a capella fans/performers: step inside!

[Chip]

I happened to notice that we have at least a handful of people who list a capella as either an interest or something they do. Since this is something I love (I used to sing in a five-part a capella group and worked with a couple of college a capella groups), I'm curious who here has performed with an a capella group or otherwise has interest in it

[steel03]

Yeah, I love a cappella. I mostly do classical, but I love all of it. I'm not in any of my college's (non-classical) groups because (a) the two options I have are both all guys, and I'd rather do mixed and (b) both of the groups are 99% obnoxious bros with whom I have no interest in associating. But I do really enjoy the music.
I was in a men's group for a year in high school, just an impromptu thing our director put together my junior year.

[redstormrising]

I LOVE A CAPPELLA!!!

sorry, got a bit excited there before law school ate my life, i used to see some really fantastic professional groups on a pretty regular basis. i personally haven't sung in years, though, unless you count in the car and shower

[Markio]

I'm in my college's co-ed a cappella group right now, and it's my favorite part of college! We made it to ICCA semifinals last year (the International Championship of Collegiate A cappella), after placing first in our quarterfinal. We're good!

It's weird, because I used to be embarrassed to sing in front of people. I think because I'm a high tenor, I figured people would be able to tell I was gay just by my voice. In any case, I started a barbershop quartet at my high school with some friends when I was a senior, and that was really fun. Singing is one of those things I definitely want to make time for when get older.

[steel03]

Originally Posted by markio

i'm A High Tenor

Ftw!

[redstormrising]

Originally Posted by Markio

I'm in my college's co-ed a cappella group right now, and it's my favorite part of college! We made it to ICCA semifinals last year (the International Championship of Collegiate A cappella), after placing first in our quarterfinal. We're good!

congrats! i like to go watch the ICCA finals when I can . . . it's been a couple years though. maybe it's just me, but the caliber of collegiate a cappella seems to have skyrocketed even just in the past 5 years or so

[Frer3]

Yes. Just yes. As a person with a great voice and perfect/absolute pitch, a capella work is like a dream come true for me.

[Revan]

Originally Posted by Frer3

Yes. Just yes. As a person with a great voice and perfect/absolute pitch, a capella work is like a dream come true for me.

I would recommend not boasting. All we have is your word that you have perfect pitch. Hey I can say I have it to, doesn't mean it's true

And a cappella is definitely always something I enjoy.

[Frer3]

Originally Posted by Revan

I would recommend not boasting. All we have is your word that you have perfect pitch. Hey I can say I have it to, doesn't mean it's true

And a cappella is definitely always something I enjoy.

I could be just saying that, except I've been tested. I'm official!

[Revan]

Still no proof

Sorry it's just I don't like people boasting. I mean it's fine to say, hey we made it to the semi-finals, that's fine, proves your good. But saying "oh I've been tested and I have perfect pitch". Well good for you, you don't have to push it in our faces. Not everyone has it, so hearing how you do, frankly, just ticks me off.

Sorry for ranting everyone, it just irked me. And Frer, I'm not trying to pick on you, I'd say it to anyone, in person or online. I'm a singer myself but I have had to constantly work on my voice because I'm not perfect, and people boasting about being perfect pitch wise, you even putting it as "absolute" just ticks me off.

I'm done.

[Frer3]

I understand. And actually, it's more of a curse than a gift. If anything is done in a different key than when I first hear it, it makes me crazy. Also, it makes it hard to listen to music. People that sound fine to other people could drive me absolutely insane. The first time I sang with the Colorado All-State Choir, we did an a capella piece in Russian. We ended a quarter-tone down from when we began. I can't listen to that recording without wincing. Be glad, Revan. I almost wish I had had to work for it instead of being born with it. Believe me. It's a curse.

[Chip]

I've heard others with perfect pitch make the same complaint. But I have to agree with Revan, intended or not, your first post was definitely lacking in, uh, modesty... whether something is true or not, you'll generally make more friends by not being quite so, um, in-your-face.

And now back to topic:

A group of friends and I started a (mostly) acapella group (we occasionally added one guitar for some of the James Taylor tunes we did.) We sometimes performed as a quartet and more often as a quintet. We also started an acoustic music "coffeehouse" (the Society for Preservation of Acoustic Music, or SPAM) that met once per month and we got between 30 and 70 people to each one. It was mostly open mike, but seeded with a few people we knew were good to keep people entertained.

