So You Want to Sing A Cappella: A Guide for Performers
ONLINE RESOURCES
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 5 Chapters 18 & 19 Chapter 20 Appendix
Chapter 1 – The Evolution of A Cappella
Pre-Contemporary A Cappella Styles:
- Gregorian Chant
- Traditional Jewish
- Native American
- Madrigals
- Renaissance Polyphony
- Sea Shanties
- Field Holler
- Classical Choral
- Sacred Harp
- Folk Music
- Irish-Scottish-Gaelic “Mouth” Music
- Gospel
- Fisk Jubilee Singers
Early Twentieth Century:
- Barbershop
- Sweet Adelines
- Mbube
- Isicathamiya
- Taiwan
- Klapa
- Bulgarian Women’s Choir
- Collegiate A Cappella
- Close Harmony
- Doo Wop
- Contemporary Christian
Chapter 2 – Contemporary A Cappella
The 1980s:
- Sweet Honey in the Rock
- The Persuasions
- The King’s Singers
- The Swingle Singers
- The Manhattan Transfer
- The Singers Unlimited
- The Hi-Lo’s
- The BOBs
- The Nylons
- The Buffalo Bills (Barbershop Quartet from The Music Man)
- Todd Rundgren
- Flying Pickets
- Ladysmith Black Mambazo & Paul Simon
- Billy Joel
- The Nylons
The Early 1990s:
- M-Pact
- The Edlos
- North Shore A Cappella
- SoVoSo
- Toxic Audio
- Naturally 7
- Bobby McFerrin
- Shai
- Huey Lewis and the News
- All 4 One
- Az Yet
- Bobby McFerrin
- Boyz II Men (“It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday”)
- Boyz II Men (“In the Still of the Night”)
- Take 6
- Montezuma’s Revenge
- Tufts Beelzebubs
- Spike Lee and Company: "Do It A Cappella" (full show)
- Rockapella: “Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego” (full episode)
- The 17th Avenue All-Stars
- The (Trench) Coats
- The Flirtations
The 2000s/2010s:
- American Vybe
- Groove 66
- Straight No Chaser
- The Sing Off
- Pitch Perfect
- Camp A Cappella
- A Cappella Academy
- VoiceJam
- AcaWest
- Contemporary A Cappella League
- Pitch Slapped
- In Transit
- Vocalosity
- Take 6
Chapter 5 – Vocal Instruments
- Trumpet and Trombone
- Muted Trumpet
- Flute
- Pizzicato Strings
- Electric Guitar, Kazoo, Theramin & Bowed Violin
- Harmonica
Chapter 18 – Singing and Voice Science (Scott McCoy)
- Your Voice: An Inside View
- National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS)
- National Center for Voice and Speech (NCVS)
- The Voice Foundation (TVF)
Chapter 19 – Vocal Health and the Light Opera Singer (Wendy LeBorgne)
Chapter 20 – Using Audio Enhancement Technology (Matthew Edwards)
Equipment Manufacturers:
Recommended Equipment:
- SM58 Microphone (with on/off switch)
- Behringer Eurolive B212XL
- TC-Helicon Voice Live Play Vocal Effects Processor
- 10-Foot XLR Cable
Comparisons of Singers (on and off mic):
Tutorials:
Trade Publications:
Appendix – List of A Cappella Festivals Around the World
EUROPE
January:
February:
March:
- The Voice Festival (UK)
- Total Choral: Pop/Jazz Chor-Festival, Berlin (GER)
- A Cappella Rorschach (SWI)
- EverySing! Festival, Ville de Montlouis-sur-Loire (FRA)
April:
- Prague Aca Fest (CZE)
- Internationaler Chorwettbewerb & Festival, Bad Ischl (AUT)
- A Cappella Woche Hannover (GER)
May:
- Wetterauer Musik Sommer Akademie: Festivokal (GER)
- A Cappella Festival Appenzell (SWI)
- Aarhus Vocal Festival (DEN)
- Stimmakrobaten Festival (GER)
- Festival für Vokalmusik Leipzig (GER)
- Voxon A Cappella Festival, Bleiburg (AUT)
June:
- Tampere Vocal Music Festival and Competition (FIN)
- Vocaal Festival Amusing Hengelo (NED)
- Chortreffen Ibbenbüren (GER)
- Sing A Cappella Festival and Workshop Day (UK)
- Odense Vokal Festival, Odense (DEN)
- Hofkonzerte: A Cappella, Winterthur (SWI)
- Solevoci A Cappella International Contest and Festival, Varese (ITA)
July:
August:
- Choralies, Vaison-la-Romaine (FRA)
- Ohrid Choir Festival (MAC)
- Vocal Pop & Jazz Days, Oberhausen (GER)
- Nuits des choeurs / Stemmen onder de Sterren, Braine-l’Alleud (BEL)
September:
- Acappellica, Hamburg (GER)
- BerVokal: A Cappella Pop Festival, Berlin (GER)
- Chor.com, Dortmund (GER)
- Sangeslust, Bayreuth (GER)
- Zoom+ Festival, Trnva (SLO)
October:
- Fool Moon International A Cappella Festival (HUN)
- Voice Mania, Vienna (AUT)
- Festival Espoochor, Espoo (FIN)
November:
- Tonart-Festival Ilmenau (GER)
- BALK Top Festival, Rotterdam (NED)
- Vokal Total, Munich (GER)
- Polyfollia International Summer Festival, Saint-Lo (FRA)
December:
NORTH AMERICA
February:
- Los Angeles A Cappella Festival, Los Angeles, CA
- NE Voices, Wilmington, MA
- Mile High Vocal Jam, Denver, CO
March:
April:
May:
June:
August:
November:
February–May:
January–May:
ASIA
March:
April:
June:
July:
August:
October:
- A Cappella Society’s International A Cappella Festival (SIN)
- Taiwan International Contemporary A Cappella Festival, Taipei (TAI)
November:
AUSTRALIA
May:
July:
AFRICA
August:
