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Home , A cappella, Deke Sharon, Goodbye in Her Eyes, John Driskell Hopkins, Popular music

Arranging Finding New Meaning in Familiar

Kevin Vondrak Washington University in St. Louis Fall 2014

Contemporary cappella has received much attention in the past two decades from audiences and singers alike. It appears on TV through shows like NBC’s “The Sing-Off”, and in Hollywood through the movie “”. by the a cappella quintet have cracked the Billboard 200 charts and top recording artists like Sara Barielles and still hold true to their a cappella roots as they forge successful popular careers. Walk onto any campus in the and a cappella groups are easy to find, singing at university events, rehearsing well into the night, and producing well-attended concerts.

A cappella audiences are aware that the is based in performing previously recorded music, but an a cappella cover goes beyond mere imitation. Contemporary a cappella attempts to recreate a musical work originally played by instruments, and the resulting “vocal ” provides the framework for vocal arranging. Embracing an aesthetic provides a new way to experience that is grounded in a rock and popular music tradition. How these sounds are made and translated into voices, as well as extensions of the original musical material through varying means of vocal style, formal expansion and embellishment, all display the wealth of creativity and inventiveness that can be found in contemporary a cappella arranging.

Covers and Versions

In collegiate contemporary a cappella, original compositions are largely the exception. Most groups arrange songs from the radio, movies, Broadway or folk traditions. The practice of a cappella arranging and performing can then be considered an extension of the established tradition of cover songs found in popular music. A cover song is a new performance of a previously recorded, commercially released song by someone other than the original artist. Essentially an adaptation, much of the value lies in the covering artists’ interpretation. Measuring the interpreter’s skill, in part, lies in how well the artist uncovers and conveys the spirit of the original, enhances , rhythm, phrasing, or structure, and adds a bit of their own personality or interpretation.

The covers of a cappella, like all covers, are stereophonic. This means that the audience is aware of the original and hears the cover in terms of it. However, it is important to note that the original is usually a recorded source. Recordings, particularly in the context of popular music, have become the primary musical “works” of our time. The use of recording technology captures just one performance of a song, and that one fixed source is regarded as the version. This is contrasted with live performance or traditions that emphasize the score, where aspects of the musical performance change in subtle and nuanced ways between performers and performances.

In an , the interplay between the cover and the original determines many of the musical considerations. There are different ways to adapt the original recording to make a cover. Covering in the context of arranging attempts to recreate specific aspects of the one recording. All of the musical decisions can be traced back to an attempt to emulate the sounds of the original recording as accurately as possible. This can be extended to all aspects of performance. 1964 The Tribute is a cover band that draws their repertoire from the discography of . From the way they dress and act on stage, to their instruments and the music they play, 1964 The Tribute tries to emulate the sounds and appearances of The Beatles. In a cappella, all the sounds must be performed by the human voice, so some examples of covering may be altering vowels to emulate the timbre of different instruments, or replicating note-for-note the elaborations made by a particular soloist in the original recording.

Another form of adaptation in cover songs is the practice of versioning, which occurs “when the song itself (as opposed to the performance) is taken as the reference for iteration.” (Weinstein 1998: 138). In this practice, a covering artist will keep the main building blocks of the song, but take creativity liberties with others.

“A cappella shows that categories such as 'cover’ and 'version’ sometimes blur. A cappella groups emulate particular performances of songs (created or captured on particular recordings) while simultaneously denying the very instruments used in those performances. And when an a cappella group strives to re-create aspects of a recording, it would seem the group is aspiring to cover. At the same time, some techniques or originality, such as interplay between background parts or reinterpretations of the lead melody, suggest an effort to version.” (Duchan 2012: 86)

A cappella groups are not simply ‘covering’ these recordings, but instead creating distinct performances that use the original recording as a base for an independent artistic statement. In performance, this powerful musical statement is mixed with elements of interaction (both between group members and between the group and audience), technology and movement to display a musical and artistic identity.

2 A blend of covering and versioning keeps a cappella fresh and relevant, while also grounding them authentically in the source material. As the resource material from the spectrum of music expands, we find that the reasons to cover are as varied as the music they are emulating: the commercial advantage of familiarity, gaining credibility, clever artistic interpretation, demonstrating roots, or simply singing what one hears in the world around them. A cappella arranging allows for the expression of musical creativity while covering pre-existing songs.

