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From: casa@netcom.com (CASA - Deke Sharon)
Subject: The New FAQ - Part 1
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Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 02:08:21 GMT
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t's been far too long since the FAQ has been updated, and we've tried
repeatedly to get in touch with Brendan Quinn with no luck. The FAQ is too
valuable a resource to lat sit and gather dust, so we've decided to breathe
some new life into it. Here it is, expanded and updated. Please let us know
if there are any errors or omissions, or if you think that something else
should be included. Without further ado...

The rec.music.a-cappella & alt.music.a-cappella Frequently Asked Questions
Part One: General Information and A Cappella Organizations
---------------------------------------------------------------------
        Since the inception of the alt.music.a-cappella newsgroup in early 
April 1993, a cappella singers and fans the world over have been discussing all 
manner of topics on both a cappella newsgroups, and as people come and go, the 
same questions will no doubt be asked several times. To make the newsgroup a 
better place for us all, please read this file before asking a question that 
might have been asked before. Of course, if a topic is not covered within to 
your satisfaction, feel free to discuss it on the net.

        The topics are arranged in Q/A form. The questions have been arranged 
into four sections: 

        1) General Information and A Cappella Organizations
        2) A Cappella Services
        3) Arranging & Performing A Cappella
        4) Specific A Cappella Groups and Recordings
        5) A Cappella Internet Resources

        Album reviews and advertisements for albums aren't included in this 
FAQ. Although some may say it isn't fair to include discographies and such for 
professional groups and not for collegiate groups (for example), we have 
included this information because people frequently ask for it. Album reviews 
are often posted, but including them in this file would make it much larger 
than it is.

        Todd Biske (biske@cs.uiuc.edu) keeps a file of advertisements for 
collegiate albums posted on the net, which he posts periodically to the 
newsgroup and which is stored on the archive at Princeton. If you have anything 
to add to the list, please email him.

        If you have any ideas for questions to add to the list, please contact 
us. We can be emailed by replying to this post, or mail direct to 
casa@netcom.com. Feel free to ask us any a cappella related questions as well.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Q. What is a cappella? Is there a standard definition of "a cappella music", 
and what makes an "a cappella group"?

        The phrase "a cappella" is Italian in origin, as are most musical 
terms. Literally it translates to "in the style of the chapel", which does 
*not* mean "unaccompanied". It refers to choral music without *separate* 
instrumental accompaniment. Instruments may be used to double the vocal parts, 
such as using an electric bass to strengthen the vocal bass line, and the piece 
is still a cappella.

        In light of this, an "a cappella group" is one that sings a cappella 
music, with or without instrumental doubling. But does a group such as the 
Nylons, who often use synthesized bass and drum machine, or Boyz II Men, who 
perform some songs a cappella but are usually accompanied, qualify as an a 
cappella group? This question is left to individual discretion and opinion.

        The spelling of "a cappella" can also get on some people's nerves if 
not done properly: a letter to the editor in the CAN commented:

        "In truth, 'a capella' means 'in your hair,' 'a cappello' means
        'in your hat,' and 'A Capella' is an astronomical reference to the
        first planet circling the star Capella in the constellation Auriga."

Q. How do I learn to sing in an a cappella group? Can just anyone do it?

        Sure, but like most things in life, it takes practice to be great. A 
good sense of pitch is important, as is a good singing voice (particularly one 
that can blend with others). Singing a cappella is much like singing in a 
chorus, except there is usually only one person singing each part, so it 
demands more from each vocalist. Novices might find more enjoyment (and less 
stress) by joining an a cappella chorus initially, rather that a group that has 
them alone on their part. Other ways to improve are to take voice lessons, and 
to practice singing background parts along with a cappella recordings. 

Q. What is the range of the various vocal parts?

        The standard range, or compass, of the traditional parts is as follows:
        (with C4 = middle C, C3 = C below middle C, etc.)
        Soprano: C4 - A5       (Also known as treble)
        Alto: G3 - D5       (Also known as contralto)
        Tenor: C3 - G4
        Bass: F2 - D4

        Note for vocalists: If you're wondering what voice part you are, 
realize that range is only part of the equation. The "center" or "sweet part" 
of your range may tell you more than a laundry list of the notes you can hit. 
For example, many male a cappella vocalists are tenors, even though they can 
sing all of the bass notes above (or even lower). Also, some popular musical 
styles and techniques have challenged these traditional ranges, as many singers 
are often singing outside of their previously accepted range. For example, 
second altos in female quartets often sing a "bass line" that pushes the bottom 
of their range, and many groups utilize modern or non-western vocal techniques 
(like vocal percussion) that aren't as dependent on pitch as they are on 
timbre.

        Note for arrangers: You should arrange (or transpose) your music so 
that your vocalists can stay roughly within these boundaries, unless you know 
that a specific vocalist can sing outside them comfortably. These voice ranges 
are the standard upon which most traditional choral writing and arranging is 
done. However, for example, many a cappella groups incorporate a man singing in 
his falsetto voice, which usually adds at least an octave to the top of his 
range. Your best bet is to find out the specific ranges of the voices you're 
arranging for before hand.


Q. Are there any organizations for a cappella singers and/or fans?

        Yes! There are several....

        * CASA - The Contemporary A Cappella Society of America *
is a non-profit membership organization that was formed in 1990 to foster and
promote a cappella music. Members include thousands of fans and vocalists as well
as professional, collegiate, and recreational a cappella groups from around the
US and abroad. There are a number of free services for members:

        # The Contemporary A Cappella Newsletter # (the CAN) is published 
          bi-monthly and includes:
        CURRENT NEWS about what's going on in a cappella 
        in the US and overseas.
        CALENDAR of upcoming a cappella concerts and events 
        all around the country.
        CONCERT REVIEWS of performances by your favorite groups.
        INTERVIEWS with the big names in a cappella like Take 6, 
        the Bobs, Rockapella and the Persuasions.
        ALBUM REVIEWS of new releases by professional and 
        collegiate groups.
        ARTICLES ranging from starting your own group, to music theory, 
        to microphone and recording techniques.
        ADVERTISING including classifieds announcing new albums, 
        groups looking for members, and gig opportunities.
        OTHER ITEMS such as letters to the editor, tips on arranging 
        a cappella, and our annual trivia contest.

        # The A Cappella Directory # is a listing of hundreds of professional, 
collegiate, and recreational groups as a well as important contacts and a 
cappella affiliated organizations all around the world.

        # The Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards # (CARAs) are the a 
cappella equivalent of the Grammies, and are awarded annually for the best new 
releases from collegiate and professional groups.

        # The Arrangement Library # is comprised of hundreds of a cappella 
arrangements of all styles from doo-wop, gospel and traditional to the latest 
pop, rock, and R&B hits. A cappella arrangements for male, female or mixed 
voices from three to twelve parts are available free of charge to members.

        # Telephone Consultation and Help # is available every day of the year. 
We offer experience and advice for professional and collegiate groups, 
individuals looking to start or join a group, and organizations looking for a 
cappella groups. We can help you find a group to perform at the last minute, 
help your group make a great recording, and tell you the best way to make the 
jump from singing on the weekends to full-time status as a professional group.

        # The Ambassador Program # consists of ret $30. Note that this manual 
only deals with barbershop-style arranging, which deals almost solely with 
major, minor, and dominant seventh chords. SPEBSQSA run a week-long training 
camp in the first week of August in St. Joseph, Missouri called Harmony 
College, and run competitions extensively.

                S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A.
                6315 Third Avenue
                Kenosha, WI 53143-5199
                Phone: 1-800 876-SING (8464)
                or (414) 653-8440
                Fax: (414) 654-4048 or 654-5552
                Email: brian-lynch@genie.gis.com

        There are a number of affiliated (but independent) organizations in 
several countries, including:

                Australian Association of Men Barbershop Singers (AAMBS)
                Mell McMichael, President,
                16 Booral Street
                Buderim, Queensland 4556, Australia

                Barbershop in Germany (BinG!)
                Hans-Jurgen Wieneke, President
                Muhlgasse 8-12,
                6000 Frankfurt am Main 90, Germany
                [mit umlauts over the u's in Jurgen and Muhlgasse]
        
                British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS)
                Bob Walker, Chairman
                "St. Catherines", Highfield Road,
                East Grinstead, Sussex RH19 2DX, England

                Dutch Association of Barbershop Singers (DABS)
                Herman Feitsma, President,
                Klavermeen #1
                Harderwyk 3844 BR, The Netherlands

                New Zealand Association of Barbershop Singers (NZABS)
                Ross Gainsford, President
                25 Gordon Street
                Avalon, Lower Hutt, New Zealand

                Society of Nordic Barbershop Singers (SNOBS)
                Kjell Lindberg, President
                Norrangsvagen 54 (two dots over both a's)
                S-141 43 Huddinge, Sweden

                Southern Part of Africa Tonsorial Singers (SPATS)
                Chris Molyneux, President
                P.O. Box 242, Rondebosch 7700
                Cape Province, South Africa

        * Sweet Adelines International *
        The Sweet Adelines are the female counterpart to SPEBSQSA, with around 
29,000 members around the world. Although they also emphasize the barbershop 
style of harmonizing, they don't make as much of an effort to "preserve the 
style" as SPEBSQSA.

                Sweet Adelines International
                PO Box 470168
                Tulsa, Oklahoma  74147
                Phone: 1-800 992-SING

        * Harmony Incorporated *
        Another women's barbershop singing organization. Legend has it that a 
major schism in the Sweet Adelines lead to the formation of this group several 
years ago.

                Harmony Incorporated
                c/o Joanne Rohrer, Editor "Keynote"
                RFD-1 Box 142,
                East Calais, VT, 05650.

        * Sydney A Cappella Association (Australia) *
        Based in Sydney Australia (surprise), they publish a newsletter (the 
"Oral Majority"), support local & touring groups, promote and sponsor 
workshops, singing classes and performances. Too bad they can't spell a 
cappella properly...

