Mark Megibow, is the high energy vocal percussionist that drives FACE. This class focuses on how to be a drummer in a band -an all vocal band, of course! Mark holds a degree in Music Education from Northwestern University where his instrument of focus was percussion! Mark’s approach goes beyond sounds and explores the core elements of the VP’s function so that they can craft their performances to enhance the music and the group’s impact.

Fans may recognize FACE from their performances on NBC’s “The Sing-Off,”  or their non-stop world touring. From headlining at Edinburgh, Scotland’s prestigious Festival Fringe, to Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, FACE has opened for such legendary performers as Jon Bon Jovi, Jay Leno, Manhattan Transfer, Culture Club & Boy George, Rick Springfield, and Robin Thicke. Critics and fans rave: “[Face] communicates with a directness and warmth – perhaps America at its best.” (Norbbottens Kuriren) “An instant connection – twinkling eyes suggesting a mischievous love of what was about to happen.” (FringeReview.co.uk) “A true American heartland sound.” (Recorded A Cappella Review Board)

Beloved in their home state of Colorado, where their reviews boast no shortage of superlatives, Face regularly performs for sold-out audiences In classic venues such as Paramount Theatre, Boulder Theater, Soiled Dove Underground, Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Pepsi Center and Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Don’t miss their SingStrong debut! [Performing SAT 7:00 PM and SUN at 2:00 PM]

Advanced Arranging Techniques (Tom Anderson)
Got a few arrangements under your belt? Ready to really get your hands dirty? One of the top names in contemporary a cappella arranging takes you under the hood and shows you how to make your charts purr like the pros’.

Tom Anderson knows contemporary a cappella arranging, inside and out. He’s got the experience and the awards. But some say he’s a man of strong opinion. Come with a thick skin and you’ll be in a perfect position learn from a master!

Tom Anderson is the founder, owner, and creative director of Random Notes. As a professional arranger specializing in a cappella music, his clients  include some of the top names at all levels of a cappella. Grammy winners The Swingle Singers, “The Sing-Off” winners Committed, international high school champs Vocal Rush and Limited Edition, the “Asian Pentatonix” MICappella, youth choirs from Idaho to South Africa, and countless others have used Tom’s arranging to help shape their sound.

Originally from northern Minnesota, Tom was a member of professional Minneapolis aca group Four Shadow at age 19. While studying music composition at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, he was the original music director of UWEC a cappella group Fifth Element and played piano in the jazz band that DownBeat Magazine named the best in the country. After college, he returned to the road as a member of Boston pro group Ball in the House, leaving just prior to the arrival of a brilliant young tenor named Peter Hollens.

When Peter left BitH to return to the University of Oregon and his college group, On the Rocks, he asked Tom to arrange a song for him. That song, a cover of Mr. Mister’s “Kyrie”, was nominated for a Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award for Song of the Year, putting both Peter’s golden pipes and Tom’s arranging on the map. Tom’s collaborations with Peter and On the Rocks have continued ever since, including OTR’s successful run on Season 2 of NBC’s “The Sing-Off” and nearly every song that Peter has released in a solo a cappella career (now on Sony Masterworks) that has garnered over 160 million YouTube views (and counting).

These days, Tom’s arrangements can be heard just about anywhere there’s contemporary a cappella music – from concert halls and compilation albums (a combined 24 appearances on Sing!, BOCA, and Voices Only) to Disney theme parks and Royal Caribbean cruises. He also works in instrumental idioms, including recent work as the lead orchestrator for an Off-Broadway musical. Tom is a frequent instructor and masterclinician at a cappella festivals and workshops (including his own intensive week-long workshop, Next Level Arrangements, presented in conjunction with The Vocal Company) and currently serves as the Vice President of the Contemporary A Cappella Society (CASA). He is a diehard Twins fan and is certain that 2016 is their year.

Contact Tom at tom@random-notes.com!

This rehearsal is for The Single Singers.

This group is for any singer at any level who is willing to learn the material on his or her own, prior to coming to SingStrong, and willing to perform on stage after just one day together!

We won’t have time to plunk notes so make sure you know your part cold! (You’ll also need a weekend pass or class pass to participate.)

Contact your director for learning materials and get ready to sing your heart out!

Participation will cause you to miss a portion of the Saturday 2PM HS Competition.

You will be performing at the HS Competition during the judge’s deliberations.

Where did we come from? How did we get here? Humankind asks these questions and so do a cappella singers. Come learn your history with a group that’s carrying the torch to the next generation: Accent!

In one sense, Accent is traditional a cappella vocal jazz, carrying on the legacies of The Singers Unlimited, Hi-Lo’s, Manhattan Transfer and Take 6.  But in another sense they are distinctly modern. Formed over YouTube with a membership spanning Canada, Sweden, France, the US and the UK, the members had never been in the same room until a growing fan base demanded their live performance! Against all odds, this international sextet has wowed the a cappella world. Catch this rare midwest performance from SingStrong debut artists, ACCENT! [Performing SAT 9:30 PM and SUN at 2:00 PM]

High School Competitors gobble down pizza and get to know their fellow competitors. Just try not to say “hello” with pepperoni in your mouth!

The Silent Auction (which is actually quite loud) accepts bids from Saturday Morning onwards, but this is the the final 40 minutes of Silent Auction time! The crowds gather and bidding intensifies!

Get unbelievable deals as you bid on a plethora of packages, and every dollar goes right to the Alzheimer’s Association!

Hotel get-aways? We’ve got em! Hard to find a cappella CDs? We’ve got em? Headshot and recording packages? We’ve got em! Local discounts for every day items? We’ve got those too!

Don’t miss this great chance to do well (for yourself) while you do good (for others)!

All conveniently placed in the lobby, between the end of the Sat. 7PM show and the beginning of the Sat. 9:30PM show!

Check out our FAQ for more info: http://chicago.singstrong.org/faq.html

The recording studio is a beast that every group must master. Let the award-winning  owner and founder of VOCOMOTION studios help you tame the beast! Freddie Feldman is the author of an e-book on this very topic, and in this class he will reveal the essentials for keeping your recording on time and on budget.  Pay attention now so that later you can stick to the fun part: making music!

It sure seems like a cappella has become huge in popular culture! But in 2016, there’s only been ONE  a cappella TV show: Pitch Slapped on Lifetime TV. The show featured two HS groups competing, each with its own dedicated coach. Diana Preisler coached Highlands Voices, the group which won the most events and which won the overall competition. Diana talks about the experience, revealing which elements were edited and which were very, very real. Also, what things got left on the cutting room floor.

For any group interested in this experience and any group interested in TV, this is can’t miss class!