Collegiate a cappella (or college a cappella ) ensembles are college-affiliated singing groups, primarily in the United States, and, increasingly, the United Kingdom and Ireland, that perform entirely without musical instruments . The groups are typically composed of, operated by, and directed by students. In the context of collegiate a cappella, the term a cappella typically also refers to the music genre performed by pop-centric student singing groups. Consequently, an ensemble that sings unaccompanied classical music may not be considered an a cappella group, even though technically it is performing a cappella .
34-635: The Georgetown Chimes is a collegiate a cappella group from Georgetown University in Washington , D.C. Founded in 1946 by Francis E. (Frank) Jones as a barbershop quartet, the group has had 286 members, and has recorded two dozen albums in its history. The Chimes are particularly well known for the annual a capella show they host each February, the Cherry Tree Massacre, which has been hosted for over 50 years. Within Washington, D.C.,
68-758: A cappella competitive circuit is governed by the Association of South-Asian A Cappella (ASA), a non-profit organization formed in 2016, with some collegiate teams that compete in both circuits. Collegiate a cappella is by far most common in the United States from which it originated; however in recent decades the trend has spread beyond to universities in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland in Europe as well as up north into Canada and across
102-608: A cappella friendly clubs, singers, technology, opportunities and anything else that touches on a cappella. They upload that information to CASA.org via the Acapedia so it can be shared with the entire community. Ambassadors also keep abreast of a cappella happenings globally via CASA.org, and share that information with their respective communities while encouraging them to become CASA members, to sing in Contemporary A Cappella League groups, to attend CASA festivals, and to support
136-474: A cappella groups by merging "The List", founded in 1988 and distributed by Rex Solomon , with the database maintained by his college a cappella group the Beelzebubs . The organization boasts over 6,000 current members, and serves as a resource for media and scholarly work in the area of contemporary a cappella. Since 1992, the annual Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (aka the "CARAs") recognize
170-665: A cappella groups. Often called the "People's Choice Awards of the A Cappella community", the ACAs aim to further award excellent groups and individuals in the a cappella community, including non-American groups, by giving fans a venue to reward their favorite groups. CASA produces weekend-long educational festivals open to the general public several times a year around the US, including the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival ("LAAF") in February,
204-399: A cappella music in up-and-coming singers, and to help directors to teach their students the basics of music theory. Since 2003, more than 2000 students in 23 US states and Canada have received CDs from TTT. A Cappella Radio International was aired on over 50 stations worldwide from 1996 to 2004. CASA establishes contemporary a cappella choruses across the United States, having done so from
238-461: A cappella spans many music genres and styles including jazz, pop, jazz-influenced pop, fusion, barbershop, rhythm and blues, madrigals, alternative and hard rock, comedy, Jewish (including Yiddish or Hebrew songs), Christian (including Christian pop and rearranged hymns), and South Asian fusion. Differences in musical styles and individual group preferences result in a great diversity of music arrangements and performances. The costumes and uniforms that
272-412: A driving beat (see vocal percussion ). Today, even some glee clubs have a largely pop-music repertoire supplemented only in small part by the traditional genres. In modern competing a cappella groups, there are several techniques that are making each group more and more distinctive. Beatboxing is at the top among them, but tone, sound effects, style, blend, and harmonies are all unique, too. Collegiate
306-790: Is Yale's Society of Orpheus and Bacchus , or "SOB's". The first a cappella groups at other American Ivy League universities include Notes and Keys of Columbia , which were founded in 1909, the same year as the Whiffenpoofs; the Princeton Nassoons (c.1941); the Dartmouth Aires (1946); the Harvard Krokodiloes (1946); Cayuga's Waiters of Cornell University (1949); and the Jabberwocks of Brown University (1949). The Smith College Smiffenpoofs are
340-449: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Collegiate a cappella According to the nonfiction book Pitch Perfect , a cappella music is one of the oldest forms of music in existence, "the kind made without any accompaniment at all," and descended from the tradition of Gregorian chant . A cappella music as a form joined this early form with a later Puritan style, known as shape-note singing, which further extended into
374-507: Is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that fosters and promotes a cappella music of all styles around the world. CASA was founded in 1991 by Deke Sharon in San Francisco just after graduation. In his Tufts University dorm room during his senior year, Sharon published a newsletter, The "C.A.N." (The Collegiate A Cappella Newsletter for the first 2 issues, then The Contemporary A Cappella Newsletter), mailed to all known collegiate