                Sydney A Cappella Association
                PO Box 40
                Broadway NSW 2007
                AUSTRALIA
                Phone: +61 2 692-0969 (Ann Babinard, Secretary)

        * Harmony Sweepstakes *
        An annual a cappella competition throughout the US. Heats are held in 
various parts of the country. They also join forces with CASA to present the 
annual A Cappella Summit in San Francisco.

                Harmony Sweepstakes
                John Neal, Producer
                PO Box D
                San Anselmo, CA, 94979
                Phone: (415) 459-3955
                Fax: (415) 459-1622
                Email: harmonys@netcom.com

        * Associated Male Choruses of America *
        They're an organization comprised of choruses in the US and Canada, 
They also publish a newsletter, "The Chorister." 
        
                Associated Male Choruses of America
                c/o Ron Felsch
                1204 South First St.
                Stillwater, MN 55082

        * Chorus America *
        An organization comprised of the best classical choruses in the US 
(Chanticleer, Dale Warland Singers, etc.). They publish a newsletter that 
includes information about these groups and the classical choral scene in 
general.

                Chorus America
                2111 Sansom Street
                Philadelphia, PA 19103
                (215) 563-2430

        * United Group Harmony Association *
        UGHA is the SPEBSQSA of doo-wop, although its membership is comprised 
of a higher percentage of record collectors and fewer performers. They sponsor 
a large annual convention each year, as well as a number of concerts, mostly in 
the New York, New Jersey Area. If you love doo-wop, this is the organization 
for you.

                UGHA
                PO Box 185
                Clifton, NJ 07011

        * The 4-Part Harmony Newsletter *
        This newsletter distills information from the publications by the three 
major barbershop organizations (SPEBSQSA, SAA, and Harmony Inc.), and a few 
other sources such as the CAN and the internet. A good publication if you're 
primarily interested in the Barbershop style, but don't want to join all three 
organizations.

                The 4-Part Harmony Newsletter
                c/o Becky McDuffee
                PO Box 11432
                Champaign, IL 61826-1432
                (217) 356-0531
                email: mcduffbe@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu

        * Michigan Vocal Jazz Society *
        Yup - Vocal Jazz in Michigan...

                Michigan Vocal Jazz Society
                63360 Dequindre Rd.
                Washington, MI 48095

        * Southern California Doo Wop Society *
        You guessed it: Doo-Wop in So-Cal.

                Southern California Doo Wop Society
                1077 Pacific Coast Highway #153
                Seal Beach, CA 90740
                (818) 331-4399
:w

-- 
THE CONTEMPORARY A CAPPELLA SOCIETY OF AMERICA   _/_/_/    _/    _/_/_/    _/
1850 Union St. #1441, San Francisco, CA  94123  _/      _/  _/    _/    _/  _/
Phone (415) 563-5224    *   Fax (415) 921-2834 _/      _/_/_/      _/  _/_/_/
   information: "finger -m casa@netcom.com"   _/_/_/  _/  _/  _/_/_/  _/  _/

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From: casa@netcom.com (CASA - Deke Sharon)
Subject: The New FAQ - Part 2
Message-ID: 
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 02:11:30 GMT
Lines: 403
Sender: casa@netcom14.netcom.com

c.a-cappella & alt.music.a-cappella Frequently Asked Questions
Part Two: A Cappella Services
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q. Where can I find a cappella recordings?

        * Primarily A Cappella *
        The major source for a cappella recordings is the Primarily A Cappella 
Catalog, which was founded by Don Gooding in New Jersey, and is now based in 
California in the same place as the Harmony Sweepstakes. New catalogues 
featuring the latest releases and the best selling albums are sent out several 
times a year. Call, write, or email for a free catalog.

                Primarily A Cappella
                PO Box D
                San Anselmo, CA, 94979
                Phone: (415) 459-3955
                Fax: (415) 459-1622
                Email: harmonys@netcom.com

        * DJ Records *
        DJ Records is the official album distributor for all King's Singers 
recordings in the US, and they also carry a number of choral recordings, 
scholastic choral recordings, and other materials that would be of interest to 
choral organizations. Contact them for a free catalogue.
        
                DJ Records
                Doug Anderson
                PO Box 95
                McMinnville, OR 97128
                Phone: (503) 472-6971

        * Hall of Records *
        The largest mail order catalogue of Barbershop and Sweet Adeline 
recordings in the world. They will send out a catalogue for $5 ($7.50 for 
Canada and Europe).
        
                Hall of Records
                Dan Jordan
                PO Box 11244
                Glendale, CA 91206-7244
                Phone: (818) 240-4868

        
Q: How can I obtain a cappella arrangements?

        As far as sheet music goes, your best bet is to contact CASA or 
SPEBSQSA (addresses above). They both have an extensive variety of free and 
inexpensive arrangements (approx. 1,000 each). Contact either organization for 
a catalog of available arrangements.

        Other options include:

        * Hal Leonard Publishing *
        They publish an astounding number of choral arrangements each year, and 
luckily a decent percentage of them are a cappella. Be sure to check to see 
that the titles you're ordering are a cappella.

                Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation
                7777 West Bluemound Road
                PO Box 13819
                Milwaukee WI 53213
                Phone: (414) 774-3630

        Paul Bartholomew (pdb059@ipl.jpl.nasa.gov) has typed out a list of all 
the titles listed as a cappella in their catalogue. The list is posted to the 
newsgroup periodically, and is kept at the princeton.edu archive (see Part 
Three) as:

                pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/Hal.Leonard.list

        Here's one hint: a great book of King's Singers Arrangements:

                        The King's Singers
                        25th Anniversary Jubilee!
                        Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation
                HL08602135
                ISBN 0-7935-2135-1
                US $12.95

        Contents: I'm a Train, You Are the New Day, Can't Buy Me Love, Short 
People, Le Baylere, Musik der Nacht (Schlummerlied), Greensleeves, Loch 
Lommond, Eriskay Love Lilt, That Lonesome Road, And So It Goes, Shenandoah. 
(Note: the songs have been re-arranged for SATB.)

        * Voices Music Publishing *
        They publish the CASA Contemporary A Cappella Songbook Volume 1 
(Available in April '95) as well as a wide variety of pop, Christian, and 
contemporary Christian a cappella sheet music. Most are simple SATB format.

                Voices Music Publishing
                Chuck Munoz
                PO Box 8178
                Tyler, TX 75711-8178
                Phone: (903) 597-3622

        Song List for the CASA Songbook: Good Old A Cappella, Under The 
Boardwalk, In The Still of the Night, Only You, Zombie Jamboree, Silhouettes, 
Longest Time, Up On The Roof, Kiss Him Goodbye, Goodnight Sweetheart. (These 
arrangements are based on the most popular a cappella versions of these songs, 
and are arranged in SATB format that's easy to adapt to TTBB or SSAA.)

        * A Cappella Junction *
        They inventory consists almost entirely of Christian music, and they 
have a wide variety of materials for singing groups as well as arrangements 
(including cassettes, CD's, choral octavos, videos, song books, t-shirts, tote 
bags, research reports, children's music, caps, etc.). Write for a free 
catalog.
                
                A Cappella Junction
                PO Box 48464
                Fort Worth, TX 76148

        * Columbia Pictures Publishing *
        Another publisher that has some a cappella arrangements.

                Columbia Pictures Publishing
                PO Box 4340
                Hialeah, FL 33014
                Phone: (305) 620-1500

        * Ken Purchase * 
        Ken will email or regular mail a list of arrangements to anyone 
interested. He has men's, women's and mixed music, and sends it out for either 
a small copying fee or a trade:

                Ken Purchase
                705 E Colorado #207
                Urbana, IL 61801-6372
                Email: k-purchase@uiuc.edu

        * Other Resources *
        Max Ziff (ziff@cs.uchicago.edu) posts "Basic Collections for A Cappella 
Singing" to the rec.music.early, rec.music.classical.performing and 
rec.music.a-cappella newsgroups periodically - this lists sources for 
madrigals, motets, chansons, etc. around the world.

        Ruth Cross posted information about a book published by Hampton 
Institute Press called "Religious Folk-Songs of the Negro", edited by R. 
Nathaniel Dett. It is available from:

                University Store
                Hampton University
                Hampton, Virginia 23668

        "The book is a hymnal-size hard-cover, containing over 200 spirituals 
collected in the late 1800's at the Hampton Institute, one of the first 
colleges for former slaves. The songs were transcribed as sung by the students, 
with some harmonies added, and are meant to be sung a cappella. Almost all are 
4-part, often with solo parts; some are solo/tutti. The current book is a 
reprint of the 1927 edition, edited by Nathaniel Dett, and includes a new 
introduction with a history of the music, and copies of prefaces from the 
previous editions.

Q. Where do I go to get a song custom arranged for my group?

        * UAAS *
        The Ultimate A Cappella Arranging Service is staffed by professional 
arrangers experienced in creating custom tailored a cappella arrangements for 
groups of any size, composition or style. 

                UAAS
                1850 Union Street, Suite 1441
                San Francisco, CA  94123
                Phone: (415) 563-5224
                Fax: (415) 921-2834
                Email: casa@netcom.com

        CASA members receive a 33% discount.

        * Zach Nelson's Arranging Service *
        Zach - I know you're doing custom arranging now - please send us info 
so that we can include it :

Q. Where can I get one of those electronic pitchpipes?

        The Franz Quartz Pitchpipe is a small black electronic device, about 
the size of a wallet, that can generate over 2 octaves worth of pitches. 
They're useful if you want more than one person in your group to be able to get 
the pitch (standard pitchpipes vary in tuning quite a bit), or if you're sick 
of lint getting stuck in your pitchpipe's reeds.

                Franz Manufacturing
                240 Sargent Dr.
                New Haven, CT 06511
                Phone: (800) THE BEAT

Q. Are there any a cappella conferences or workshops? 

        Yes, several organizations and groups do.