A Cappella Arranging

The performance of a cappella music relies on the idea of “recontextualizing musical material from one source to another” (Duchan 85). Much of the source material for contemporary a cappella comes from , and the process of ‘translating’ from an instrumental idiom into a vocal one provides an opportunity for artistic expression.

Deke Sharon and Dylan Bell note that in its most basic sense, arranging is “the positioning of preexisting elements for maximum effect, resulting in an order that’s pleasing and suits our needs” (Bell, 15). When applied to a cappella music, arranging can take on different meanings, largely depending on the creativity of the arranger, and the distance between the original song’s musical character and the a cappella group’s musical identity. There are several points on an “arranging spectrum” that can be ordered based on the number of decisions required by the arranger (Bell, 19).

The first point on the spectrum is transcription, which the Harvard Dictionary of Music defines as “the reduction of music from live or recorded sound to written notation” (Randel, 902). From this definition it appears that transcription is more of a technical exercise than an act of creative expression—the transcriber is making few choices beyond the notational considerations. Yet transcription is an important tool for any arranger, especially someone new to the craft. As a genre based largely in emulation, from choosing songs to replicating vocal harmonies and solos, the skill of ‘lifting’ a melody or texture from the original into the arrangement is crucial. Still, transcription is only a tool in the larger process of arranging.

The next point in the arranging spectrum comes from Anna Callahan, author of the only arranging manual specifically for , Anna’s Amazing A Cappella Arranging Advice: The Collegiate A Cappella Arranging Manuel. She proposes the term transanging to describe the conversion of a song originally played with instrumentation into an a cappella song without substantially changing the melody, harmonic structure, or style. This generally means assigning parts based on vocal ranges and determining appropriate vocables. Transanging involves more creative input on the part of the arranger as an intermediary between the group and the original. The arranger, typically a member of

3 the group, knows what works well and which particular vocal strengths should be highlighted, and will make decisions in assigning components of the original song to individuals in the group. Most of the creativity is then focused on recognizing the strengths and limitations of the particular performers, and tailoring the vocal arranging to accurately render the original song within a vocal medium as opposed to an instrumental one.

However, an important distinction is highlighted in transanging. The source material for nearly all a cappella is a studio-recorded track featuring many different instruments and effects. The distillation of a heterogeneous sound into an all-vocal blend, and the more specific imitation of individual instruments and timbres are essential in a cappella arranging.

Regardless of which genre the source material falls into, there are unique musical elements that are “signature” in identifying the song or broader musical style. Dylan Bell emphasizes that certain parts of a song are particularly enjoyable for the audience (especially the group focuses on a certain musical time period – like 80’s rock) and that they should be “reproduced vocally, note for note” in order to maximize the intended effect and keep distinct features recognizable (Bell, 23). Taking into consideration the earlier discussion of covering and versioning, we see that keeping some elements of the song recognizable “note for note” is an example of a covering practice.

True Arranging or Transformation to use terms proposed by Duchan and Sharon/Bell respectively allows the arranger the most creative freedom. The result will allow the arranger “the freedom to really express” themselves and can create a unique interpretation that may not sound like the original at all (Duchan 483). This may come in the form of compositional adjustments in style, meter, form, mood, relative major/minor modes or other general considerations. More specifically, new musical elements, or harmonies can make it seem like an entirely new song.

This approach allows for an arranger or a group to establish an identity based in specific compositional choices made in the arranging process. The purpose of significantly changing a song (and creating interest and a reason to listen to the cover instead of the original) would be to showcase the particular talents of the group, and establishing an identifiable and differentiated sound. Mixing recognizable transanging elements of arranging with some transformational vocabulary “satisfies both the audience’s desire to hear what they know and [the arranger’s] desire to create something interesting, different, and new” (Bell, 23)

4 The Anatomy of an Arrangement

To gain insight into the different elements of a contemporary a cappella arrangement, I have made a transcription of a YouTube performance by the a cappella quintet, Pentatonix. Winners of the third season of NBC’s “The Sing-Off”. The song is “As Long As You Love Me / Wide Awake” originally performed by Justin Bieber and Katy Perry. The performance was recorded live on-camera with slight miking of the vocal and (camera slightly below the screen), and posted to the group’s YouTube channel.

The predominant divisions an a cappella “vocal band” instrumentation are the solo, the , and the . The solo is the primary melody and carries the text. The vocal bass and make up the rhythm section, establishing a groove that inspires listeners to tap their foot and move their body. Additionally, the bass provides the harmonic foundation. Finally, the accompaniment is everything in between, ranging from vocal pads that fill out the harmony, rhythmic pads that contribute to the groove and texture, and harmonies or counter- that supplement the melodic features.

