How was your group formed?
I had a dream to sing collegiate-style a cappella again, long after graduating college. As recently as 2006, there were very few post-collegiate groups that sang in the collegiate style anywhere, and none in Memphis. Post-collegiate a cappella groups at the time were generally composed of four to six singers, one mic per singer, and invariably in those circumstances, only the best singers would pursue a cappella after college. I’m not the best voice in DeltaCappella, and I didn’t think I could hold my own under such “exposed” circumstances, but I really wanted to sing and to enjoy the camaraderie of a larger group. So I felt compelled to start my own group.

In researching where a cappella had gone between my graduation from business school in 1990 and 2006, I kept stumbling across Deke Sharon’s name, and being a businessman, I called him and hired him as a consultant. The idea of CAL had been floating around in his head, and when he came to Memphis, and we held auditions and started a 12-man group from scratch, he realized there was a need, and it was time start CAL. Although there were a handful of other collegiate-style groups in existence, I’m happy to think that DeltaCappella was the catalyst for the formation of CAL and the prototype group.

What style of music does your group perform?
DeltaCappella sings an eclectic variety of music. When I started it, I intended to recreate my collegiate a cappella experience, which was vocal jazz. I pulled out my arrangements from the Harvard Din & Tonics (my college group) and the Duke Pitchforks (from when I was in business school). But DeltaCappella quickly took on a life of its own, with all members bringing song ideas to the table. We just wanted to have fun, so we ended up singing all sorts of styles, including classical, jazz, spirtuals, doo-wop, and of course contemporary music from recent decades. We have enough songs in our repertoire now that we can tailor a concert to the specific needs of any audience. If we were a professional group, I’d recommend being focused in the style of music you sing, but as a group of hobbyists, I recommend simply singing whatever you want to sing.

Give us an update on what you’ve been working on.
In 2009, we got involved in an original a cappella opera that had a four-week run in Memphis in early 2010. The project was enormous; it had a 495 page score and was over two hours long. It was so successful that we decided to record it, and the recording process has taken the past two years. That album is forthcoming.

Now, we’re working on a full-length album of contemporary a cappella, including an original piece that a Nashville songwriter offered to us after hearing us sing.

Our biggest constraint is that we’re not professional musicians. We all have day jobs that we don’t intend to quit. So, we can’t go on the road, and in fact, we can only take on about one concert per month, because we don’t want our families to object to our time away from home. (Some of us are not married, and this doesn’t apply to them.)

We generally do three concerts a year in Memphis and sell tickets to the public. And we get hired for one or two regional performances per year in performing arts venues, and eight or ten corporate parties per year. And every once in a while, we get lucky and get flown to some remote area by a corporation who wants unique entertainment for an event. We’ve been to Phoenix and Las Vegas in the past, and it’s been a great time for all of us.

How has your group benefitted from CAL?
CAL has been a great support group. We’ve benefitted from the extended camaraderie of other like-minded singers. Doing a cappella in the post-collegiate world presents a host of different challenges and opportunities that don’t exist in the collegiate world, and it helps to have other post-collegiate CAL members to discuss things with. As the number of CAL groups grows, we’re reaching a critical mass where even individuals can confidently travel to a cappella conferences like VoCALnation in Philadelphia, and know they will find people to sing with. It’s hard to get a group of employed individuals to take time off at the same time and pay for a trip to a remote conference just to sing, so it’s important that individuals can attend these events.

At the first meeting of CAL directors, which took place at Deke Sharon’s house in San Francisco during the summer of 2008, we chose six simple songs that were easily translated to any mix of voices, and we agreed it would be a good idea to learn them as part of the “CAL Songbook,” so that an individual would always know at least six songs that he or she could sing anywhere, whenever four or more CAL members got together, particularly at conferences. I don’t think we ever brought this idea to fruition, but we ought to.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about either joining or starting a CAL group?
There is room for one or more CAL group in any city. It’s always easier to join an existing group, but if one doesn’t exist, then start one. Lean heavily on the CAL community, because we will support you with good, time-tested advice.