        *A Cappella Summit *
        Held semi-annually (In October on the West Coast and in April on the 
East Coast), the A Cappella Summit is a weekend of concerts, workshops, master 
classes, seminars and sing-alongs that is co-sponsored by CASA, the Harmony 
Sweepstakes, and Primarily A Cappella. For more information about the next 
summit, contact:

                John Neal
                PO Box D
                San Rafael, CA 94979
                Phone: (415) 455-8602
                Email: harmonys@netcom.com

        * Phil Mattson * 
        Phil Mattson (of the Phil Mattson Singers) has set up a school for 
vocal jazz and arranging that offers summer workshops.

                Phil Mattson
                Southwestern Community College
                1501 West Townline Road
                Creston, IA 50801
                Phone: (515) 782-7081

        You can also attend the school full time (fall-spring) and receive a 
certificate in a variety of different vocal and a cappella related topics

        * Steve Zegree *
        Steve arranges vocal jazz music for Hal Leonard and other publishers, 
and offers week-long summer workshops on vocal jazz singing and education.

                Steve Zegree
                School of Music
                Western Michigan University
                Kalamazoo, MI 49008
                Phone: (616) 387-4689
                School: (616) 387-4667

        * Western Wind *
        Western Wind, an a cappella group based in New York City, runs 
workshops several times a year.  You can enroll as a group.  You get coaching 
for your group by real experts, and a chance to prepare and perform several 
works (with the rest of the attendees as audience).  The summer workshops are 
typically a week, and perhaps they've done some that are just a long weekend 
during the school year. It is also (or at least was) possible to arrange a 
private coaching session with them. Their performing repertoire spans just 
about everything - renaissance, folk, jazz, etc. They announce their concerts, 
recordings, workshops, etc., in a sporadic but free newsletter: call 
1-800-788-2187.

                Western Wind
                263 West 86th St.
                NY, NY 10024
                Phone: (212) 873-2848

        * The A Cappella Company *
        Keith Lancaster, Acappella and AVB host the annual Acappella Christian 
Music Seminar (ACMS) in July in Murray KY on the campus of the state 
university.  It is a week long (Sunday through Friday night) series of 
workshops and concerts capped by Acappella's and AVB's annual homecoming 
concert on Friday night. (Murray KY is about 30 miles from their homebase in 
Paris, TN.) There is choir, men's voice and women's voice training. The choir 
this past summer got to open the Friday night concert as well as sing for a 
convalescent hospital earlier in the day. 

                The Acappella Company
                PO Box 15
                Paris TN 38242
                Phone: (901) 644 1771
                or  (800) 233-2031

        * The Melbourne A Cappella Festival *
        * Sydney A Cappella Association *

        Both are held annually (what month?) in their regions of Australia, and 
include performances as well as workshops. Anyone with information, please 
contact


Q. Are there any a cappella radio shows in my area?

        Here's a list of all radio shows of which we're currently aware. If 
you're in a group (professional, recreational, or collegiate) it would be an 
*excellent* idea to send a copy of any recordings you have made to each and 
every one of the addresses below. 

                WKAR 90.5FM
                Bob Blackman
                PO Box 504
                Haslett, MI 48840
                Radio Show - Sun 6-7PM

                Jersey Spotlight
                Tom Petullo
                47 Jefferson St.
                Nulty, NJ 07110
                (201) 235-0690
                Doo-wop/R&B Radio&TV Show

                KUSP
                Welles B. Goodrich
                6401 1/2 BonnyDoon Rd.
                Santa Cruz, CA 95060
                (408) 427-1015
                Annual A Cappella Radio Show

                WERS 88.9 FM
                Kevin M. Evans
                58 Townsend St.
                Boston, MA 02199
                (617) 267-6743
                K2funky@aol.com
                A Cappella Radio Show - Sat 2-5 PM  

                KRNU 90.3 FM
                Rick Alloway
                206 Avery Hall, U of Nebraska
                Lincoln, NE 68588-0131
                (402) 472-6856
                Sun 6-8PM
                'Vocal Chords' A Cappella Radio Show

                CKUT 90.3 FM
                Steve Methot
                2427 Mariette, Notre Dame De Grace
                Quebec H4B 2E7, CANADA
                A Cappella Radio Show -Sun AM

                WMNJ 88.9, Drew University
                Chris Mayer
                PO Box 802, CM BOX 941-DREW
                Madison, NJ 07940-0802
                A Cappella Radio Show -Sun 6-8AM

                A Cappella & Beyond - KMUD 91.1 FM
                Gretta Kirk
                PO Box 135
                Redway, CA 95560
                (707) 923-3911
                kmud@igc.apc.org
                Radio Show - Sunday 3-4pm
                (CASA Ambassador)

                KKUP 91.1FM
                Phil DeBar
                1933 Hexem Ave.
                Santa Rosa, CA 95404
                Radio Show -  Tues 7-10AM

                WOBC 88.3FM
                Joe Bonomo
                c/o WOBC Radio
                Wilder Hall, Oberlin College     
                Oberlin, OH 44074
                (216) 775-6035
                jbonomo@cs.oberlin.edu
                "Cappellaland" Radio Show - Sat 10AM

                WOGL 98.1FM      
                Harvey Holiday
                Philadelphia, PA
                Radio Show Sun 7-12PM

                KPFA 94.1FM      
                Opal Nations
                Berkeley, CA
                Radio Show Fri 12-2AM

                KBUT
                Bonnie Chlipala
                Colorado
                Radio Show Sun 1-3PM

                WPCD 
                Andy Isbell
                Champaign,IL              
                Radio Show Sun 4-7PM    

                KDHX 88.1FM
                Marjie Kennedy
                St Louis, MO         
                Radio Show Sun 8-10AM   

                KPBX
                Johanne Blank
                1911 East Sixth Street,
                Spokane, WA 99202
                "Twentieth-Century Vox" vocal radio show

                WDIY 88.1FM
                Bob Cohen, music coordinator
                301 Broadway, 3rd Floor
                Bethlehem, PA 18015
                programs a cappella all day

Q. Are their any places that feature only a cappella music?

        * A Cappella's *
        An all-a cappella restaurant/club in Denver that features performances 
by great groups like the 17th Avenue All-Stars, the Diners, the Poor Boys, and 
many others every weekend and once during the week. If you're in Denver for any 
reason, be sure to drop by

                A Cappella's
                1336 E 17th Ave.
                Denver, CO 80218
                (303) 832-1479

-- 
THE CONTEMPORARY A CAPPELLA SOCIETY OF AMERICA   _/_/_/    _/    _/_/_/    _/
1850 Union St. #1441, San Francisco, CA  94123  _/      _/  _/    _/    _/  _/
Phone (415) 563-5224    *   Fax (415) 921-2834 _/      _/_/_/      _/  _/_/_/
   information: "finger -m casa@netcom.com"   _/_/_/  _/  _/  _/_/_/  _/  _/

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From: casa@netcom.com (CASA - Deke Sharon)
Subject: The New FAQ - Part 3
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Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 02:19:29 GMT
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The rec.music.a-cappella & alt.music.a-cappella Frequently Asked Questions
Part Three: Arranging and Performing A Cappella
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q. Can anyone give some tips on transcribing music from a recording?

        When transcribing a song, listen for the bass line and melody first. 
Write these down - they'll often outline the chords, and are much easier to 
"pick out" of a recording than anything else. Once this is done, focus on the 
rhythm of the other background parts. Once you've figured this out, try to pick 
out the background parts one by one, starting with the highest part. If you're 
having trouble, focus on the highest background part as a counter melody or 
descant, and write it down completely. Then try to figure out the chords, using 
the pitches that you have written for the bass, lead, and top background voice. 
If they don't cover all of the chord factors, mess around on the piano until 
you have the correct chords. Then go back and reconstruct the background parts 
based on this information. Finally, add anything else in the arrangement (vocal 
percussion, sound effects, etc.)

        The more you transcribe, the more you'll become familiar with certain 
conventions (chord progressions, voice leading), and you'll find you become 
better at "second guessing" the original arranger.

Q. Can anyone give some tips on translating an SATB score for use by my 
TTBB/SSAA group?

        For women, have the first sopranos read S, and the seconds read T up an 
octave (not A); the first altos sing A as written, and the seconds sing B up an 
octave.  Same idea, mutatis mutandis, for a men's group: Basses read B, 
Baritones read A down the octave, second tenors read T, firsts read S down the 
octave.  Schematically, then:

        Men         Mixed       Women
        T1 (-8ve)     S           S1
        B1 (-8ve)     A           A1
        T2            T           S2 (+8ve)
        B2            B           A2 (+8ve)

        The point is that this preserves the relation between the outer voices 
and automatically transforms many common open voicings into standard closed 
voicings with the four parts in the natural order; e.g. the open D-major chord 
D-A-F#-D becomes D-F#-A-D. (Thanks to Noam Elkies: elkies@zariski.harvard.edu)

        Note: If your tenors often sing up in falsetto range, you might try the 
arrangement as is. For example, many doo-wop songs can just as easily be sung 
SATB as TTBB with ever pitch in the same place.

Q. Can anyone recommend any books on arranging popular a cappella music?

        [ This is basically a straight copy of a post by Chris Hebert: ] There 
is a large manual available from the SPEBSQSA on barbershop arranging 
(Arrangers Manual). It is very thorough, with lots of examples, and details 
three different methodologies for approaching an arrangement. It goes into such 
things as song forms, harmonic progressions, chord vocabulary, chord voicings, 
etc. There is also a smaller manual called The Theory of Barbershop Harmony, 
which you should know first before starting to arrange.

        A very good text on SATB arranging is Choral Arranging by Hawley Ades, 
Shawnee Press, Inc. (1966) It is loaded with examples, both classical and 
popular in nature. Tables of contents includes: principles of part writing for 
voices, 4-, 3-, 2-, and multi-part writing, contrapuntal techniques, special 
effects, treble voices, male choruses (includes glee and barbershop, but not 
much detail), key and tempo changes, intros and endings, planing arrangements, 
scoring arrangements, chorus with instruments, etc.