Figure 1: Solo, Bass and VP lines

Three voices in particular – the solo, bass and drums – are the most recognizable and the first sounds that an audience’s ear will jump to. It makes sense that they translate the easiest to a cappella singing. This is because under emulative singing practices, they require the least stretch to jump from the instrumental part in the original song to the vocal reproduction.

Solo

Many solo lines in recordings that a cappella groups cover are sung by vocalists, making that transition quite simple. Groups are doing radio-friendly songs that people recognize, which is a handy tool for both the singers and the audience. If the audience recognizes the song, they are going to have a certain expectation of what the solo will sound like because

5 they are inevitably going to make real-time comparisons to their memory of that song. This gives the group’s soloist a platform to express their individuality against the original.

Bass

The vocal bass is an extremely versatile instrument, and most of the character of this vocal part is realized in articulation and note length. By exclusively singing a resonant ‘mmm’ with articulation, the bass part fulfills the harmonic and sonic function of a recorded bass without drawing too much attention to the fact that an instrument is not actually making the sounds.

The bass functions much differently in a cappella singing than in typical choral singing. While it is setting the harmonic foundation for the harmonies above, it is also complementing the percussion and establishing a groove. It is difficult to prescribe a concept like groove in notation, so a vocal bass must focus equally on the notes themselves as well as locking with the vocal percussionist. This will determine the weight and length given to each note and suggests a certain direction and character.

Vocal Percussion

A talented vocal percussionist can make a variety of sounds to accurately emulate a kit. People develop their technique largely independent of any institution or instructional source, and the skill is honed through individual practice and listening. Not only is learning so individual, but actual performances of the same song by two different vocal percussionists can yield different results (even if it was the same group singing the song and two different vocal percussionists from within the group lent both of their interpretations). Each percussionist has their own toolbox of sounds, and employs them creatively. In this transcription alone, there are at least 11 distinct sounds that Olusola employs:

Figure 2: Vocal Percussion Key ()

6 Accompaniment Methods

The accompaniment is a broad category of sounds that serve a variety of functions within the arrangement. They can be generally thought of in two distinct sub-categories: pads and melodies. A pad is a background texture that can either sustain chord tones or imitate a rhythmic motive. Melodic are musical themes or counter-themes, and possibly include lyrics.

The simplest accompaniment texture is to employ a held vowel as a vocal pad, filling the background with a wash of harmony over which the soloist can sing. This is a staple of most choral repertoire and requires blending among the vocalists. Within the current practice, vibrato is often discouraged, with an emphasis on blending voices in this context to create the illusion of a string section, or a synth part.

Figure 3: Vowel Blending

Building upon this, one of the most effective tools for electronic emulation is that of vowel morphs and modifications. The human voice is a very versatile instrument and can make a variety of sounds. The easiest way for contemporary a cappella singing to distinguish itself from other classical pedagogies is to establish which vowel modifications work well to emulate electronic sounds and figure out how to best notate that. Vowel modifications allow singers to emulate strumpets, strings, or electronic sounds, expanding the range of possible sounds.

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Figure 4: Rhythmic Pads in MG and SH voices Rhythmic pads consist of syllabic and rhythmic articulation to complement the groove as well as the harmonic progression. It can emulate many types of accompanying figures in recorded music, from brass punctuations to guitar textures and arpeggios.

The most engaging and lyrical vocal accompaniments occur when the voices sings lyrics and melodic themes. These are referred to as vocal harmonies or vocal counters depending on which words they have, and whether they join the soloist or not.

‘Vocal harmonies’ are melodies that are performed in parallel motion with the soloist:

Figure 5: Vocal Harmonies (KM, MG and SH lines)

If the voices sing a response to the soloist, or a different vocal line altogether, they are referred to as ‘vocal counters’.

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Figure 6: Vocal Counters (KM and SH)

Because vocal harmonies and counters have words, they connect better with both the singer and the audience. However, each individual voice in an a cappella arrangement will mix elements of vocal pads, rhythmic pads, harmonies and counters to create a dynamic and interesting vocal line. Unlike the instruments that are being referenced, the voice has the flexibility to switch between instrumental and vocal styles throughout the song. So for the verse, a vocalist may be singing held vowels, but then switch singing words during the chorus, and then to emulating guitar strums for the next verse. This makes more engaging vocal lines, while also exhibiting the creativity of the arranger in distilling many different instrumental textures from the original track into one comprehensive voice.