Or if none of the groups in your area is to your liking, either because of their choice of music, or because you don’t feel a kinship with the type of singers already in the group, or even if you audition and don’t get in, then start your own group. It’s hard work to start a group, but the rewards are huge. DeltaCappella has become a huge part of my life and of the lives of 11 other guys in Memphis, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Now we know you’re all very tech-savvy people, but just in case you haven’t participated in a tweet chat before we wanted to provide a little bit of information.

What’s a tweet chat anyway?

A tweet chat is similar to any workshop you might attend at a CASA festival (you know, like VoCAL Nation)…just on Twitter. VoCAL Nation’s social media team will coordinate and moderate the discussion featuring Jim from 9pm to 10pm. The team will ask Jim between 5 and 8 questions related to the topic that he will answer throughout the hour.

How can I participate?

You can follow the conversations from home and additionally join in the with your own questions and comments if you choose! The important thing to know is that all tweets related to the tweet chat should include VoCAL Nation’s official hashtag #VCN2013. By monitoring the twitter feed associated with the hashtag and using it in your own responses, you will be able to keep a pulse on all of the discussion in real time!

Tips, tricks, and things to remember

• If many people join the conversation (fingers crossed!), it be difficult to keep up with the rapidly updating twitter feed. To stay on top of it all there are a ton of helpful sites to use such as Tweet chat, Twitterfall, or Tweetgrid. You can also use other platforms or feed aggregates such Hootsuite to keep the thread of the conversation.
• To keep the Tweet chat feed clear, only use the #VCN2013 hashtag when your tweet is relevant to the conversation. A lot of our friends will be on this chat and is encouraged to engage with them, but if the interaction is not related to the conversation take it outside of the chat. Similarly, please ask VoCAL Nation, Jim, and other users questions if you have them, but please stay on topic!
• If you strongly agree with a post or want to share something with your own followers please feel free to retweet! Further, if you want to repost and add a comment to a person’s tweet but don’t have enough character space, retweet their post and then mention them (ex. @VoCALNation) in a subsequent tweet with your feedback and the #VCN2013 hashtag.
• Please remember that this is a dialogue and not a debate. It’s okay to disagree with people or add contrasting input, but please be respectful. We’re all friends!

That about covers it! If you have any question please feel free to comment, post on facebook, or tweet us at @VoCALNation. Otherwise, we look forward to talking with Jim and the rest of you on June 19th!

The Collaborative Recording will still include the headlining professional group from the festival. It will also include some of the top groups included in the festival and some talented individual singers. The session is still about finding ways to collaborate and produce something innovative while supporting the mission of CASA to enhance the a cappella community and the experience of attendees at our festivals. Our changes are all to get more people involved in this incredible experience.

What we’ve done is to break things into a few, clearly defined roles.

Song Choice: This used to be the territory of a select few, and now absolutely ANY a cappella fan can be involved. Song choice is selected through a social media vote and is going on now, so make sure you watch our Facebook and Twitter feeds to add in your two cents!

Arrangement: We know there are a lot of amazing arrangers out there who might be struggling to get their name and work recognized or who just might be itching to arrange for the pros but haven’t yet made the connection. We’re giving arrangers just that chance by having the Collaborative Recording arrangement open up to multiple submissions. The arranger gets to pick from the top three songs from the social media contest, and the winner is picked by a panel of professionals. All applicants will receive feedback on their arrangement as well, so this is a win-win all around. As soon as the song is selected, you’ll see a form open up for arrangement submissions.

Sound Engineer: This is the biggie. It’s the chance to record, mix and master the pros (and some seriously talented groups.) Not only do you get the bragging rights of working with these amazing musicians and a track to put on your website (and recognition on the CASA websites) but we are providing a top tier producer to mentor you through the process. This will enhance and add to any weekend workshop you could attend and it is on the job training with some seriously high-quality talent.

Singers: The chance to participate and sing with the pros is something that will definitely continue, so make sure you purchase your Collaborative Recording Add-on to VoCALnation and look for that ticket opportunity at other festivals too. It’s amazing to watch these pros work, and we know your voice would be a great accompaniment, so sign up quickly as these tickets are limited.

Details for the Collaborative Recording at VoCALnation can be found here. You can find the CASA EP for previous Collaborative Recordings here or check out our songs on SoundCloud. If you’re interested in being a Mentor-Producer or Sound Engineer, don’t hesitate to reach out to kate@casa.org. These roles are limited so get involved soon!