        Hawley Ades was the arranger for the Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians, and 
in the 60's he did all their radio show music (five 30 minute shows a week plus 
a one hour evening show over 7 years, so he has done a lot of arranging). Mr. 
Ades believes that the techniques in part writing apply to all styles, voices, 
etc., and a firm foundation in music and harmony is necessary as well. This has 
been the only book I have gotten my hands on that discusses choral arranging 
(and was published within the last 30 years). In the bibliography section he 
mentions the normal books on harmony and counterpoint that most music students 
use in their undergraduate work, and some more books that I have never found:

        Delamont, Gordon. Modern Arranging Techniques - Kendor Music, NY 1965
        Wilson, Harry. Choral Arranging - Robbins Music, NY 1949

Q. What is the best microphone technique for a four part a-cappella group? Does 
one mike work well or should everyone have a mike?

        Four directional mikes (hand held or on stands) are great *if* you have 
a competent sound person, who understands that a properly-balanced quartet does 
*not* mean that all four parts are of equal volume.
        
        Next best is one omni-directional mike. Here, though, you need to work 
very carefully to keep the singers at equal distances from the mike. Some 
places provide two directional mikes, which is awful. With this set-up, try 
pointing the two at the center of the quartet and cluster your group very close 
together.

        An important consideration is that low voices need to be closer to 
mikes than high voices. The "proximity effect" occurs when a bass singer is 
almost swallowing the microphone, and results in an extremely full low sound. 
Each singer needs to take responsibility of getting closer to his/her own mike 
at bottom of his/her range. It's safer to have individual mikes, practice your 
technique and be sure to have an alert sound tech. Or consider the intermediate 
approach - two singers on each of two mics. If the heights are close enough, 
this works pretty well.

Q. What types of microphone are best for a quartet?

        [ From David Boyes: ] For one mike, you must have strong vocalists, and 
a *very* good omnidirectional. Sennheisers work acceptably well, but it's a lot 
easier to get good sound levels and balances for recording with individual 
mikes. One or two PZM-style surface mikes with extension stands work well for 
larger groups; for individuals and studio work, the Sennheisers are absolutely 
a better choice. They don't travel well, and they're expensive, but they're 
worth it in response and sound. The SM58s are a good touring mike, but tend to 
have somewhat uneven spectral response as the elements age. SM58s tend also to 
become more directional with age, but that can be both a blessing and a problem 
if your soundman isn't aware of it.

Q. What should we do about members missing or being late for rehearsals?

        [ From Dave Damouth:] The first thing that is needed is an objective 
measure of the impact of lateness or absence on the rest of the group.  It's 
important to get it out of the realm of emotion and personal opinion, and 
establish something that is measurable independent of personalities.

        The second key thing is to separate the actual impact of the absence 
from the reason for the absence, and deal with the two separately.  If someone 
is absent a lot, for the best of reasons (car wrecks, command performances at 
the White House, having a baby, whatever), it damages the preparedness and 
quality of the performance just as much as if the excuses were bad.  The nature 
of the excuses is very important too, of course, but this is a very different 
kind of discussion.  When someone is missing frequently, the discussion is, 
first, "how much have you damaged the group by not being here?" and, second, 
quite separately, "is this behavior likely to continue in the future and does 
the group value you enough to be willing to tolerate this damage?"

        The attendance policy for Madrigalia, Dave's 16-voice madrigal group, 
is stored at the Princeton archive as: 
pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/Rehearsal-Attendance-Policy

Q. Questions about Copyright & Legal Issues

        [ Much of the following was learned from the Copyright FAQ, maintained 
by Terry Carroll (tjc50@ccc.amdahl.com), posted to the misc.legal newsgroup 
(and others) monthly and available for ftp from rtfm.mit.edu under 
Copyright-FAQ/part[1-6]. Other info came from postings, especially those from 
Jed Hartman.]

        There are many detailed facts to be understood about copyright, 
especially in a field such as ours where (for example) arrangements of other 
people's (already copyrighted) works are used frequently. This section will not 
attempt to address all possible factors relevant to us, but rather an overview 
of the laws governing copyright.

        1) The Berne Convention
        Created by a group of countries in 1886 and joined by the US on March 
1, 1988, the most recent document specifying the law is the Paris, 1971 text. 
The main parts of the Berne Convention are as follows:

        * National treatment: An author's rights are respected in another 
country as though the author were a citizen of that country. For example, in 
Australia, to use material copyrighted in the US, one must adhere to Australian 
copyright law, not American. This is only true if both countries are 
signatories to the Convention. (Most Western countries seem to be signatories; 
check out the list in the Copyright FAQ if you're not sure)

        * Preclusion of formalities: The copyright cannot depend upon 
formalities (such as copyright notices or registration) for a copyright to 
hold; this is why all material since 1988 is implicitly copyright, even without 
a copyright message.

        * Minimum terms of protection: The minimum duration for copyright 
protection is the life of the author plus 50 years, but signatory nations may 
choose to provide longer durations.

        * Minimum exclusive rights: A nation must provide for protection of six 
rights: translation, reproduction, public performance, adaptation, attribution 
(paternity) and integrity. Apparently US law differs from this by removing 
translation and adding display and distribution, but these points are covered 
by other laws (trademark, patent etc.)

        2) Public Domain material
        A work in the public domain is one that can be freely used by anyone 
for any purpose. A work is public domain if:
        * the copyright has expired
        * the work is a work of the US Government
        * the work can't be copyrighted (short names, slogans etc. - however, 
these can be trademarked)
        * the copyright has been forfeited. This includes publishing without 
copyright notice prior to March 1, 1988 (in the US)
        * the copyright has been abandoned, i.e. the copyright holder has made 
an unambiguous statement of his or her intent to dedicate the work to the 
public domain.

        3) Registering a Copyright
         First of all, you don't *need* to register your work for it to be 
copyrighted; since the Berne Convention, all works are copyright from the 
moment of their creation. In fact, you don't even need a copyright notice (as 
mentioned above), but it is a good idea: you should include a c-in-a-circle, 
"Copyright", or "Copr.", the year, and your name on the work to make an 
official copyright notice. There have been rulings in the past that (c) is 
*not* an official copyright symbol, so watch out!

        If you *do* want to formalize your copyright by registering it, which 
helps in court, you do it by filing the appropriate form with the US Copyright 
Office, with payment of $20. If you call the Copyright Office Information 
Hotline, and leave your name, address and form number on the voice mail, they 
will send you an information package on copyrighting a particular type of work. 
The number is 202-707-9100, and the packages most readers of this group will be 
interested in are:

        Music (sheet or lyrics): Form PA, Package 105 and
        Music (sound recording): Form SR, Package 121

        You can also write to them at:

                Copyright Office
                LM 455
                Library of Congress
                Washington, DC 20559

        [ From here on, the info starts to come less from the Copyright FAQ and 
more from varied sources and *opinion*. In some cases, these issues have not 
been adequately tested in a court of law, so there are different 
interpretations of the law. ]

        4) Derivative Works - the Legality of an Arrangement
        Apparently an a cappella arrangement is legally a derivative work of 
the original song. The definition of a copyright infringement is for the work 
itself to have actually been copied from (either wholly or to create a 
derivative work), (etc.) so as far as the law is concerned, an arrangement is 
the same as the original song, and the songwriter actually "owns" the 
arrangement [obviously, the a cappella music idiom was not a major concern of 
the individuals drafting these laws.] However, one can copyright an arrangement 
of a song, as long as the arranger has been given permission to arrange the 
song in the first place.

        5) Legalities of Performance, Distribution, etc.
        If you can all learn your parts just from listening to an album, you 
have done nothing illegal. If you writing anything down, you are in violation 
of the composer's copyright. You are legally allowed to make one archival 
recording of any performance without paying any fee. An interesting quirk to 
this rule is that if you have several people with tape recorders record you 
singing a song, all of those tapes are legal.  If you make one recording and 
copy it for all the people, you have to pay the licensing fee.

        [Dan Wilson, ATDYW@ASUACAD.BITNET, from the Phoenix chapter of the 
SPEBSQSA, says:] Serious Barbershop arrangers (not the backroom ones) get 
written permission from the copyright holder to arrange a song. Our 
International Office in Kenosha, WI handles the paperwork and gets clearances 
for us. The fee is $10, and this allows you to arrange the song and make 4 
copies - typically for a quartet. More copies may be made up to 200 at $.20 per 
copy. If you want more than 200, you need to get extended permission. We went 
to this formality years ago [in the 70's] as the result of a number 
not-for-profit groups (churches, schools, etc.) being sued for copyright 
infringement. The law allows a fine of $50,000 per TITLE, as I recall. I'd 
rather spend the ten bucks and avoid the hassle.

        [Another perspective on this issue] Most songs arranged in the 
Barbershop style were written between 1900 and 1949, and these songs are owned 
by a limited number of consolidated publishing companies who are eager to make 
any money that they can off of a song. Songs written after 1950 are difficult 
to chase down, and very often the songwriter or publisher decides not to allow 
any arrangements of a song to be made (because they want to wait to sign 
exclusive writes to be included in the Best of the 80's songbook, for example). 
The result is that the law allows any song in the world to be performed and 
recorded after it has been released by any artist for the first time, but no 
one is allowed to jot down notes concerning their version. There needs to be a 
law that allows a licensing fee to be paid for limited numbers of written 
unpublished arrangements *of any song* (like recordings). This way, songwriters 
will make money, and a cappella musicians will not have to break the law to 
make music.

        Performance rights are paid for by the performance location such as 
clubs, theaters, auditoriums, radio stations, etc., and the revenue from the 
license fees is divided among the members of the performing rights groups.

        Mechanical license is required to make copies of audio tapes/records, 
and Synchronization Rights license is required for making videos and movies. 
The Harry Fox Agency handles the audio tapes and records, I'm not sure about 
the videos. You send them a letter telling them the titles and the number of 
copies you expect to make (not sell), and they'll send you a bill. The rate is 
around 6.5 cents per title per recording for a song up to 5 minutes long & 1.? 
cents for each additional minute.