Structure and Style

While individual voices can create a variety of textures and tones in the process of emulating an instrumental recording, a cappella arrangers can also manipulate structure and style to achieve musical originality holistically.

To illustrate an effective use of these changes, we will analyze the structure of the song “Mickey”, performed by the Washington University Stereotypes. The original recording was released in 1982 by the American singer Toni Basil on her debut Word of Mouth. Although the single reached the number one spot on the US chart for one week, it was Basil’s only success, making the song a ubiquitous “one-hit wonder”.

The sound of the original recording can be characterized as ‘bubblegum pop’. This genre of pop music has an upbeat, childish sound, and is marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teens. The stomp and clap rhythm, shouted phrases, sing-along chorus and cheerfully major harmonies characterize the song. The instrumentation includes , synth, and electric bass, and is propelled by strong percussion and cheer-like vocals. 9

Figure 7: Formal Structure of Mickey, as performed by Toni Basil and The Stereotypes. The parts of the Stereotypes’ version that are departures from the original have been bolded and italicized.

The formal structure of Basil’s recording of Mickey is simple and repetitive. The song begins with an immediately recognizable stomp and clap rhythm, which remains throughout the song. The interlude that follows supplies the instrumental material for the choruses, and is reprised later in the song note for note. Each verse is sparse in instrumentation, containing only the stomp and clap beat along with the solo melody, and instrumental interjections.

The Stereotypes’ version of Mickey, arranged by Chip Broze, is a dynamic and energetic piece, constantly presenting the listener with fresh musical material. Some of the most original arranging has to do with the addition of new structural elements. For example, at the beginning and end of the Stereotypes arrangement there are barbershop tags. These harmonize the Mickey melody in the style of a barbershop , and make liberal use of a post. A post is a long note, held by one of the voices in the quartet while the other voices change notes and even breathe.

Another apparent structural change is the insertion of musical material from an entirely new song, “Girlfriend” by the Canadian singer and Avril Lavigne and originally released in 2007. Where the original recording of Mickey transitions into the bridge after the second chorus, the Stereotypes arrangement instead shifts into this new song, using the familiar stomp/clap theme as a transitional element. While “Girlfriend” comes from the pop punk tradition, the similar lyrical themes of love and teenage angst (“Hey, hey, you, you, I

10 don’t like your girlfriend”) make this musical reference a creative and humorous extension of the song’s character.

Figure 8: Barbershop Tag – Mickey as performed by The Stereotypes

In addition to structural changes, another prominent feature of the Stereotypes arrangement is the use of contrasting singing styles to differentiate common structural elements.

This first iteration of the chorus is presented as the listener would expect it – all of the elements of the original recording are present. In order to establish the context for later alterations, it is crucial that this first chorus be similar to the original. The next chorus, however, is presented in a much different style. After a grand caesura, the music launches into a harmonization of the melody that is directed to be “like a proper ”. This homophonic section is typically accompanied by a darker adjustment in tone to suggest a distinctly more classical approach. This juxtaposition of many seemingly disparate elements – a female-driven pop song, an all-male a cappella group, and now a classical aesthetic – cultivate the humor in this performance.

The third chorus goes back to the accompaniment material of the first chorus – synth parts, electric guitar and electric bass – however this time, the solo is sung an octave higher, in the soprano range. Having a male soloist sing this part in their , or head voice, keeps the musical material fresh and new sounding, despite many shared elements between this chorus and the first.

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Figure 9: First Chorus – Mickey as performed by The Stereotypes

Figure 10: Second Chorus – Mickey as performed by The Stereotypes

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The new register also plays on another significant element of this a cappella arrangement: gender-bending cover songs. The original recording is sung by a female vocalist, but the a cappella cover is done by an all-male group. The entire song before this point is scored for a typical male chorus, with appropriately assigned vocal ranges. By singing the melody in the original register, the arrangement comes full circle, fully referencing the original recording after spending a majority of the song developing the thematic material in other ways.

As we can see in The Stereotypes’ arrangement of Mickey, structural and stylistic alterations present an arranger with opportunities to express musical creativity. Using the original recording as a starting point, an arranger can introduce other vocal styles to comment on aspects of the original, as well as keep the song fresh for the listener. Additionally, structural refiguring allows the arranger to create new meaning within the arrangement, as evidenced in the lyrical similarities between Mickey and Girlfriend. Structural and stylistic alterations allow arrangers to add new layers of meaning to an already established musical work.

