PROGRAM: THE HOUSE JACKS JULY 19 / 4:00 PM BING CONCERT HALL ARTISTS PROGRAM The House Jacks Today’s program will be announced from the stage. John Pointer Nick Girard Joey Chang, a.k.a. “CelloJoe,” will perform a 30-minute set at 3:00 pm in the Gunn Atrium. Troy Horne Austin Willacy Deke Sharon PROGRAM SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Please be considerate of others and turn off all phones, pagers, and watch alarms, and unwrap all lozenges prior to the performance. Photography and recording of any kind are not permitted. Thank you. 22 STANFORD LIVE MAGAZINE JULY 2015 PROGRAM: THE HOUSE JACKS in fourth grade when he started playing the clarinet. Upon realizing that girls aren’t overly fond of glasses-wearing, math-loving clarinetists, Mr. Girard switched to drums in middle school, much to the delight of his family and neighbors. Guitar was even better at attracting female attention, so he grew out his hair, bought a Stratocaster, and began writing love songs. Mr. Girard’s first encounter with a cappella was as a college freshman at the University of Vermont. Enticed by the Top Cats’ marketing slogan “Chicks Dig Guys Who Sing,” Mr. Girard joined the group as a tenor and later became the group’s vocal percussionist. After graduating from the University of THE HOUSE JACKS internationally, including France, Italy, Belgium, Vermont with a degree in applied mathematics The House Jacks of San Francisco are the the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Japan, and computer science, Mr. Girard worked as original “rock band without instruments.” and Singapore. The group has appeared a telecommunications analyst before ditching Using nothing more than their five voices with Ray Charles; James Brown; Train; LL the nine to five to become a carpenter. In (and mouths), band members deliver Cool J; the Neville Brothers; Bill Clinton; 2006, he started the group Overboard as a everything from blistering funk to screaming Crosby, Stills, and Nash; the Pointer Sisters; side project. Five years, five albums, and seven rock to heart-melting ballads for their ever- Live; Nia Peeples; Johnny Clegg; Blind Boys Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award growing legions of fans. These pioneering of Alabama; Colin Powell; the Temptations; nominations later, Overboard expanded into musicians have performed thousands of George Carlin; Pam Tillis, the Four Tops; the a cappella production work and Overboard shows and shared the stage with some of the Gap Band; Tower of Power; Starship; Jon Productions was born. Mr. Girard’s work biggest names in music. Their radio spots for Secada; Run-DMC; and many others. for Overboard Productions has since been Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 have been heard by featured on 20/20, Today, TBS, and NBC’s 50 million listeners on 330 U.S. radio stations JOHN POINTER The Sing-Off. and 50 other stations around the world. Their John Pointer, a.k.a. “Squinty Phil,” grew up jingles for radio stations in Los Angeles and in Ann Arbor, Michigan; got a degree in TROY HORNE San Francisco have been heard by more than cello performance and composition from the Troy Horne has starred in the Broadway show 1.5 million listeners. Their music can also University of Texas at Austin; and has been a Rent and has been featured on NBC’s The be heard in places as far-reaching as movie full-time musician based there ever since. Sing-Off and ION Television’s Firebrand soundtracks and computer operating systems. TV. Mr. Horne has toured the world with the He created and led the pioneering a cappella House Jacks, singing for audiences in the A house jack is what you use when you want and body percussion ensemble Schrödinger’s United States and Europe. to move a house. Anyone who has seen the Cat and was the beatboxer in the Chili’s group perform live will tell you that the name commercials for baby back ribs. He’s a pretty Mr. Horne has also written music for the is appropriate. “Raise the roof” takes on a ridiculous guitarist (seriously…watch a video); television documentary Tupac Shakur: Thug whole new meaning with the House Jacks. he played Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar and Angel—The Life of an Outlaw; appeared on Roger in Rent; he has commercially released Star Search; written music for former NFL The House Jacks have performed thousands nine albums with several different groups; and champion and Indianapolis Colts coach Tony of shows at stadiums (from Fenway to the mayor and city council of Austin declared Dungy’s book Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Candlestick), theaters and clubs (from January 27, 2005, John Pointer Day. Significance; and most recently completed his Carnegie Hall to the House of Blues), colleges new CD I Am, a work of life-affirming music (from Dartmouth to Stanford), and festivals NICK GIRARD that received