        Payment is irrelevant when it comes to copyright infringement. Money is 
not the primary issue - control of intellectual property is. Irving Berlin was 
always very careful about allowing people to perform, or arrange his music - 
whether or not it was for profit. He felt some groups just didn't do his music 
justice and refused permission to them. It is a common misconception that songs 
performed or arranged without compensation do not need permission from the 
copyright holder. The misconception is a result of assuming money is the issue 
rather than control.

        However these issues aren't entirely clear. One entertainment attorney 
informs: "Yes, it's legal to transcribe a song off an album for your own use. 
No you don't need permission to arrange a song, perform an arrangement, or 
record an arrangement (that doesn't have altered lyrics or melody), though you 
will need to pay mechanicals on recordings. Yes, you can arrange for money, but 
you're selling a service & not music. You can make copies of an arrangement for 
fair use - study purposes within your group. CASA can give out a few 
arrangements for rehearsal & performance purposes, but they can't be published 
in any way  - that right belongs to the composer.

        As mentioned before, some of these issues aren't clear, or at least not 
all attorneys agree.

        6) Fair Use
        This is a very tricky matter. Fair use governs the extent to which the 
copyright rules may be "bent" if their purpose includes "criticism, comment, 
news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research." (from Section 107 of the 
Copyright Act, as quoted in the Copyright FAQ).

        Four factors are used in determining whether something counts as fair 
use:
        1. Purpose of the use - commercial or nonprofit and educational.
        2. Nature of the work being copied.
        3. How much of the work is copied.
        4. The effect of copying on the potential market for the work.

        Things that have been considered fair use in the past by courts 
include: quotations of brief excerpts of works in reviews and criticism; use in 
a parody; summary with brief quotations; a teacher copying part of a work to 
use in class; and so on.

-- 
THE CONTEMPORARY A CAPPELLA SOCIETY OF AMERICA   _/_/_/    _/    _/_/_/    _/
1850 Union St. #1441, San Francisco, CA  94123  _/      _/  _/    _/    _/  _/
Phone (415) 563-5224    *   Fax (415) 921-2834 _/      _/_/_/      _/  _/_/_/
   information: "finger -m casa@netcom.com"   _/_/_/  _/  _/  _/_/_/  _/  _/


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Path:
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From: casa@netcom.com (CASA - Deke Sharon)
Subject: The New FAQ - Part 4
Message-ID: 
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 02:22:48 GMT
Lines: 382
Sender: casa@netcom20.netcom.com

c.a-cappella & alt.music.a-cappella Frequently Asked Questions
Part Four: Specific A Cappella Groups and Recordings
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q. Are there any compilation-type albums of modern a cappella music?

        *Modern A Cappella*
        Put out by Rhino records, This is probably the best a cappella album 
available for the first time listener. It's available from the Primarily A 
Cappella catalog (415-455-8602), or phone Rhino direct on 1-800-432-0020.

    Tracks, in order:
        National Anthem                 En Vogue
        I Feel Good                     Bobby McFerrin
        Only You                        The Flying Pickets
        Zombie Jamboree                 Rockapella
        Higher and Higher               The Mint Juleps
        Caravan of Love                 The Housemartins
        Spread Love                     Take 6
        Unomathemba                     Ladysmith Black Mambazo
        Heaven                          Longhouse
        Silhouettes                     The Nylons
        My Husband Was A Weatherman     The Bobs
        Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow                The Persuasions
        Mighty Love                     Todd Rundgren
        Leave It                        Yes
        Walk Like An Egyptian           The Bangles
        The Hallelujah Chorus           The Roches

        *Spike & Co. Do It A Cappella*
        Also available from Primarily A Cappella, this is the soundtrack album 
from the now legendary PBS special that helped bring a cappella back into the 
limelight (Elektra ELE60953).

    Tracks, in order:
        I Need You                      True Image
        Don't Let Your Heart            The Mint Juleps
        Zombie Jamboree                 Rockapella
        Looking for an Echo             The Persuasions
        "Down in the Mines"             Ladysmith Black Mambazo
        I Want to Live Easy             The Mint Juleps
        Under the Boardwalk             Rockapella & True Image
        Up on the Roof                  The Persuasions
        Higher and Higher               The Mint Juleps
        Get Away Jordan                 Take 6
        "God Bless Africa"              Ladysmith Black Mambazo
        Pass on the Love                The Persuasions
        The Lion Sleeps Tonight         Ladysmith Black Mambazo &
                                         The Mint Juleps

        A 90-minute video cassette is available for $19.95 + about $3.50 
postage and handling, within the US. Call 1-800-336-1917. 

        Gerard Brown mentioned at the CASA Summit in 1993 that he had started 
work on Do It A Cappella II, but would not give any more information. Don't 
worry, when something happens, you'll hear it first on rec.music.a-cappella...

        * Harmony Sweepstakes *
        Both the 1993 & 1994 Harmony Sweepstakes National Finals have been 
immortalized on Disc, and are available from Primarily A Cappella: (415) 
455-8602. Both discs contain a wide variety of a cappella from a number of 
different groups. The series will continue annually, and each year's recording 
is available a couple of months after the competition.

        * Best Of College A Cappella *
        Slated for release in March of 1995, Volume 1 of the Best of College A 
Cappella will include 19 tracks by 19 different college groups. There's 
information in the liner notes of the album that will tell you how to get in 
touch with each group and purchase their full-length recording. For more info, 
contact CASA: (415) 563-5224. Volume 2 is currently in the planning stages.

Q. What's the story with...

        * Acappella, AVB, etc. *
        Acappella and AVB are contemporary Christian a cappella groups that are 
part of the A Cappella Company. Founder Keith Lancaster is also responsible for 
his own solo recordings, the prolific "A Cappella The Series" albums, and many 
other recordings: over 40 in total.

                The A Cappella Company
                Keith Lancaster
                PO Box 15
                Paris, TN  38242
                (800) 233-2031

        * Acoustix *
        One of the biggest names in barbershop, this quartet has a couple of 
exceptional recordings: "The New Science of Sound" and "Stars and Stripes" 
(Patriotic Songs). To order, contact:

                Todd Wilson
                10455 N Central Expressway, #109-128
                Dallas, TX  75231
                (214) 265-7849

        * The Blenders *
        A four part, Nylons-esque group with tight harmonies and great style. 
They frequently tour the college circuit (schedule available from the Princeton 
FTP site). They have two albums - "Totally Whipped" and "From The Mouth," two 
of the best self released contemporary a cappella albums ever made.

                The Blenders
                PO. Box 26037
                Minneapolis, MN 55426
                (701) 239-8000

        * The Bobs *
        One of the biggest a cappella groups of the last 20 years, this quartet 
(quintet for the brief period after Joe Finetti joined and before Gunnar Madsen 
left) can do anything from Jimi Hendrix to They Might Be Giants. Their 
discography includes:

        The Bobs (1983)
        My, I'm Large (1987)
        Songs for Tomorrow Morning (1988)
        Sing the Songs Of... (1991)
        Shut Up And Sing (1993)
        Cover The Songs Of... (1994)

        The older albums are now available from Rhino Records, and their newer 
releases are on Rounder. Contact the group at:
        
                The Bobs
                PO Box 5645
                Berkeley, CA  94705
                (510) 649-9097

        * Chanticleer *
        This sensational male ensemble is known for its critically acclaimed 
recordings of renaissance and 20th century choral works. They've also been 
known to dabble in vocal jazz and gospel. You should be able to find them in 
the classical section of your local record store. If not, contact Primarily A 
Cappella or DJ Records.

        * The Flying Pickets *
        The original members of the group were: Rick Lloyd, Ken Gregson, Kareth 
Williams, David Brett, Brian Hibbard, and Red Stripe (no joke - that's his 
name). The group was formed in 1980, and their first single, 'Only You', was 
Number 1 in the UK for six weeks in 1983. After a few years Brian and Stripe 
returned to acting, after which the group disbanded, then reformed with mostly 
new members, and finally the original group got back together. They have made a 
number of albums, many of which are difficult to track down. There are a few 
different "best of" albums floating around out there, however.
        
        Discography (sort of):

        "The Best of The Flying Pickets", Virgin Records VVIPD 111
        [Apparently only available in the UK ]

        "Flying Pickets Live", recorded 1984-5

        "Waiting for Trains"

                "Lost Boys", Moving Target MTD 021
                [ The only album directly available in the US ]

                "Blue Money", 1992. From PMF records, 90 637-2
        [ This the "mostly different Flying Pickets" ]

                "The Warning", 1993.

        "The Original Flying Pickets Volume 1", 1994
        [The original group reformed]

        If you can't get the albums from a local import shop, try writing to 
the following CD mail order company in London:

                HMV UK Limited
                Mail Order Department
                150 Oxford Street
                London, W1N 0DJ
                England

        * Flirtations *
        This is the gay male quintet that can bee seen in the movie 
Philadelphia. Sadly, founding member Michael Callen (also an AIDS activist) 
passed away since then, and the group has yet to replace him - they currently 
perform as a quartet. They have two wonderful albums: "The Flirtations" and 
"Out On The Road"

                The Flirtations
                Jon Arterton
                Box 655
                Provincetown, MA 02657
                Phone: (508) 487-0677 (fax also)

        * The House Jacks *
        Comprised of former collegiate a cappella singers (Tufts Beelzebubs, 
Brown Jabberwocks, Dartmouth Aires, and UNC Clef Hangers - all class of 1991), 
this group was put together by CASA president Deke Sharon. They have recently 
signed a recording contract with Warner Brothers' Tommy Boy Records, and have a 
self-released album ("Naked Noise") that they'll no longer be able to sell once 
their Tommy Boy record is released (some time in the Summer of '95). For more 
info on the group, or to get a copy of their recording:

                The House Jacks
                c/o Prince S/F Productions
                1135 Francisco St. #7
                San Francisco, CA 94109
                Phone: (800) 757-4331

        * King's Singers *
        A group started by ex-students at King's College, Cambridge over 25 
years ago, now one of the most respected a cappella groups in history. They 
sing mostly madrigal and classical style music, including a cappella 
arrangements of famous classical pieces, and have recently branched out into 
the contemporary scene, making several successful pop albums as well. They have 
recorded over 30 albums, many of which move in and out of print. Contact DJ 
records or Primarily A Cappella for a list of their currently available 
releases.