As the founding member of Fermata Town, one of the newest groups to join the Contemporary A Cappella League (CAL), it’s easy for me to say that there is so much value in these festivals and not just on the individual level but for an entire group. F-Town just participated in BOSS as a group, our first CASA festival together and it was unanimous: it won’t be our last.

There is something for everyone at these festivals. Over the course of a weekend music directors, general members, group leaders and even a cappella groupies will find something that tickles their fancy. Don’t believe me? Well then I challenge you to see for yourself… and you can thank me later.

On top of the amazing workshops offered, these festivals bring in headlining groups that continue to redefine the limits of contemporary a cappella. So not only do you get to learn, you get to sit back and enjoy some of the best a cappella music from around the world. Yes, world. There have been international headliners at almost every single CASA festival the past year.

Having now been to three festivals in the past year and a half, one thing I’ve learned is that the a cappella world is an incredibly welcoming community. Be it your first or your fifteenth festival, you’re going to make new friends and its going to feel like you’ve known them for much longer than one weekend. How is that possible? Because they love the same exact things you do and aren’t afraid to geek out about them!

You already know what you can get out of the festival as an individual but there are things for the group as a whole too! You’ll have the opportunity to sign up for a master class with some of the best musical minds in the business. Not to mention performance opportunities and group bonding activities. Everybody wins!

After attending BOSS with Fermata Town, my appreciation for these festivals increased at an exponential level. Not for any different reasons from above, but simply because we were able to experience those things together. The group that goes to the festival is not going to be the same as the group that returns – which isn’t a bad thing at all. It’s really a beautiful thing and if your group has the chance to make it to a CASA festival, DO IT!

So, the bottom line is that these festivals are worth every single penny. In fact, they’re worth a lot more than what you’ll pay but CASA isn’t about making money. They’re all about giving back, educating the community and making groups better. Get your group to go to festival and you WILL get better. If you can’t all make it, send who you can and have them bring all that a cappella goodness back to the group. That’s what Fermata Town did it 2012… and one year later we have a CARA-Award Winning album to prove that these festivals really work!

If you missed BOSS, you definitely don’t want to miss VCN. The Townies will be there, will you?!

Dan Campagna

Business Manger/Founder

Fermata Town

He was right.

Boston’s Impactful Educational Sessions

In my case, BOSS was life-changing for a few reasons. I had a half-hour discussion with Bill Hare (who, by the way, is one of the nicest people on planet Earth) about recording, arranging, and the ability to let go of your pre-conceived notions and let art happen.

Also, I watched The House Jacks’ Austin Willacy pull out a guitar (that’s right, a real one) and demonstrate his latest original song, explaining the story of how it came about and how a song (which is only the lyrics, a melody, and chords) becomes an arrangement for a vocal band.

I saw how LivingFiction’s Michael Eldredge sees a cappella through the eyes of a professional photographer, better understanding how the simple positioning of your own posture changes your communication to the audience.

But, most importantly, I was reminded why I chose music as my career in the first place.

CASA Festivals Are About the Music

As a public school music educator, I am immersed in music every day. Sometimes, when you are immersed in it as a profession, you are so busy with the hard work that goes into it that you forget the reason that music is so integral to your existence – how it can touch you to your very core. I was reminded of that power twice at BOSS. Surprisingly, it was not at the collegiate competition or professional showcase that this occurred (although there were select performances at those events that were mind-broadening and meaningful). It was the informal performances that were featured as part of two of the workshops that communicated to me.

In Michael Eldredge’s “Seeing Music” session, he ended by taking us through the lyrics of “Top of the World”, then had Musae get up and sing their CARA-winning arrangement for us. I was captivated by their performance, even without the set-up of the lyrics. Later, Ben Stevens had a special guest in his ever-popular “Essential Listening” session: BOSS’s host group, the Nor’Easters of Northeastern University. They performed Rihanna’s “Diamonds in the Sky” with a level of artistry and expression that the original artist could never portray. This was my tears-in-the-eyes moment of the weekend.