The Solo In Performance

The personal interpretation of the soloist offers a vehicle for musical originality and displays of talent. Because a cappella performances are recontextualizing often well- known songs, the audience will have an understanding of the vocal performance of the original artist, cultivated by their own music listening. Although one needs to maintain some aspects of the original recording, soloists often imbed some of their own personality into their performance, altering the timbre, melody or structure.

An example of this practice comes from The Stereotypes’ performance of “”, originally by the American group Band. In the final chorus, the soloist begins to introduce a new musical theme, along with the emotionally charged lyric, “Should I hold on? Is it just a waste of time?” This vocal line is placed high in the male register, and conveys a desperation that has been building throughout the song.

Comparing a transcription of Zac Brown’s original solo to a transcription of Danny Lamere performing the solo with the Stereotypes reveals several key differences between these two performances.

The first thing to notice is that Lamere alters the structure of this melody. Whereas the original solo holds the high G for a measure and a half, Lamere extends this note considerably while also changing pitch. This fits the character of the words, as the soloist literally holds on to the pitch as they sing the lyric “hold on”.

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Figure 11: Solo of Goodbye In Her Eyes.

Then, in the second iteration, Lamere does something substantially different. Instead o releasing and moving onto the next phrase, as Zac Brown does in the original recording, Lamere continues holding onto the note, emphasizing this structural difference with a higher pitch as well. The rest of the singers take up what the soloist passes over, homophonically singing, “is it just a waste of time” in place of the soloist. This is the climax of the performance, and the emotionally charged delivery of the solo, combined with the melodic writing in the background parts contributes significantly to this feeling.

Lamere’s solo is much more complex than Zac Brown’s, filling the sustained notes with quick turns and flips that enhance the vocal line. In addition to helping form the emotional character of melody, these embellishments display a fair degree of vocal talent. Considering that a cappella is a genre of covers, it is important that soloists differentiate themselves from their referents, and adding melodic variation is one way that a soloist can match and then exceed the original performer in performance while also affirming their technical virtuosity.

The combination of these elements – a structural reinterpretation, emotionally charged delivery, and vocal elaboration – create the meaning behind The Stereotypes’ performance of “Goodbye In Her Eyes”. In particular, the solo delivery by Danny Lamere is effective in 14 connecting with the original recording while crafting a separate interpretation. What is interesting to note is that this solo elaboration was the product of musical spontaneity while rehearsing and not directly prescribed in the score. This goes to show that arrangement decisions can be premeditated or spontaneous, and all members of the group work to shape an a cappella arrangement. Indeed, musical creativity can be found in all aspects of an a cappella arrangement, from the background parts to the solo.

“We Found Love”

Sometimes an a cappella arrangement reimagines a song to such an extent that it takes on a life of its own. This is evident in Chris Rishel’s arrangement of “We Found Love”, performed by Voices In Your Head from The . This version preserves only a few elements of the original, the lyrics and melody, but presents them in an entirely new and reimagined way that brings out meaning absent in the original recording. This embodies the last point on the arranging spectrum, transformation or true arranging, where the end result is an artistic work that is based in the referent but crafts its own unique artistic identity.

The original recording of “We Found Love” is a dance-pop song by Barbadian singer Rihanna and Scottish DJ Calvin Harris. It was released in 2011, and spent ten non- consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the longest running number one single of that year. The instrumentation features keyboards, repetitive pumped-up synthesizers, and dance beats, in addition to Rihanna’s relaxed and “dreamy” vocals.

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Figure 12: “We Found Love” as performed by Voices In Your Head

The arrangement by Voices In Your Head deconstructs the original recording, preserving the melody and lyrics, but instead framing them as if a choral composition. The absence of the beat-heavy instrumentation refocuses the listeners attention to the words at hand. Taken out of the original setting that prominently features a dance beat and instrumentation, the focus now turns to the melody and lyrics.

Rhythmically, there are few similarities between the two versions. The Voices’ version deemphasizes any sense of beat or pulse. The lower three voices are preoccupied with the melody or sustained tones, and the sopranos are instructed in m.2 to “sparkle delicately”. This aleatoric element of the arrangement totally rejects the 4/4 dance beat of the original, and establishes a distinct mood that is delicate and captivating.

