Jan Loves... "A Cappella"

NBC got on the bandwagon with their hit competition "The Sing-Off" which recently completed their 2nd season, MTV is starting to watch college a cappella competitions, and now suddenly the hobby your brother or sister got into when in college doesn't look so geeky anymore.  With popular shows like Fox's "Glee" writing in their own a cappella groups, it's hard to ignore this fascinating subculture of sound.

Although popular with some college students, many post college singers have formed their own sonic communities, performing in shows and recording, going semi-pro.

I know personally because I was one of them.

I am formerly of the co-ed a cappella group The Red States (no political affiliation), which will be releasing their freshman album on the 25th of this month on iTunes (right now available for pre-order).  In honor of the release, Media Mind Candy and wanted to find out from some post grads pro aca performers about their experiences and why they've always seem to find their way back "home".

I asked Jonathan Minkoff, the contratenor from the group Blue Jupiter what was his draw to the genre.


"Classic rock hits of the 70s and 80s delivered the ultimate arrangement choice with the a cappella chorus. The instruments would all drop out and a wall of pure vocal harmony would wash over the listener. Queen, Journey, Mr. Mister, Yes. They all bared laser tight harmonies to the the delight of their fans. Everyone knew this was the best part of the song.

At 14 this revelation hit me: why not do JUST the best parts? Nothing but a cappella. Decades later, it's still my favorite part!"

You'll find a lot of 80's power pop songs in contemporary a cappella.  Journey, a particularly favorited group of many a cappella collectives have licensed many versions of their classics rearranged and done up in a cappella style.

However some fall into a cappella based on serendipity.

David Pinto, tenor from the group NOTA, which won the first season of the Sing-Off and just this November released their self titled album on Epic Records (available on Amazon and iTunes) spoke to me about what drew him to a cappella.

"I started singing when I was 5 years old and my dad always wanted me to learn how to play guitar or some kind of instrument...since honestly i was too lazy to learn, lol, every time I wanted to explain what I wanted to hear in a song I would just imitate the instrument or sound I was referring to with my voice. I would just start beat boxing to explain what rhythm I was trying to get. Someone told me "you should listen to these guys" and handed me a tape of this group called a cappella! I was instantly enchanted with the idea that a group of 5 guys could make music with just their voices!! Then an a cappella sensation started in Puerto Rico where I joined my first a cappella group called Alpha. That's where I met the rest of the guys I currently share this dream of making music for a living with!"

True singers tend to have a healthy respect for the genre, understanding and appreciating the complexity of the harmonies, and the delicate balance of the sound.  But just like any good song, sometimes it's the match between music and lyrics that win you over.  Darcy Romano Bailey, the sole female in the group Cartoon Johnny explained how it only took one song to get her hooked.

"One day our director brought in a song and said "this one should be done a cappella." The song was titled "What Would I Do Without My Music?" and was powerful and sweet (especially for those who are passionate about music). It was my first time that I was truly moved by singing a cappella and knew that there was much more exploration in this great way of singing for me! "

Nicholas Fox, aka the Human Drum Machine, who this past Summer ranked 5th in the country in the American Beatbox Championships has had many experiences with semi-pro groups and explained his reasoning behind his return to a cappella after college.

"I considered myself "good" at a cappella by the time i got through to senior year, so i wanted to keep developing the singing skill and improve myself.  I wanted to run my own group and perform music that i liked -- something i didn't fully experience in college and I wanted to make friends outside of work. a cappella did the trick"

No matter what or why, the reason is pretty clear, a cappella, out of it's barbershop and du-wop roots, have seeped into the mainstream.

Go pre-order your copy of The Red States new album "No Political Affiliation" and if you're wondering, I'm the soloist on track 8 (Everybody Got Their Something).

 If you want to check out some awesome a cappella, check out these albums available (available on Amazon and iTunes).



 

Do you have your own favorite group? Let us know!