Those kind of performances are the reason I got into music as a career. That magical moment of synergy when an ensemble of performers acts as a conduit for the musical expression of the composer, arranger, and performers themselves, connecting directly to the audience on an energetic level are the kind of performances that brings everyone in the room who is really paying attention into the present moment in a way few other things can.

As a music educator, I need those kind of reminders every once in a while.

What Makes VoCALnation Unique Among CASA Festivals

And now, with BOSS over and the a cappella faithful finding their way back to their respective points of origin a little bit wiser and richer of heart, we find ourselves on the forefront of preparations for VoCALnation. Can we expect the same kind of life-changing moments in Philadelphia in July? Certainly. But what makes VCN different?

VoCALnation is a festival that was founded to address the unique needs of post-collegiate a cappella singers – those of us who sang in college, loved every moment of it, and want to continue that activity into full adulthood. As last year’s Friday night CAL showcase quite effectively proved, there is not only “aca-life” after college, but mature, experienced adult performers can bring a level of sophistication and depth to a cappella performance bred from their years of experience in college (and they can still melt faces with the best of them).

CASA’s Contemporary A Cappella League has doubled in size within the last two years due in part to the success of The Sing-Off. With an estimated 5,000 collegiate singers graduating each year, there is no end to the possibilities of groups forming all over America. There is also no question that the groups who have chosen to tap into the resources and camaraderie available in CAL have flourished over the past seven years while other adult groups have formed and disbanded time and time again.

At BOSS, I sat in on the Post-Collegiate A Cappella session, where directors and business managers for Cut-Off, Fermata Town, Cognitive Resonance, Euphonism, and Redline led a panel discussion on the best practices of currently successful CAL groups. Even at BOSS, where many of the performers and attendees are still going through their collegiate singing days, there was still a room of about thirty adults or soon-to-be-graduates in the room asking some very real and very specific questions about starting, managing, and maintaining an a cappella group populated by working adults.

There Is Aca-Life After College

The reality of the situation is that it is really difficult to start and grow an a cappella group of adults. The Contemporary A Cappella League is a fantastic resource for singers to make an adult group happen, and VoCALnation is a festival that helps post-collegiate singers (and anyone else, for that matter) of all levels and abilities grow in their knowledge and skill sets to take back to their groups and keep the music going. There is room in a busy adult life of career and family for a cappella, especially when that passion and enthusiasm is nurtured by like-minded adults who are making it happen in their own communities.

I am looking forward to the opportunity of changing a few more lives in July. I invite you all to join us and experience the passion and skill of the many amazing people associated with the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America.

As undergraduates, some of us sang together in the a cappella groups at Penn State University. Others sang in groups at Temple University and Oberlin. It was actually post-college that the six of us got together. We all found our way to The A Cappella Project – Philadelphia, a non-profit charitable organization that sponsors multiple co-ed and all-female a cappella groups singing seasonally throughout the year; the summer season puts adult singers together with undergrads on break to put on a benefit concert every August. We first sang together as a pick-up group in the summer of 2009, singing “I’ll Be There” as a tribute to Michael Jackson. It was a one-and-done performance, but in the back of several minds was a desire to do more.

Fast forward to 2011 – the open casting call for “The Sing-Off” brought us together in a whirlwind of arranging, rehearsing, and filming. It was the catalyst we needed to get back together and get off the ground. After the video, we decided to take a semi-professional approach to the group, and we wanted to network with other post-collegiate groups. Joining the Contemporary A Cappella League was a decision that brought with it a number of unexpected benefits. It was proof positive that there is life after undergrad for a cappella singers. Last year’s VoCALnation in Washington, D.C., was an incredible experience that really broadened our perspective of what post-collegiate a cappella could be. When CASA’s core events team asked us if we were potentially interested in hosting, our answer was obvious and unanimous. We want to see the small-but-enthusiastic post-collegiate scene in Philadelphia grow, and hosting VCN is an awesome way to give Philly the jump start it needs.

So, what can you expect from VoCALnation 2013 in Philadelphia?

