ACA-Idol is a fast-paced competition with big money at stake!
Groups perform for 10 minutes. A panel of judges gives live feedback.
You, the audience vote by cel phone to decide which group -College or Pro- wins $1,000! (Rules here).
Competitors each give their best 10 minutes. Bid at the Silent Auction too! Competors will all compete for your love and votes in this show!
Competitors are announced here as they complete their confirmation process!
HS Competitors arrive and get settled, warmed-up and ready to show the judges what they’ve got!
Note that all competing HS groups should attend the orientation. You will need the information we give you there.
Soundcheck will follow. Note that soundcheck are generally open for other (quiet) competitors to view. It’s a great learning experience!
Once a group has completed their own sound-check, their members may stay or are free to attend classes, Spotlight Showcases, their group’s coaching and more.
Have fun!
All high school competitors start off right here to soundcheck.
If you are a HS Competitor, your schedule may look like this.
You’ve never tried beatboxing before?! Well here’s your chance! Spiderhorse and friends will get you from zero to hero in no time! Bring your boots and cats! (It’s your first lesson! Say “boots-and-cats” quickly and you’ll be beatboxing in no time!
Gather at 10:15 in the main theatre. And please be silent as there are other sound checks occurring!
At 10:30 SHARP it will be YOUR turn to soundcheck! Follow the instructions of your director and the sound engineer and enjoy the massive sound system and multitudinous wireless microphones!
Click here for information on the Single Singers, SingStrong’s open group that anyone can join!
Lip buzz is a technique that any gender can use to generate deep rumbling pitches -exactly the kind you need for modern music. Throat Bass is another vocal technique that accomplished this goal. It’s common to both Tuvan overtone singers and beatboxers. Using this approach, singers can generate a pitch which is one octave lower than a typical bass’s lowest sung notes. Some feel the sound is reminiscent of the Mongolian region while others feel the sound is more akin to electronica and dubstep. Whatever your connotations, this unique style adds a wealth of potential expression and power to any group.
Spiderhorse, winner of the 2019 ACA-OPEN and International and American Beatbox championships leads this exploration of these specialized vocal techniques.
World renown beatboxers display their impressive beatboxing chops and then show you how the magic is made!
HS groups performing in the Sat 2PM Show have a backstage call for the HS Competition at this time.
You will be led to your assigned green room/backstage area.
2:00 HS Finals begins! Break a leg!
The best High School groups get only 8 minutes of stage time to impress a team of respected a cappella experts as they compete for trophies. The Single Singers, an open a cappella group that you can join, perform while the judges deliberate.
The Science of Sound
- Can science really teach you how to sing better? Come get a glimpse into the exciting and nerdy world of vocal pedagogy.
7PM -8:30 with these Pro Groups !
See the best professional groups in fast-paced sets. Each Pro Show is different!
The Weekend’s Performers
The Concert Schedule
Doors open 30 minutes in advance. Stadium seating.
9:30 with Pro Groups and more!
See the best professional groups in fast-paced sets. Each Pro Show is different!
The Weekend’s Performers
The Concert Schedule
Doors open 30 minutes in advance. Stadium seating.
For the first time in history, a world renown beatbox “ensemble” has won a major contemporary a cappella competition. Beatbox skills alone don’t account for their win. Arranging played a pivotal role. Spiderhorse, the 2019 Aca-Open Champions will break down their unique arranging style. Texture, register and harmonic choices all play a part in creating impactful arrangements under their approach. This is a class that’s as appropriate for beginners as it is for advanced students.
Some bass technique. Some vocal percussion. And most importantly, the insane skill of doing both at the same time. Whether you learn it for bragging rights, just for a hot moment in your show, or to pay one less person in your pro group, this is a skill worth having! Learn the ins and outs of this art form from Sebastian Rilton, founder and one-man rhythm section of the award winning Swedish powerhouse, Riltons Vanner.
Live Looping allows performers to expand what a soloist can do and what “in the moment” really means. Using simple technology, any sung line can be repeated, or looped, allowing the singer to harmonize with herself. This process allows a single performer to create a dense, multi-layered performance without the need for pre-recorded tracks or additional singers. Come see how the award-winning composer/performer Grace McLean approaches this unique art form!
Famed composer Jason Robert Brown describes Grace McLean as “unlike anything I have ever experienced in a theater in my life. At every moment, there is a fierce pioneering inventiveness.” Huff Post calls her “Electrifying!” Fans know her from Broadway musical, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812″ as well as her season-long run at Lincoln Center starring in the original musical which she composed, “In the Green”. She is the 2017 recipient of the Hunt Family Emerging Artist Award through Lincoln Center. Manhattan User’s Guide writes, “This pop and jazz singer writes seriously infectious melodies with seriously antic lyrics. Her voice can raise the roof, or she can slide off a note and break your heart.” Compared to artists like Kimbra and Julia Easterlin, once McLean begins, you won’t be able to take your eyes off her for a moment.
Beatbox
Pro Show 3 with pro artists and more!
The Weekend’s Performers: http://newyork.singstrong.org/performers.html
The Concert Schedule: http://newyork.singstrong.org/concert-schedule.html
Doors open 30 minutes in advance. Stadium seating.