Agenda
Stream 
Day March 2016
Soundchecks for ACA-IDOL Competitors are assigned here.
ACA-Idol is a fast-paced competition with big money at stake! Groups perform for 10 minutes. A panel of celebrity judges gives live feedback. You, the audience vote by cell phone to decide which group -College or Pro- wins $1,000! (Rules here)
Ten competitors each give their best 10 minutes. Bid at the Silent Auction too! Competitors will all compete for your love and votes in this show!
This rehearsal is for The Single Singers.
The Single Singers is an open group 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.)
Follow the instructions and get ready to sing your heart out!
ACA-IDOL Judges meet with Producers to review rules and procedures for judging ACA-IDOL.
ACA-Idol is a fast-paced competition with big money at stake! Groups perform for 10 minutes. A panel of celebrity judges gives live feedback. You, the audience vote by cell phone to decide which group -College or Pro- wins $1,000! (Rules here)
Ten competitors each give their best 10 minutes. Bid at the Silent Auction too! Competitors will all compete for your love and votes in this show!
ACA-Idol is a fast-paced competition with big money at stake! Groups perform for 10 minutes. A panel of celebrity judges gives live feedback. You, the audience vote by cell phone to decide which group -College or Pro- wins $1,000! (Rules here)
Ten competitors each give their best 10 minutes. Bid at the Silent Auction too! Competitors will all compete for your love and votes in this show!
Start this festival off right by singing! Germany’s Vocaldente will get you warmed-up and jamming in no time. This bonus-length seminar runs from 9:30 to 11 so you’ll have lots of time to sing, and discover the secrets to unlocking the perfect blend.
Vocaldente has established itself as an internationally sought-after vocal ensemble, winning international competitions and boasting impressive references. Unlike other a cappella groups, vocaldente don’t rely on technical devices, amplifiers and special effects. Their passion is an art almost lost in the entire vocal scene: performing a cappella without microphones, conveying the feeling and verve of 80 years of musical entertainment in its most authentic way – purely acoustic, taking a cappella back to its proper roots. However, their repertoire is equally contemporary, as well as covering pop and rock music from the past eight decades. Taking their audience on a captivating journey from the Roaring Twenties to the latest pop hits, vocaldente create a completely unique new form of a cappella that’s directly connecting with the audience, touching them deeply and delighting them utterly. [Performing SAT 7:00 PM and SUN 2PM]
Diana Preisler says this: “They see you louder than they hear you.”
The Broadway performer, film actress (Oscar Nominated “Chico and Rita”), singer and manager of Blue Jupiter will show you how to make that message work for you. Groups will hop on stage and have their performance crafted to perfection.
This seminar is one of our most popular! Have your group come ready to perform!
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!
Beatbox is an essential element of contemporary a cappella. No program is complete without it. But where do you start?
This panel of world-class beatboxers will not only blow you away with their stunning skills, but they’ll also walk you through the percussive language that forms the core of this expressive vocal technique. By the end of this class, you’ll have the basic tools to begin to master the craft of beatboxing on your own.
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.
The best High School groups get just a few minutes of stage time to impress a team of a cappella experts as they compete for trophies. The Single Singers perform to standing ovations while the judges deliberate.
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]
Your mom says your album’s the greatest thing she’s ever heard. Shocker. Time for a dose of reality! Bring your recordings to class and get critiqued by the experts. Corey Slutsky isn’t your mom, but he is the Voices Only Founder and Executive Producer for the last decade, and a former RARB reviewer and CARA judge. He’s heard a lot of a cappella. He’ll listen intently to your recorded songs and point out right from wrong. It’s a no-holds-barred critique. Corey will also play some shining stars and dismal flops from his personal collection for your listening enjoyment. Learn what to listen for, and how to make your recordings shine. Will there be debates? Sure! Natural vs processed! What counts as cheating? What’s eye-rollingly unoriginal? Is the target audience the ACA-community or the general public? As a bonus, Corey reveals the tricks to getting selected for Voices Only Compilations.
A discussion of issues facing music educators. Moderated by Amy Branahl (Niles North HS). This will be an in-depth roundtable meeting on today’s most important issues, all while participants enjoy dinner! Bring your own food or contact Amy@SingStrong.org to arrange for a meal.
7:00PM – 8:30PM See the best professional groups in fast-paced sets. Each Pro Show is different!
Doors open 30 minutes in advance. General Admission seating.
See the best professional groups in fast-paced sets. Each Pro Show is different!
Doors open 30 minutes in advance. General Admission seating.
Without singers you have nothing! Without funds, your hands are tied. Amy Branahl is an award-winning HS director who’s ready to show you the inside scoop on getting your program just where you want it!
FACE is all-vocal rock, but their fans call their music a FACE-lift! This class focuses on FACE’s unique approach to putting story and soul first even when putting notes on the page. Go beyond dense chords and clever tricks and tell the story of what matters. Arrange from the heart with FACE.
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!
A cappella success requires intonation, listening and blending. It’s all part of what makes a cappella singing special and different and who better to lead the class than Accent, a group renown for their skills in this very area!
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]
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!
See the best professional groups in fast-paced sets. Each Pro Show is different!
Doors open 30 minutes in advance. General Admission seating.