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#1732776212679408-517: Is a big factor in determining how many points a group will get, and how clean and precise their movements are is also vital. An "arch sing" is a casual, public performance, often held in an archway for reasons of acoustics and shelter from the weather. Typically, one or more a cappella groups will perform for a small audience, either as a concert or to promote upcoming concerts. The term is also sometimes used to describe similar casual, outdoor performances not held under arches. In recent years, with
442-470: Is a large database of a cappella groups, solo artists, beatboxers, studios, producers and more. The Acapedia is free and editable by any registered CASA member. It includes information on former groups, as well as current ones. The database is configured as a wiki, wherein any user can add and modify information. All changes are tracked and can be un-done in the event of error or vandalism. The Acapedia currently features over 2400 profiles. Each Acapedia profile
476-438: Is designed to include group information such as school or affiliation, current roster of members, concert listings, history, recording information, and tour dates. The Ambassador Program aims to unite singers and groups across the U.S. and world via an organized networking system. CASA Ambassadors are individuals responsible for involvement in their own a cappella communities – gathering information about groups, events, auditions,
510-641: Is often driven by necessity, as college groups tend to see high turnover due to graduation and changing student commitments. A large member count enables a group to maintain continuity over time and it also affects the group's aural aesthetic. For example, a large group may be able to perform arrangements that have more than a dozen separate parts, an impossible feat for smaller groups. Some groups record albums of their music, typically at intervals of two or three years. The quality of such albums has recently improved markedly due to an increased focus on multi-track recording, greater access to home recording technology, and
544-531: The International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), which conducts various regional competitions, with winners of regional competitions advancing to a national competition. The South-Asian a cappella circuit, run by ASA, also conducts various regional competitions leading up to All-American Awaaz , their national championship. The Contemporary A Cappella Society The Contemporary A Cappella Society (of America), or CASA,
578-439: The A Cappella Blog states, a "big,...clear,...crisp" sound in an otherwise acoustically dull performance space. In addition, the use of individual microphones allows for added effects to be applied to a group's live vocals, such as adding a digital lower octave (or "octavizing") the bass vocalist to produce a tone that is outside the natural range of most singers. The integration of these technological advancements continues to shape
612-583: The American Gospel tradition. Further permutations leaked into the American pop landscape. Today, by some accounts, there exist as many as “twelve hundred collegiate a cappella groups in the United States alone.” The RPI Glee Club of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , established in 1873, was one of the earliest known collegiate a cappella groups. The longest continuously operating group is thought to be The Whiffenpoofs of Yale University , which
646-680: The Boston A Cappella Festival ("BOSS") in April, and the Southern A Cappella Festival ("SoJam"). Past festivals have been held in San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago. CASAcademy is a web portal through which CASA members can learn more about a cappella, hear selected music samples, view performance videos, read about forming and managing groups, and read about various a cappella-related topics (vocal health, etc.). The CASA Acapedia
680-621: The Chimes are known for hosting regular "Chimes Nights" at the Tombs , a popular rathskeller bar in the Georgetown neighborhood. Additionally, the Chimes are regularly featured as guests in the DC A Cappella Festival (DCAF). The Chimes' alumni includes politicians and public figures such as U.S. Senator from Georgia Jon Ossoff and Jeff Civillico . This article on a United States singing group
714-575: The Pacific into Australia, New Zealand and a few nations in Asia. College a cappella has grown rapidly since 1980. This growth was fueled in part by stylistic changes that had widespread appeal, and in part by the founding in 1991 of the Contemporary A Cappella Society (CASA) by Deke Sharon and Rex Solomon, which enabled interaction and collaboration of a cappella groups across the United States for
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#1732776212679748-451: The a cappella community is that of innovation, stating "We develop new methods for singers, groups, fans, and educators to sing, learn, connect, and interact with one another." The new style used voices to emulate modern rock instruments, marking a shift away from the more traditional sounds of jazz or classical ensembles and glee clubs to contemporary a cappella , with groups focusing on modern pop music, complete with complex textures and
782-454: The a cappella modality. Furthermore, the awards aim to foster the a cappella community by having its best and brightest participate in the CARA nomination and judging process. Finally, CASA uses the application process as a means to provide resources to charitable programs such as Tunes to Teens (free a cappella recordings for students). The annual A cappella Video Awards (AVA) aim is to recognize