        For information or subscription to the King's Singers Newsletter, 
contact:

        Erica Zaffarano
        The King's Singers Newsletter
        17005 11th Avenue N
        Plymouth, MN 55447.  

        An annual subscription is $5.00 and that the newsletter comes out
  quarterly.

        * Ladysmith Black Mambazo *
        This is the charming South African "Mbube" group that can be heard on 
Paul Simon's "Graceland" album. Although many of their recordings aren't in 
English, their rich sonorous music still speaks deeply.

        Music Archives, "ftp.uwp.edu (131.210.1.4)", discography:

        /pub/music/artists/l/ladysmith.black.mambazo/discog

        Ladysmith Black Mambazo Fan Club
        Roger Dean, President
        104 Worral Drive
        Newark, Delaware
        19711 U.S.A.


        * Mint Juleps *
        This is the female sextet seen in the "Do It A Cappella" special. They 
have made a few recordings, but only a couple are available. 

        A live album was recorded in Germany in 1990 at the Women In (e)Motion 
festival, and four tracks in a London studio. Klaus Birken tells us this 
album's number is T&M 104, and may (or may not) be available from:

                        Tradition & Moderne
                        Musikproduktion
                        Fehrfeld 28
                        28203 Bremen
                        Germany

        Recently they released an album that's easy to obtain in the US. It's 
called "One Time," and it can be obtained from Primarily A Cappella. To contact 
the group:

                        Rita Ray at Flash Choice Management
                        46 Broomwood Rd.
                        London, SW11 6HT
                        England
                        Phone: +44 71 228-1161

        * The Nylons *
        A Canadian male quartet that sings contemporary covers and some 
originals. They have been around for years and have been an inspiration for 
many of today's a cappella singers. The members for most of their recordings 
were Paul Cooper, Marc Connors, Arnold Robinson and Claude Morrison, and hit 
songs for this group included Up the Ladder to the Roof, Happy Together, Kiss 
Him Goodbye and The Lion Sleeps Tonight. Micah Barnes and Billy Newton-Davis 
replaced Paul and Marc, and took the group in a more synthesized, hip-hop 
direction. They were replaced by Garth and Gavin, and although their most 
recording only has one a cappella song on it, their live show reflects the 
group's early days of finger-snapping a cappella.

        They have a number of albums, all of which should be available from 
your local record store. They are:

        "The Nylons" (Attic Records ACD 1125), 1982
        "One Size Fits All" (Open Air OD-0301), 1982
        "Seamless" (Open Air Records OD-0304), 1986
        "Happy Together" (Open Air OD-0306), 1987
        "Rockapella" (Windham Hill WD 1085), 1989
        "Four On The Floor" (Scotti Bros. 72392 75224-2), 1991
        "Live To Love" (Scotti Bros. 72392 75255-2), 1992 [hip-hop]
        " Because" (Scotti Bros. 72392-75435-2), 1994 [not a cappella]

        There's also a "Best Of The Nylons" album available, that consists of 
tracks from their first five albums.

        * The Persuasions *
        The Godfathers of a cappella. Over 30 years, and they "still ain't got 
no band." This legendary quintet became a quartet after the loss of baritone 
"Toubo" Rhodes in 1988. The group still tours constantly, and shows no signs of 
letting up. They've recorded countless albums, many of which are hard to find, 
and some of which have been re-released on CD, only to be discontinued again. 
Contact Primarily A Cappella for a list of albums currently available.

                The Persuasions
                Headline Talent
                1650 Broadway Suite 508
                NY, NY  10019

        * Rockapella *
        These guys can be seen in the "Do It A Cappella" special, and also 
every weekday on the Kids quiz show "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" 
Originally a quartet, the group is now  a quintet (they added a vocal 
percussionist). They have a number of excellent recordings available in Japan 
which can only be obtained by import from Sound City 2000 at (503) 654-2196 for 
more than $40. They Are:

        Rockapella One: To NY
        Rockapella Two: From NY
        Rockapella Three: Bash!
        Rockapella Four: Vocobeat
        Rockapella Five: Out Cold

        Most People recommend getting #2 (if you prefer a cappella cover songs, 
and a more "classic" a cappella sound, and #4 if you prefer original tunes and 
vocal percussion). The Third and Fifth are Christmas albums.

        The soundtrack to the children's' game show "Where in the World is 
Carmen Sandiego?" features a few tunes by Rockapella, and one by Rockapella and 
the Persuasions. It can be found in most record stores, or be ordered from 
Primarily A Cappella.

        Keep your eyes on the newsgroup for the periodically posted Rockapella 
FAQ.

        * Sweet Honey in the Rock *
        With over 20 years under their belts as a cappella performers, this 
female sextet (5 singers and one sign language interpreter) offers its vision 
of world peace with a beautiful blend of styles: including elements of gospel, 
folk, and world music. Their music is motivational, and their spirits 
uplifting. They have several CD's available:

        "Sweet Honey in the Rock" (Flying Fish FF 70022), 1976
        "Feel Something Drawing Me On" (Flying Fish FF 70375), 1985
        "The Other Side" (Flying Fish FF 70366), 1985
        "Breaths" (Flying Fish FF 70105), 1988
        "Live ate Carnegie Hall" (Flying Fish FF 70106), 1988
        "All For Freedom" (Music For Little People), 1992
        "In This Land" (Earthbeat 9 42522-2), 1992
        "Still On The Journey" (Earthbeat 9 42536-2), 1993
        "I Got Shoes" (Music for Little People 9 42534-2), 1994

        * Take 6 *
        A six-voice male a cappella "Contemporary Christian" (gospel) group, 
with jazz and R&B influences. They started in the late eighties at school in 
Hunstville, Alabama and have gone on to receive critical acclaim, including 
several awards from the Gospel Music Association (Doves) and several Grammies. 
Join their fan club by writing to:

                Club TAKE 6
                c/o Holley Ink
                P.O. box 78009
                Nashville,TN 37207

        They have four albums out (all easily obtainable): "Take 6," "So Much 
To Say," "He Is Christmas," and "Join The Band." 

        * The Trenchcoats *
        Reigning Harmony Sweepstakes National Champions (1994), this 
high-energy quartet has two albums available: "It Turns Me On" and "Your Joy." 
Contact them at:

                The Trenchcoats
                Doug Wisness
                PO Box 1444
                Tacoma, WA  98401-1444
                (206) 925-1856

        * Zap Mama *
        This amazing female quintet is based in Brussels, but their musical 
influences span around the globe. They have two albums: "Adventures in Afropea 
1" and "Sabsylma" which have won Best Album from the Contemporary A Cappella 
Society for the last two years. 

-- 
THE CONTEMPORARY A CAPPELLA SOCIETY OF AMERICA   _/_/_/    _/    _/_/_/    _/
1850 Union St. #1441, San Francisco, CA  94123  _/      _/  _/    _/    _/  _/
Phone (415) 563-5224    *   Fax (415) 921-2834 _/      _/_/_/      _/  _/_/_/
   information: "finger -m casa@netcom.com"   _/_/_/  _/  _/  _/_/_/  _/  _/
   
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From: casa@netcom.com (CASA - Deke Sharon)
Subject: The New FAQ - Part 5
Message-ID: 
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 02:29:31 GMT
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Sender: casa@netcom20.netcom.com

The rec.music.a-cappella & alt.music.a-cappella Frequently Asked Questions
Part Five: A Cappella Internet Resources
---------------------------------------------------------------------


Q. Are there any electronic mailing lists dealing with a cappella music?

        * The Friends of the Bobs *
        The FOBS mailing list discusses all aspects of the Bobs, a contemporary 
a cappella group. To subscribe, write to: fobs-request@netcom.com

        * Barbershop*
        There is also a mailing list for fans and performers of barbershop 
music, which you can subscribe to by emailing: bbshop-request@fig.cray.com

        * Shape Note Singing *
        Discussion and announcements of Sacred Harp singing, based on "The 
Sacred Harp" songbook published in 1844 and using shaped note notation, can be 
obtained by contacting: shaped_note-request@tahiti.umhc.umn.edu

        * Zap Mama *
        Discussion about this international group by fans from around the 
world. Contact:

Q. Is there a rec.music.a-cappella FTP site?

        Yes! Greg Weiss (grweiss@phoenix.princeton.edu) has been maintaining an 
FTP site at princeton.edu. The main directory is pub/rec.music.a-cappella, and 
within it is a copy of this file (called FAQ), a directory containing archives 
of postings to the rec.music.a-cappella and alt.music.a-cappella newsgroups 
(archive), and a directory containing other relevant information (info). To 
find out what's currently in both of these directories, check out Greg's 
up-to-date README files in each directory. All of this is available for 
anonymous FTP at:

        princeton.edu   (128.112.128.1)

        To do this from UNIX, type "ftp princeton.edu", login as "anonymous", 
and use your email address as the password. Typing "HELP" at a prompt will 
describe the available commands. The normal files can be downloaded using the 
standard "get" command, but the compressed files (those which end with .Z) must 
be downloaded using binary mode, and either viewed using the "zcat" command, or 
decompressed by simply typing "decompress .Z" at your UNIX prompt.

        Thanks to Greg for providing this service, which will ensure that the 
worldwide network a cappella community continues to grow.

