Contemporary and Commercial

Carol Joy Sparkman, Contemporary and Commercial

This blog will focus primarily on resources available to novice a cappella groups to the more experienced. If you are planning on starting a pop cappella group at your school or in your community, contact directors who already have groups in place.

The MS ACDA offers a one-day workshop on Martin Luther King weekend that provides a performance opportunity, coaching for your group, and a chance to dialogue with other directors. The A Cappella Education Association is a wonderful resource for information. There are state and region coordinators that are available to assist you in all areas. Join this organization and have full access to the website.

The best advice is not to be scared of Pop A Cappella! Remember, someone, somewhere, sometime was scared of Madrigals!!

RESOURCES

Noteflight.com

This website is used by some fledging arrangers to give a “sneak peek” at some of their a cappella arrangements.  These arrangements are often by college students who are arranging for a collegiate a cappella group. Although the process may be tedious, gems are there to be mined and can usually be purchased for a small fee.

Search a cappella and the voicing or simply, a cappella.

Recently, I have been fortunate to make contact with several arrangers and excited to use them again. It’s a great resource!!

A Cappella Warm-ups: for Pop and Jazz Choirs

This book is co-written by Deke Sharon and a Southern Miss grad, J. D. Frizzell. Although the book is geared toward a cappella and jazz, it could give your traditional choirs a fresh perspective.

Topics include: Rhythm, Syllables, Tone, Intervals, Dynamics, Intonation, Blend, Balance, Pitch, Improvisation, Solo Techniques, and Vocal Percussion.

Better A Cappella

Browsing through this website requires commitment, but it is well worth the investment. Find music and/or voicings that work for you; listen to or watch recordings of the selected arranger; contact the arranger and ask for a few PDF pages of the arrangement. I have been able to purchase several arrangements for as little as $20 each. This gives me the right to make copies for my group. Of course, competing with the arrangement is another blog post!