  •   A tight, well-executed festival from beginning to end.
  •   A venue that is a historical landmark, with amazing architecture and atmosphere.
  •   A festival in the middle of Center City, in walking distance of the “Rocky” steps and
      several fantastic museums.
  •   Walk or run along the iconic and scenic Boathouse Row.
  •   Philly soft pretzels. Real ones.
  •   Words like Schuylkill, Conshohocken, and Manayunk (go ahead, try to pronounce them).
  •   The answer to the age-old question. “Whose cheesesteak is better: Pat’s or Geno’s?”
      (hint: it’s a trick question!)
  •   A CAL Showcase concert full of some of the best post-collegiate groups in the country.

Join us in Philadelphia in July for VoCALnation 2013. (Note: Michael Vick will NOT be in attendance.)

You will be notified of our decision by Friday 5 April. If the decision is positive, you will be asked to submit title and workshop description, any AV requests, a first draft of any materials for your workshop, and your brief biography by Friday 19 April.

***Thank you*** for applying and for your interest in VoCALnation 2013!

Questions? Please contact Benjamin Stevens (bstevens@casa.org).

Most importantly, we are thrilled to announce that our third annual festival will be held from July 19-21, 2013 in Philadelphia, PA! Mark your calendars! More information about our venue can be found here.

This year’s event will be hosted by CAL group, KeyStone, and we’re proud to introduce you to your 2013 Executive Producer, Tom West. Tom and our team are working hard to put together the best VCN yet!

Are you interested in being an instructor? Look for our call for instructors Monday!

Tickets will go on sale APRIL 2ND (to avoid any April “fools” out there)!

Want to see your organization or company’s logo on the homepage of our website? WE CAN DO THAT!

Want to volunteer? DO IT. WE WANT YOU.

If all of that isn’t QUITE enough for you, don’t fret. We’ll be sending you all kinds of goodies in the coming weeks, including our headliners, after-party locations, and workshop schedules.

See you all in July!

Thursday, July 12 Events

Okay, so this is a cappella-related, but it’s at a really cool venue. Do you love VCN performers and all-around awesome Swiss group The Glue? Can’t get enough of CAL group and VCN performers the Capital Hearings? We can’t either, and that’s why you’ll be able to find us checking the two out at the Swiss embassy Thursday night! You can purchase tickets on the Capital Hearings’ site. Naturally, since it’s being held at the Swiss Embassy, the ticket price includes a Swiss wine and cheese reception with the performers.

Snowday is also performing Thursday morning! Get your a cappella festival pre-game on with the kids and check them out at the Strathmore Backyard Theater for Children. More info can be found HERE.

BYT is a local event site, and their happy hours are always fun. Thursday night, they’re having an Addams Family-themed happy hour, and it’s sponsored by the Kennedy Center MyTix program, which sells discounted opera/symphony/ballet/musical tickets to the 18-30 set. It’s free to attend, all you need to do is register HERE.

Buddy Guy and John Mayall at Wolf Trap
You can buy tickets HERE.

Weekend Events for Kids

If you have a car, Glen Echo Park is a great place to bring kids. I (Emilie Begin) grew up having picnics here and attending puppet shows.
Glen Echo Park website
The Puppet Co. (the theater is located in the park) website

The Smithsonian’s Discovery Theater has performances for kids on weekdays, and on Friday, July 13, they will be performing “Exploring our WILD Neighbors”, which is recommended for children ages 5-12. More info can be found HERE.

Sunday July 15 Events\

Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque de Soleil
You can buy tickets HERE. The show is there Friday and Saturday as well, but we obviously would rather your friends and family attend our concerts!

Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Rachel Farley, Dee Jay Silver at Merriweather Post Pavillion
You can buy tickets HERE.

To check out all the current exhibitions at the Smithsonian museums, CLICK HERE.

Sadly, our dear Nats won’t be playing in town the week of the festival, but if you stay in town a few extra days after the weekend, you can see them play the Mets by buying tickets here.

The DC-area has a plethora of (FREE!) outdoor movie locations. This is THE go-to website to find out the who/what/where/when.
http://www.dcoutdoorfilms.com/schedule.html

There tend to be food trucks at these events, which are kind of a big deal in this town, so make sure to bring a little cash!

If you want more information on what’s going on in DC, the Washington Post’s Going Out Guide is the place to go.

Can’t wait to see you all next week!