AS EASY AS ACB: BASICS Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 1:45 p.m. FMEA Professional Development Conference, Tampa, FL

DEMONSTRATION GROUP Naughty Scotty and the Octapella (NSO) is Winter Park High School’s select male a cappella group, Founded in 2008, NSO has performed in exhibition at the International Championship of Quarterfinals and the High School A Cappella Semifinals, SoJam A Cappella Festival, and the Washington National Cathedral. These 11 guys know how to have a good time, but they take their music-making seriously. Their diverse repertoire ranges from doo-wop to contemporary and from The Beatles to New Kids on the Block. NSO will be launching their first major recording project this spring. When they aren’t , the guys of NSO enjoy eating at Five Guys and pushing the boundaries of humor.

BENEFITS OF A CAPPELLA • Appropriate for Middle School, High School, and College • Alternative to Traditional Choirs to Reach Students • Recruitment • Independent Musicianship • Community Outreach • Program Visibility • Student Ownership, Responsibility, and Investment

STEPS TOWARD A CAPPELLA • Introduce a song within a curricular ensemble • Consider using an existing octavo • Start with something familiar • Enable your students to be stakeholders in the process • Small group activity • Take suggestions for songs • Improvisation activities • Start an a cappella group!

AUDITION PROCESS • Preliminary Auditions • Focus on the individual • Perform a short solo • Callback Auditions • Focus on the ensemble (balance and blend) • Perform 1-2 excerpts in small groups to reveal independence and ability to function within the group • What Matters? • Commitment, reliability, talent, and personality • What do you bring to the group?

CONSIDERATIONS • Goals, Style, and Repertoire • Voicing: Female, Male, or Mixed • Group Size • Rehearsal Schedule and Time Demands • Requirements for Membership • Group Identity • Attire • Use of Microphones • Know your abilities, audience, clientele, and resources

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES • School and Community Events • Collaborations with other schools and colleges • Festivals and Competitions • Camp A Cappella (campacappella.com) • National A Cappella Convention (acappellaconvention.com) • ICHSA/ICCA (www.varsityvocals.com) • Kettering National A Cappella Festival (acafest.org) • SoJam A Cappella Festival (sojam.net) • Recording (BOHSA/BOCA, Voices Only A Cappella, CARAs)

RESOURCES • • Off-the-Rack Charts • Key Publishers: Alfred, Hal Leonard • Accessible Arrangers: Sharon, Sharpe, Huff, Shaw • Self-Arranged Charts • Custom Charts www.acappellaeducators.com www.thebenbram.com www.betteracappella.com www.acappellapsych.com www.human-feedback.com www.random-notes.com • Print Resources • A Cappella Pop by Brody McDonald (Alfred, 2012) • A Cappella Arranging by Deke Sharon and Dylan Bell (Hal Leonard, 2012) • A Cappella by Deke Sharon, Ben Spalding, and Brody McDonald (Alfred, 2015) • Professional Resources • A Cappella Education Association (www.acappellaeducators.com) - FREE membership • Contemporary A Cappella Society (www.casa.org) • Acappella.how (www.acappella.how)

Matthew Swope Director of Choral Activities, Winter Park High School Florida Representative, A Cappella Education Association [email protected]