was right there with them.

Alex Glenfield

I mean, the guy sang a river.  Yes, you read that right.  How he does it is beyond me, but sure enough you can hear the gurgling flow of water in his voice as it produces a cascade of overtones that fill the room.  It’s impossible to describe – just check this guy out!

The Edge Effect

I don’t think that video quite does justice to how entertaining this group is on stage.  They’re electric, and the crowd was on their feet in seconds.  This incarnation of the group is pretty new, but they’re already really tight and polished.  I’m excited to see where they go from here.

There were many, many more awesome groups this weekend – these were just a few that I hadn’t seen before and who really caught my ear!  Seriously, if you want to have a great afternoon of a cappella listening, just go to SingStrong.org and look up videos of all the performers.  Just an unbelievable level of talent.

The Event

SingStrong is without a doubt one of the best festivals happening right now in terms of organization.  Here are some of the features of the event that make it effortlessly enjoyable.

1)   Lots of music.  Like I said above, there are a total of five main stage performances over the course of the weekend (and in fact there is a sixth, showcase performance on Saturday as well that takes place away from the main stage).  All this music exposes attendees to a wide variety of a cappella styles, and adds that much more motivation and inspiration to learn!

2)   The event has one official hotel, which also hosts the after parties.  This allows for maximum socialization and networking between attendees, and minimal transportation worries (there is a shuttle to and from the event site every half hour)!  The after party on Saturday is also open mic, which serves as a great ice breaker and a cool opportunity for attending groups who didn’t get to perform at the event to show their stuff.

3)   All of the workshops and concerts happen in the same building.  It’s hugely convenient, and lets attendees bounce more easily between multiple workshops.

4)   There’s an app that allows you to download the schedule to your iPhone for reference.  Included in this are the locations for every workshop, concert, and master class for the whole weekend – very helpful for both attendees and teachers!

5)   There are microphones available in all of the bigger teaching rooms.  Just a nice touch, as it saves the instructors some voice!

I’m sure I’m forgetting a few things, but those are definitely points to consider if you’re at the helm of a festival!

So, all in all a fantastic weekend!  My thanks go out to all the performers for sharing their considerable talents and to the SingStrong team for organizing such a wonderful event.  The fact that it’s all for charity is icing on the cake!

Hope to see you at SingStrong 2013!

-R

I’m off to the SingStrong A Cappella Festival this weekend in Reston, VA!  It will be my first SingStrong festival, and I’ve heard glowing reports from my friends who have attended before, so I’m very excited to check it out.  Compounding my excitement is the fact that I get to hang with my friends Pentatonix and Afro Blue Vocal Band, as both will be headlining the festival!

Check back next week for an account of my experiences there!

I’ll be away all weekend, so this week is all about tying up loose ends!  I’m doing some editing for Harry Nichols’ upcoming album, arranging some exciting stuff for Ithacappella (and in fact, just completed my 50^th arrangement for the group!), and as usual working on a whole bunch of stuff that I can’t talk about yet.  There’s some stuff in the mix right now that I’m really looking forward to sharing down the road!

Mics

Microphones have been a common theme in my life this week.  Deke Sharon posted what I believe is one of the most important articles ever on CASA.org about the use of microphones by large college groups.  Best line: “But if we want to reach the masses, they need to be able to hear us.”  As usual, he’s spot on – go give it a read!

He tackles one issue in particular that I’d like to expand on:

ONE BASS: Unless your group is going for a very choral sound, it’s usually the case that a group will sound better and tune better when there is just one person on the bass line.

I see and hear about groups resisting the “one bass” option all the time, and I don’t get it.  Having one bass on any given song doesn’t mean you can only have one bass in the group at a time.

While “one bassing” it actually frees you up to do this, you can still have multiple basses in your group and use them differently for each song.  Still using the one bass formula, you have a choice with multiple bassists as to whose tone you want to use for any given tune.  The guys not singing bass can probably jump up to low bari parts – even the lowest basses I’ve ever worked with can get up to middle C!