Some of my fav acapella groups from years past are Sweet Honey in the Rock (*Amazing* dissonant and otherwise unusual arrangements), Boyz2Men in their acoustic stuff, Take Six. My more current fav is the Tufts Beelzebubs (aka the Warblers on Glee), and I have a special place for the Oberlin Obertones because I've been friends with many of the 'tones over the years.

Any killer arrangements people like?

[HazMattic_Force]

I love to listen to a capella music , i am not the best of singers when i "sing" ... but when i actually TRY i can do a little music VERY DEEP .[ bass i think ] untrained and raw and not that good , but i want to learn more . I loved the sing off. lol just a admirer of it :P
BTW boyz2men sang a psych opening on the episode all about a caella music .

[Frer3]

Originally Posted by Chip

I've heard others with perfect pitch make the same complaint. But I have to agree with Revan, intended or not, your first post was definitely lacking in, uh, modesty... whether something is true or not, you'll generally make more friends by not being quite so, um, in-your-face.

Sorry to seem in-your-face about it. I never meant to sound arrogant or anything like that. I only meant to insinuate that a capella music comes easier to me than it does for most because of perfect pitch. I'd prefer it weren't so easy, but I've always been taught to use the gifts I've been given. It seemed appropriate to mention given the topic of the thread. All excuses aside, consider me humbled.

As for arrangements, have you ever heard Masterpiece by The Kings Singers?

[Markio]

There are two people with perfect pitch in my a cappella group. One's an alto, and the other is a bass, who happens to be the only other (out?) gay person besides me. They come in handy when we don't have a pitch pipe.

There are actually people who have perfect pitch but are tone deaf, meaning that they can identify notes that they hear but can't sing them out loud. That sounds like a curse to me

The only King Singer's song I've heard is Blackbird by the Beatles, and they sing impeccably. As for other arrangements, the Socal Vocals of USC did this overwhelming performance of Crazy Ever After at ICCA in 2010. That group makes me so jealous and yet so excited for a cappella!

+ YouTube Video

[Revan]

I do have to ask you performers, do any of you have difficulty sometimes in groups? All my friends often tell me I have a great voice, and during my musical back in the winter, my vocal director always told me to sing louder as we didn't have many strong males in the chorus and while I was a lead, I was often also asked to sing in chorus numbers because they needed the extra strength. I of course appreciate it, no doubt I appreciate being told my voice is great, dunno I always agree but the ego boost is always lovely.

But my question for you performers is, when I am in duets or group numbers, I often find myself singing someone else's part, like the bass when I'm suppose to be singing tenor. It's just hard to block out everyone and sing my own part I find. Even when/if we go over my part separately I still wind up blending. I mean I sang Come What May from Moulin Rouge in my music class and in the chorus parts where it splits, I was suppose to do harmony and her melody (or might have been the other way around) and I wound up singing her part with her only in my octave, and while we still got a great mark (85% baby!) it was still commented on my whole harmony/melody part...Any suggestions to try and fix this?

[steel03]

^My sophomore year of high school, there were 20some sopranos, like 15 altos, 7 basses, and 2 tenors. Then my junior year, for some reason we only had like 3 altos, and one time, my director told me to sing Alto I (not Alto II, even thought there was a distinct Alto II line that didn't go up to a freaking C#). But I'm usually able to hold my own without a problem if I know the music.

Kings Singers + National Youth Choir of Great Britain + Eric Whitacre:

+ YouTube Video

[Markio]

Originally Posted by Revan

But my question for you performers is, when I am in duets or group numbers, I often find myself singing someone else's part, like the bass when I'm suppose to be singing tenor. It's just hard to block out everyone and sing my own part I find. ... Any suggestions to try and fix this?

This is actually pretty common for a lot of singers. It's only happened to me when I don't know how my own part goes, so the first thing is to learn your own part separately from the other harmonies. Sing it over and over until it's stuck in your head. The second thing some people will do is partially cup their hand over one ear so that they can hear their own voice more clearly while they sing. That usually helps in case you can't hear yourself over everyone else and get lost in the voices.

[robertplace93]

I love a Capella music. My school only had show choir, so we never did much a Capella. But I was a member of my district and all-state choirs, where we DID do a lot of it. I fell in love. Sure perfect pitch is a nice thing, but is is necessary? Not really. Piano is useful and even iPhones have pitchpipes now. haha. But I am a Bass 2, and I love singing a Capella.

[PhantomX]

I am a huge choral/a capella fan! Though, I'm from the band/symphonic world originally, since hearing the music of Eric Whitacre, I have fallen in love with a capella music!!

My favorite piece at the moment has to be this...it's sooo powerful and the chords are as some call them, chordgasmic!!!!

+ YouTube Video