        If you don't know about FTP (File Transfer Protocol), ask someone at 
your site to find out if you have access to the service. If you've tried using 
FTP yourself but know it won't work, try sending "help" in an email message to 
an ftp-by-mail server (please choose the nearest to you):

        ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com
        ftpmail@src.doc.ic.ac.uk
        ftpmail@cs.uow.edu.au
        ftpmail@grasp.insa-lyon.fr

Q. Can we store arrangements at the FTP site?

        This has been a topic of much discussion, nearly since the inception of 
the newsgroup. Most people have said that they would love to see an electronic 
collection of a cappella arrangements on the Internet, but a few have raised 
doubts concerning the legality of such a venture. Until such problems are 
resolved, we can't store arrangements on the network.

        However, this doesn't stop us storing arrangements of *original* songs 
(i.e. written by the contributor) on the princeton site, and of course we can 
store lists, reviews and other information as well.

Q. Does anyone have the  to ?

        Before you post a request for lyrics to the newsgroup, please check out 
the archive at:

        ftp.uwp.edu     (131.210.1.4)

        in the directory pub/music/lyrics

        A caveat: the lyrics on this site were submitted by people in good 
faith, but do not take their words as gospel. If you are recording or 
performing on a large scale, it would probably be worth checking out the lyrics 
against some sheet music or the lyric sheet from the album, if possible.

        The chords to songs can sometimes be gleaned from the entries in the 
guitar tablature archive at:

        nevada.edu

        The songs submitted here are organized according to group name, and a 
comprehensive index can be downloaded. Many songs are written in tab, which is 
harder to work out but will give you individual notes; but other songs have the 
chords written out with the song lyrics, which are sometimes all an arranger 
needs (you can usually work out the melody on your own if you have a 
recording).

Q. Do any CD directories exist over the Internet?

        Recently, a service was started under the Holonet information services 
hierarchy, called the Compact Disc Connection. It is actually a commercial 
venture (you can order the CDs in their catalogue), but it can also be used to 
look up albums by a particular group or artist and obtain track listings of 
most albums.

        To use the service, telnet to:

        holonet.net

        and login as "cdc" (lower case). Menus will take you through the 
directory. The ftp.uwp.edu archive also stores discographies for many groups, 
and welcomes additions!

Q. Do any music tutorials exist for FTP access?

        * The Jazz Primer *
        The Jazz Primer was written by Marc Sabatella for the readers of the 
rec.music.bluenote newsgroup (jazz and blues music). It was written 
specifically for those who want to learn more about jazz and blues theory, to 
improve their performing, improvising, or listening ability.

        It assumes a basic knowledge of music and notation, and recommends that 
you have access to a piano and the ability to play simple examples on it. The 
primer discusses, among many other topics, chord/scale relationships (in all 
modes), scale types, and chord voicings.

        This text file (4064 lines, 29 sheets when printed using a2ps) can be 
read at several levels, depending on your previous knowledge and experience. It 
can be used as a harmony tutorial, improvisation guide, or technical discussion 
of chord/scale relationships.

        Although instrumental jazz music is discussed throughout, the 
techniques can obviously be applied to arranging and composing a cappella 
music. I can recommend this file as an introduction to harmony and chord/scale 
relationships, but if you prefer verbose texts which continually emphasize the 
topics, this isn't for you. It packs a lot of information into a small space.
        
        The file may be obtained via FTP from:

        ftp.njit.edu

        and is called: /pub/jazz-primer/primer.asc

        * GEMS *
        The GEMS series of articles on music composition were written by 
Matthew Fields, fields@eecs.umich.edu for readers of the newsgroup 
rec.music.compose. It consists of five parts, each dealing with a different 
aspect of music theory and/or composition.

        The files may be obtained via FTP from ftp.hyperion.com, or via gopher 
at gopher.cic.net. Matthew informs us: "Gems 5 may have a notice trimmed off.  
If so, please splice it in on the bottom.  The missing notice is as follows: 
ORCHESTERSTUECK Op.16 No.1 (Arnold Schoenberg) Copr. 1952 by Henmar Music Corp. 
Permission for use granted by C.F. Peters Corp."

Q. Are there any music typesetting programs I can use?

        A program called MuTeX exists which enables users on most operating 
systems to typeset single-staff music and lyrics, but a better option for a 
cappella arrangers/composers is MusicTeX, a polyphonic system written by Daniel 
Taupin (taupin@frups51.bitnet). The latest version is available via anonymous 
FTP from:

        nic.stolaf.edu

        MuTeX is also available at this site. A TeX-and-music mailing list also 
exists: to join, send a request to: mutex-request@stolaf.edu.

        Be warned! The MusicTeX output looks nice, but is by no means easy to 
get! You have to type in everything as text, using sometimes convoluted 
commands, and many of these commands are in French. For those with MIDI 
keyboards, a MIDI-to-MusicTeX program can be obtained somewhere.

Q. Why is alt.music.a-cappella so quiet these days?

        Originally, the only a cappella newsgroup was alt.music.a-cappella. In 
August '93, a vote was put forward to create a newsgroup rec.music.a-cappella 
which, aside from having better USENET status, (supposedly) reaches more 
network sites than an alt group. The vote was an overwhelming success (342:34 
in favor), so the group was created. Thanks to Steve Simmons for suggesting the 
rec group and controlling the voting process.

        The charter of the group is as follows:
        rec.music.a-cappella:   For a-cappella music of all styles.
        For friends, fans, and singers of all flavors of pure vocal
        music. Barbershop, madrigals, chorales, rockers and folkies
        are all welcome provided the instruments are left home (or
        mostly home).

        Many thanks to the countless 'netters who contributed, directly or 
indirectly, to this FAQ list. Special thanks to Brendan Quinn who started the 
FAQ, and wrote much of its contents.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        End of rec.music.a-cappella Frequently Asked Questions list
        Please send comments, corrections and information to CASA

-- 
THE CONTEMPORARY A CAPPELLA SOCIETY OF AMERICA   _/_/_/    _/    _/_/_/    _/
1850 Union St. #1441, San Francisco, CA  94123  _/      _/  _/    _/    _/  _/
Phone (415) 563-5224    *   Fax (415) 921-2834 _/      _/_/_/      _/  _/_/_/
   information: "finger -m casa@netcom.com"   _/_/_/  _/  _/  _/_/_/  _/  _/
   
   
   
Path:
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From: djs1719@ibm.net
Newsgroups: alt.music.a-cappella
Subject: BarberShop in Poughkeepsie
Date: 25 Jan 1995 00:26:54 GMT
Lines: 15
Message-ID: <3g45se$jej@news-s01.ny.us.ibm.net>
Reply-To: 70400-2142@compuserve.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: slip7-90.fl.us.ibm.net
X-Newsreader: IBM NewsReader/2 v1.09

Hi, everyone,

I'm a once-and-future barbershopper (is there really any such 
thing as a 'former' barbershopper?).  I'm looking to join others
with a love of barbershop singing, in the Poughkeepsie/Kingston
area of New York State, for the purpose of singing together,
perhaps performing informally, etc.

I sing bass, and my background is with the Jerusalem Barbershop
Ensemble (yes, there was/is a barbershop quartet in Jerusalem!).

If anyone is interested, please send me e-mail.

Daniel Schwartz
70400-2142@compuserve.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Newsgroups: alt.music.a-cappella
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From: jfrewen@magi.com
Subject: Nylons Fans, Stand Up and Cheer!
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Sender: news@news.magi.com (usenet user)
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Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 02:39:44 GMT
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Following is an article by Paul Cantin in Monday's Ottawa Sun. When I finsihed 
reading it this morning, I wanted to jump up on my workstation, pump my arm,
and yell (but decorum prevailed).  The second to last paragraph is the 
significant one here but I wanted to put it all in the proper context so I typed 
it all (it's not too long). Here it is: 

In the 16 years that Canadian vocal harmony group The Nylons have been 
together,there have been plenty of lineup changes. So, aside from a great voice, 
what does it take to be a Nylon? 

"Just as important as a good voice is a good ear," says original Nylon Claude 
Morrison as he prepares for a two-week tour that kicks off at Centrepointe 
Theatre Friday and Saturday. "

"All you have are each other's voices , and you have to really, really listen 
closely.  The name of the game is blend. You have to match textures. It 
requires a good deal of sensitivity. 

"Beyond that,  personal rapport is important. Respect for each other as people, 
as musicians, I think is really important. 

"If we're not having a good time, the audience is not going to have a good 
time. What they go away with is a feeling of the camaraderie we have." 

The current quartet, which sees new singers Garth Mosbaugh and Gavin Hope 
joining Morrison and Arnold Robinson, actually came together in the studio 
while working on their new album, entitled 'Because'.

"It was a much better way of bonding together as a musical group, as opposed 
to having them come into the group and step into someone else's shoes and 
having them tour for a year or something. This gave us a chance to create
music of our own. It was a lot better right off the bat.

"By the time we went out on the road, I had made two albums with these guys. 
I think it was a good way to kick start the beginning of this incarnation. "

After recent forays into dance music and even trying out hip-hop and rap, 
"Because"  signals a return to the Nylons' strategy of mixing original material 
with vocal-oriented arrangements of classic pop songs. The new LP includes 
covers of The Zombies' "Time of the Season", Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" 
and Terence Trent D'Arby's "Sign Your Name". 

"We made a return to the smooth sound we were known for," says Morrison.

"We're going back into the studio later this year and I think we'll be making a 
return to a cappella (vocal only), which, at the end of the day is what people 
loved us for.

"I don't apologize for the experimentation. If you stand still, you are bound to 
get stagnant."

[the end]

Posted on this newsgroup with the kind permission of Paul Cantin, Ottawa Sun. 
Thanks Paul.

An addtional fact gleaned from an inset to this article is that the Nylons will 
be introducing a new a cappella song called "The Human Family" at the two 
concerts this weekend. Actually it's not new. It was recorded, along with other 
performers, while Marc Connors was still around (in fact he may have written 
it) as a benefit song to raise money for aids (I believe). I've never heard it. 
Has anybody else?