However, as it develops, it makes generous use of stillness and rubato, encouraging a performance that is flowing and free, as opposed to a driving dance beat. This freeness allows each lyric to sink in, feeling more like conversation than metered declamation, and making it easier to connect to the lyrical message as a listener.

“We Found Love” is in Gb major for both version of the song, but that is about all that they share in this regard. The original recording establishes a two- (vi-IV- I-V) and loops that segment for most of the song, varying the instrumentation and texture to set the musical arc. The Voices’ arrangement expands the harmonic palette considerably, using both diatonic and chromatic harmony in unexpected places to accentuate elements of the text. This is particularly evident in the first chorus, which repeats the title of the song four times in a row. The original version employs the same familiar chord progression through this part of the song. Rishel, however, varies the harmonization between each statement of the lyric.

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Figure 13: “We Found Love” as performed by Voices In Your Head

As Duchan notes, a cappella is “a music in which great liberties may be taken in performance and new layers of meaning [are] added through humor, gesture [and] choreography” (Duchan 179). Voices In Your Head competed with this song in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella in 2012, and their performance featured choreography and gesture. In their performance, members of the group paired up as couples, with a male and female member featured as protagonists. Throughout the song, the members enact different scenes of love and hate, explicitly setting the scene of the song in a relationship. To complement the music, gestures like reaching and turning towards or away from the audience punctuate the lyrical message with a visual component

All told, Voices In Your Head presents an a cappella arrangement that shares few similarities with the original song. Instead, it stands as a separate artistic work with intrinsic musical value that holds regardless of associations with the original recording.

As a genre based in covering, it’s easy to dismiss a cappella music for its preoccupation with covering. But we can see that in every stage of the arranging process, from assigning syllables to the higher-order decisions that transform the meaning of a song entirely, there is a wealth of creative potential. A cappella arrangers are not simply recreating another artist’s music, but instead using it as a vehicle for self-expression and a way to present their own musical identity through the accessibility of pop music. This is a refreshing shift in the tone of the as a cappella arranging encourages college singers to move from merely consuming music to interacting with it and extending its impact into their own lives and music making. Indeed, a cappella arranging is a creative way for singers to find new meaning in familiar songs.

17 Works Cited

Bell, Dylan, and . A Cappella Arranging. [S.l.]: Hal Leonard, 2012. Print.

Callahan, Anna. Anna’s Amazing A Cappella Arranging Advice: The Collegiate A Cappella Arrainging Manual. Southwest Harbor, ME: Contemporary A Cappella Publishing, 1995.

Duchan, Joshua S. Powerful Voices the Musical and Social World of Collegiate a Cappella. Ann Arbor: U of Michigan, 2012. Print.

Randel, Don Michael. The Harvard Dictionary of Music. Cambridge, MA: Belknap of Harvard UP, 2003. Print.

Weinstein, Deena. “The History of Rock’s Past through Rock Covers.” In Mapping the Beat: Popular Music and Contemporary Theory, ed. Thomas Swiss, John Sloop, and Andrew Herman, 137-52. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 1998.

Recordings Cited

“As Long As You Love Me.” By Sean Anderson, Nasri Atweh and Justin Bieber,. Originally recorded by Justin Bieber featuring Big Sean on Believe. Island Records, 2012.

"As Long As You Love Me / Wide Awake - Pentatonix (Justin Bieber / Katy Perry Cover)." YouTube. PTXofficial, 20 June 2012. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.

“Girlfriend.” By Lukasz Gottwald and Avril Lavigne. Originally recorded by Avril Lavigne on The Best Damn Thing. RCA Records, 2007.

“Goodbye In Her Eyes.” By Zac Brown, Wyatt Durette, and . Originally recorded by on . Atlantic, 2012.

“Mickey.” By Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn. Originally recorded by Toni Basil on Word of Mouth. Chrysalis, 1982.

"Mr Stereotype - Goodbye in Her Eyes." YouTube. Laura Lamere, 3 Feb. 2014. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.

"Voices in Your Head - ICCA Finals 2012 (We Found Love / Titanium / Little Lion Man)." Voices In Your Head. YouTube, 30 Apr. 2012. Web. 01 Nov. 2014. “We Found Love.” By Calvin Harris. Originally recorded by Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris on Talk That Talk. Def Jam, 2011.

“Wide Awake.” By Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Katy Perry, and Henry Walter. Originally recorded by Katy Perry on Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection. Capitol Records, 2012.

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