a Posi Award for its message of Born and raised in the great state of Maine, (from the World Expo to the Black and White social action. Ball) in locations around the United States and Nick Girard became interested in music 24 STANFORD LIVE MAGAZINE JULY 2015 In addition to singing with the House college and subsequently spreading it around the A Cappella Summit; the new Jacks, Mr. Horne is currently working with the world. Contemporary A Cappella League; and the Nightingale Conant as a musician and YouTube channel Inside A Cappella. motivational speaker and looks forward to In addition to his work with the House serving the planet with his music and message. Jacks, Mr. Sharon produces NBC’s The He is also contemporary a cappella’s most You can find out more about Troy and his work Sing-Off, which had the highest ratings of any prolific arranger, having arranged more than at www.troyhorne.com. new, unscripted television show in the United 2,000 songs, with many of them in print States in 2009 and was the third-highest-rated worldwide with Hal Leonard/Contemporary AUSTIN WILLACY show on NBC in 2010. He also consults on the A Cappella Publishing. His first book, A Austin Willacy is a singer-songwriter who show’s international versions in Holland and Cappella Arranging, was published in 2012. has produced four full-length albums of his China. In addition, Mr. Sharon served as music original music. He has toured extensively director for Universal Studio’s 2012 film Pitch He has produced dozens of award-winning a throughout the United States as a solo artist Perfect starring Anna Kendrick. cappella albums for groups such as Straight and throughout the United States, Europe, No Chaser, Committed, Nota, Street Corner Cantor Arts Center - Stanford Live: July/Aug 2015 Program and Japan with the House Jacks. Mr. Willacy Mr. Sharon founded the Contemporary Symphony, and the Tufts Beelzebubs; cowrote the theme song for the movie Thrive. A Cappella SocietyDue: while 5-22-15 in college and created a cappella groups for Disneyland In addition, his songs and compositions have is responsible for many seminal a cappella and Disney World; and frequently tours the been featured on The Sing-Off; on national programs, including the Contemporary A world teaching a variety of topics to students TV in Australia; on Road Rules; on National Cappella Recording Awards; the International and professional singers. His voice can be Public Radio; in two documentary films, Word Championship of College A Cappella; the heard in commercials and video games, most Wars and A Lawyer Walks into a Bar; and on Best of College A Cappella Compilation; the recently in Just Dance Kids 2.• the demo for a new Sony audio system for first contemporary a cappella conferences, Ford vehicles. He has also contributed dozens of soundalike vocals to the Karaoke Revolution and Guitar Hero video game franchises. Mr. Willacy is the director of ‘Til Dawn— 500 YEARS OF Youth in Arts’ award-winning teen a cappella group—and has facilitated more than 35 youth ITALIAN MASTER retreats. Mr. Willacy has also cofacilitated four Leveraging Privilege for Social Change DR AWINGS Jams and currently serves on the Yes! board FROM THE of directors. He also served on the board of PRINCETON UNIVERSITY Rainforest Action Network for four years on buff chalk heightened with white laid paper. chalk 1618–24. Red , c. and is in his fifth year of service on the board ART MUSEUM of the Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse. eated Male Nude S 100 works by such masters as He donates his time and musical talent to a wide range of educational, social, and Michelangelo, Modigliani, environmental organizations. Tintoretto, and Veronese DEKE SHARON On view through August 24 Born in San Francisco, California, Deke Sharon Princeton University Art Museum, Museum purchase, Laura P. Hall Memorial Fund and Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund Hall Memorial Fund and Fowler P. Laura Museum, Museum purchase, Art Princeton University has been performing professionally since Bernini 1598–1680), (Naples, Gian Lorenzo the age of eight. As a child, he toured North America and shared the stage in operas with CANTOR ARTS CENTER the likes of Luciano Pavarotti. Heralded as Take a journey around the world: from Africa to the Americas to Asia, “the father of contemporary a cappella” by from classical to contemporary. There is so much to discover at the Cantor. Entertainment Weekly, he is responsible for the current sound of modern a cappella, having 650-723-4177 • MUSEUM.STANFORD.EDU The exhibition was organized by the Princeton University Art Museum, with major support from the Getty Foundation. We gratefully acknowledge created the dense vocal-instrumental sound in support for the exhibition from the Susan and John Diekman Director’s Discretionary Fund and the Elizabeth Hulsey Exhibitions Fund.