AS EASY AS ACB: A CAPPELLA 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 Collegiate A Cappella 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 singing, 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 arrangement 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 • Arrangements • 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]