Using only one bass for on-mic shows doesn’t mean you can’t use multiple basses for off-mic shows as well.  Just have your basses learn both a unified bass part and a low bari part, so you have flexibility as far as what they’re singing for each show.  You know how some basses like to complain that their parts are too easy/repetitive/boring?  Problem solved.  Now they’re going to complain about having too much to memorize…

Suddenly inspiration strikes for my new children’s book:

…or maybe that should be a “Barry” part?

-R

This week is particularly busy, as I’ve taken on some really unique projects involving cool, new styles of music that I haven’t worked with in the past.  I’m really thrilled to be getting into this new territory, and I’m excited to share this work with you all in the future, but unfortunately my lips must be sealed for the time being!

In the interest of keeping this week’s update brief, here’s a segment I’ve had planned since the site first launched, but haven’t had a chance to write yet:

 “That’s What I Like About That”

A segment exploring, in brief, (mostly a cappella) stuff that really moves me!

For this installment, I want to talk about:

5 Moments That I Really Like

I listen to a lot of a cappella, and it’s pretty rare that I’ll hear something that just makes me hit rewind over and over again.  Sometimes it will be for a particularly emotional solo moment, a neat arranging trick, a cool VP sound, etc.  Whatever it is, it just grabs me!

So, submitted for the approval of the acageek society, here are 5 such moments for me, and why I like them so much.

The Binghamton Crosbys – “Mama” – 3:45-4:05

I mean, just listen to that solo (Evan Behlivanis).  It’s as raw a lead as you’re likely to find in the collegiate world, full of emotion and power.  The high note at 3:55 just sails over the texture and really hits home.

The background texture is important too – the tone of the backs is powerful, but not overbearing.  They also sound vocal, but are mixed in a way that removes the individuality from each voice, so that the overall effect is just a wall of tone.  It’s the perfect support for the soloist to really wail.

The Hyannis Sound – “Feels Like Today” – 2:20 – 2:30

My love of this moment is well documented.  What can I say – it’s just awesome.  The solo is amazing, and I love that the backs pretty much stay out of the way until the downbeat following that big high note.  The group could have easily done some kind of pick-up pattern to try and shoot the energy forward there, but I think this is a good example of when leaving space is actually more effective than adding notes.

Northwestern Undertones – “Eet” – :40 – :45

This album was a massive leap forward from their previous work, and moments like this are why.  The first time I heard it; I must have replayed it a dozen times to figure out what was going on.  I love the percussiveness of the word “beat” used in a cascade like that.

It’s a small thing, but I love that the alto part moves melismatically through the center of the expanding chord.  I’m not even sure why I like that so much – maybe because it adds just the right amount of stability to what is otherwise a very frantic passage.  I dunno, I just like it!

The House Jacks – “Dive Into You” – 2:45 – 2:55

To this day, I think this is one of the best original Contemporary A Cappella songs ever written.  It’s also one of the few that I think really benefits uniquely from being just voices.  There are textures being created here that are crucial to the emotion of the song that I don’t think would be as effectively communicated by any other instrument.  It’s a slam dunk.

What I’ve always loved about this particular moment is the way in which each background voice emerges from the chord just slightly at different moments.  It’s a subtle balance thing, but it makes a huge different in the energy of that moment.  It gets me so psyched for the final chorus that follows!

UO Divisi – “Mama Who Bore Me” – 1:02 – 1:15

Another awesome cascade – It’s the one-two punch of an awesome arranging moment by Tom Anderson coupled with the way it’s panned across the mix.  I asked Tom to send me the arrangement so I could see what was going on there: it’s as crazy/awesome looking on paper as it sounds!

I love the contrast here too between the sustained chords and the bubbling cascade material.  The group phrases it so perfectly – it’s glorious ear candy.

What are your favorite a cappella moments?  Sound off at the HF Facebook Page!

Until next week, thanks for stopping by!

-R