816-514: The advent of more advanced audio equipment and the ability of a cappella groups to attract income with live performances for pay, there has been increased exploration into the importance of microphones. Whereas groups at schools with older campuses find themselves with arches and naturally acoustically accentuated spaces in which to perform, many groups find themselves lacking spaces such as these. Individual microphone use for each member of an ensemble has risen in popularity, allowing for, as Mike Chin of
850-420: The best of a cappella video. The AVA mission reflects that of its parent organization, the Contemporary A Cappella Society (CASA), to reward artists that create outstanding work and to promote innovation, creativity, and continued growth of the a cappella medium. The "A Cappella Community Awards" (aka the "ACAs") are voted on annually by registered users of CASA.org to allow fans the chance to award their favorite
884-473: The best recorded a cappella and aim to support this burgeoning culture of instrument-less enthusiasts. Every a cappella album produced each year is automatically considered in this celebration of the best a cappella recorded around the planet. The CARA mission reflects that of its parent organization, the Contemporary A Cappella Society (CASA) : an aim to reward artists that create outstanding work and to promote innovation, creativity, and continued growth of
918-434: The emergence of professional a cappella production specialists (including arrangers, vocal editors, and mix/mastering engineers). Achievements in collegiate a cappella recording are recognized by awards programs (e.g., the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards, awarded by CASA ) and compilation albums, such as the long-running Best of College A Cappella series. Many college groups compete in annual competitions organized by
952-470: The first time. Sharon, a member of the Tufts a cappella group The Beelzebubs , co-created CASA after two years as the group's musical director. Sharon sought to bring a cappella into the musical mainstream, popularizing a more pop format for the music, as well as helping to contribute to a standardization of a cappella performance through the founding of CASA. One of CASA's core values in its promotion of
986-555: The groups display present a message to the audience. They may vary in levels of uniformity and formality. Each group has a "brand" and a "look/style" to their members. Costumes can be whatever a group wants them to be, but aesthetic appearances is a pleasing visual for the audience and, most importantly, the judges. Within the ICCA and ICHSA is a point system. Each group is judged based on several things, some of which including sound, blend, harmonies, choreography, and many more. Choreography
1020-461: The oldest continuous soprano/alto a cappella group, founded in 1936. In recent years, online a cappella communities have come together, allowing for greater involvement in the shaping of modern a cappella music, including stylistic trends. Among the most prominent online a cappella presences are the A Cappella Blog, Varsity Vocals, and CASA (The Contemporary A Cappella Society). According to The A Cappella Blog's information section, "The A Cappella Blog
1054-866: The sound of modern a cappella music at the college level and beyond. Most collegiate a cappella groups, whether all-male identifying, all-female identifying, or mixed, share similar traits. The groups often benefit from the talent of non-music majors who have significant experience with music, choral singing, or both. Participation in such groups provides both a social and creative outlet for students who are pursuing other academic fields. Groups are generally self-sustaining and often entirely run by students. Some groups receive financial support from their educational institution while others are entirely self-supporting. Unlike professional groups, which typically have four to seven members, collegiate groups typically perform with eight to sixteen members, with full group rosters measuring up to 30 members in some cases. This large roster size
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1088-404: The vocal arts. Ambassadors serve a one-year volunteer term, and are offered a number of incentives which have included free memberships to CASA.org, free copies of CASA-sponsored compilation albums and free tickets to CASA-sponsored festivals such as SoJam. Tunes To Teens (TTT) gives donated a cappella CDs to junior high and high school chorus students. The program's goal is to spark interest in
1122-496: Was formed in 1909 to create a musical group with a more "modern" sound than that of the Yale Glee Club , and named for the lyrics to Little Nemo , a popular Broadway song at the time. Such names, normally intended for comedic effect, have come to define in some part the irreverent attitude found in modern collegiate a cappella. For example, the second-oldest continuously performing a cappella group (and oldest all-male group)
1156-584: Was founded in January 2007. Since that time, the site has reviewed over 40 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella competitions. Similarly, the Varsity Vocals compose an international a cappella organization based around their two main competitions, the ICCA (International Competition of Collegiate A Cappella) and the ICHSA (International Competition of High School A Cappella). The South Asian
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