In the subject to this post I invited all Nylons fans to stand up and cheer for 
the optimistic news of an apparent Nylons a cappella cd in 1995. What I should 
have done is invite all a cappella fans to cheer this news for if it becomes 
reality (and I suppose a lot of us have moved to Missouri on this) it would 
truly benefit the entire a cappella community to have one of it's larger sheep
back in the flock.  So anyone who wants to, please join me in a big cyber 
high five!    


Jim Frewen
Central Canada Ambassador
Contemporary A Cappella Society of America




----------------------------------------------------------------------
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From: casa@netcom.com (CASA - Deke Sharon)
Subject: 17th Avenue All-Stars seeking new member
Message-ID: 
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
Date: Sat, 28 Jan 1995 20:02:18 GMT
Lines: 15

        Attention All Vocalists Looking To Make A Career Of A Cappella:
This is a once in a blue moon opportunity to become a part of one of the 
nation's best a cappella groups...

        The 17th Avenue All-Stars, 1993 Harmony Sweepstakes National Champs, are 
seeking a tenor, low alto, and/or high baritone (3 octave range). Must have 
solid performance experience. Songwriting & arranging ability a plus. Starting 
salary: minimum of $15,000 annually plus bonuses. Submit picture, voice tape, 
and resume to: All-Stars, PO Box 1002, Castle Rock, CO  80104. Questions or 
contact call: (303) 595-1040.
-- 
THE CONTEMPORARY A CAPPELLA SOCIETY OF AMERICA   _/_/_/    _/    _/_/_/    _/
1850 Union St. #1441, San Francisco, CA  94123  _/      _/  _/    _/    _/  _/
Phone (415) 563-5224    *   Fax (415) 921-2834 _/      _/_/_/      _/  _/_/_/
   information: "finger -m casa@netcom.com"   _/_/_/  _/  _/  _/_/_/  _/  _/

----------------------------------------------------------------------



 
Newsgroups: rec.music.a-cappella
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From: casa@netcom.com (CASA - Deke Sharon)
Subject: Re: the 1995 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards
Message-ID: 
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
References: <3gs3cl$bcs@newsbf02.news.aol.com>
 
<1995Feb4.234147.17866@galileo.cc.rochester.edu>
Date: Sun, 5 Feb 1995 04:38:16 GMT
Lines: 52

In article <1995Feb4.234147.17866@galileo.cc.rochester.edu>,
Brad E. Price III  wrote:
>AS one who has heard the Beelzebubs and their albums, and from one who has
>perfect pitch, I can say that they are consistantly flat (not as a group,
>but within parts which is a lot worse.)  The Beelzebubs are not the a
>cappella gods that you have made them out to be.  In fact I have heard many
>mens groups who top them.  Wake up.  You are unquestionably biased and
>frankly unprofessional.

        1) I don't believe that I have made out the Beelzebubs to be a 
cappella gods, whatever that means. How is it you believe that I have done so?

        2) I appreciate your opinion, and I agree that the Bubs' tuning isn't 
perfect. I would also agree that all college groups have tuning problems, to 
varying degrees, but they're all amateur, student run groups that include a 
majority of non-music majors. Put up against Take 6, college groups don't 
stand a chance - that's why we judge them against eachother, and take their 
abilities and deficiencies for what they are.

        3) I too have heard a number of male groups who are better than the 
Bubs in different ways. Whereas the Bubs are quite good at current modern & 
alternative rock, they probably can't sing "Perfidia" to save their lives. 
Also, they have great energy on stage, but they aren't very funny. They tend 
to have great, complex arrangements, but their tuning & vocal control is far 
from perfect. All of this is my opinion, for what it's worth. I think that the 
Bandersnatchers are funnier, that the Whiffenpoofs have more precision, and 
the the Fleet Street Singers are more versatile. So what. It turns out that my 
opinion doesn't matter whan it comes to the CARAs, because I don't vote in the 
Male Collegiate category. 

        4) I believe that I am capable of judging the Beelzebubs and their 
recordings in an unbiased way, but nonetheless I don't allow myself to vote.
What is unprofessional about starting a non-profit organization in your dorm 
room at college with the intent of bringing college a cappella groups 
together, and then expanding it to include professional groups and fans. What 
is unprofessional about spending 3 years publishing a newsletter, negotiating 
discounts, offering advice, and promoting a cappella without ever getting paid 
a penny? I love a cappella. Do you really think I'd do all of this work only 
so that my old college group could get some attention even though I'm not in 
it any longer? Did you notice that the House Jacks didn't win any awards? If I 
wanted to promote myself or prop myself up, don't you think I'd have found a 
way for us to win some awards?

        Frankly, I don't understand the confidence with which you have made 
your accusations. I respect your opinions, and your beliefs, but not your 
libelous postings.

-- 
THE CONTEMPORARY A CAPPELLA SOCIETY OF AMERICA   _/_/_/    _/    _/_/_/    _/
1850 Union St. #1441, San Francisco, CA  94123  _/      _/  _/    _/    _/  _/
Phone (415) 563-5224    *   Fax (415) 921-2834 _/      _/_/_/      _/  _/_/_/
   information: "finger -m casa@netcom.com"   _/_/_/  _/  _/  _/_/_/  _/  _/

----------------------------------------------------------------------



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From: proorgano@aol.com (ProOrgano)
Newsgroups: rec.music.a-cappella
Subject: Re: "evil" music in history
Date: 3 Feb 1995 21:50:52 -0500
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NNTP-Posting-Host: newsbf02.mail.aol.com

Your question about parallelism (did I spell that right?) has several
facets.

Early on, when it was just monks singing Gregorian chant, all the music
was a single melodic line with no other parts for harmony. So one would
assume that it would all be strictly in unison. However, such was probably
not the case. When mixing trained and untrained singers, or people with
less than musical ears (the chant was a community affair), you get some
voices that sing along at a different, but parallel interval, most often
at the 5th, called "quint" singing. This was probably the origin or what's
called "organum". True organum was mostly parallel 5ths, but there was
some contrary motion around the cadence, so that an ending unison was
arrived at.

Side 2 to this question is when polyphonic writing came more widely into
practice and you have some voices moving parallel, some contrary, and some
oblique (same direction, different intervals, thus not parallel) - in
other words, separate voices moving all over.  Since Music Theory always
comes after Music Practice, the rule began to become avoid writing in
parallel 5ths or 8ves. Parallel 4ths were not quite as bad, but 5ths were
frowned upon. The main reason is one of practical acoustics. When voices
are moving in parallel octaves or 5ths, the acoustic properties are such
that you lose the effect of having two separate voices. 5ths and 8ves
figure prominently in the overtone series, so it's esentially like the
parallel voice dropping out.

Side 3 to the question is about one particular interval: the Augmented-4th
(or Diminished-5th, they're the same).  Example: C-F#. The sound of this
interval was so repugnant, either aesthetically or theoretically, to the
medieval mind (and later), that this interval was called the "Diabolus in
Musica" (Devil in the Music) and was to be avoided at all costs.

Since the Church often legislated every little thing back then, they may
well have had some "law" against these parallelisms and the Diabolus. I'm
not sure about that one. I'd need to do more canonical research.

The rock/blues aspect I hadn't thought of. Moving guitar chords often
produce parallelisms that are just part of how the instrument works, and
the musicians play 

Hope this helps.
John Whitt (aka ProOrgano)

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From: k2funky@aol.com (K2FUNKY)
Newsgroups: rec.music.a-cappella
Subject: All A Cappella Playlist 2/4/95 WERS 88.9 FM Boston
Date: 4 Feb 1995 18:58:48 -0500
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Hey A Cappella Fans:

Today show was the first Anniversary of All A Cappella.  Thanks to all of
the groups who have contributed music to the show to keep it going for a
year.  Let's keep it going.  If you or your group would like to send me
music you can send it to:
WERS 88.9 FM/All A Cappella/Attn: Kevin Evans/126 Beacon St/Boston, Ma
02116

Upcoming  All A Cappella events:  February 18, 1995, Vox One Live in
studio.

Here is All A Cappella Playlist for Februuary 4, 1995.
*indicates request

Throat Culture/Fone Mate/A Cappella Head
The Trenchcoats/I Can See Clearly/Your Joy
The Bobs/White Room/ The Bobs Cover the Song of...
Extension Chords/Good Vibrations
Rockapella/Last Night/Out Cold
Tufts Amalgamates/Mermaid/Recorded Live @WERS
Vox One/The Water Is Wide/Vox One
Vocal Point/Free Ride/Recorded Live @ WERS
14 Karat Soul/Remember The Time/Cool Summer
Tufts Beelzebubs/But Anyway/Vince
BQE/Chain Gang-Cupid Medley/Starlight Serenade Vol.  III
Off The Beat/Soul To Squeeze/Flail
North Shore A Cappella/Neither One Of Us/Live
The Persuasions/Luceille Has Mess My Mind Up/Right Around The Corner
Street Sounds/Down By The Riverside-This Little Light/Street Sounds
Five O'Clock Shadow/Jungle Beat/Recorded Live @ WERS
Five O'Clock Shadow/Tribute/FOCS
Five O'Clock Shadow/Down On The Corner/Recorded Live @ WERS
Take 6  with Ray Charles/My Friend/Join The Band
Rockapella/ I Like You Very Much/From NY
Zap Mama/Mr. Brown/Sabslyma
The Bobs/ Spontanaeous Human Conbustion/Shut Up And Sing
MIT Muses/ I'm Sorry/Recorded Live @ WERS
Toby Twining Music/ Hotel Destine'/Shamen
Sweet Honey In The Rock/ Dream Song of Love/ Live @ Carnagie Hall
*Vox One/ Time After Time/ Recorded Live @ WERS
The Real Group/ Vid Stranden/ Roster
The Persuasions/ He Ain't Heavy-You've Got A Friend/ Street Corner
Symphony
*Rockapella/ Shambala
*The Blenders/Don't Worry Be Happy/From The Mouth
*The Bobs/ Particle Man/The Bobs Cover The Songs Of...
* Throat Culture/ Easter Island Head/A Cappella Head
* White Noise/ Lullaby Of Broadway/ Recorded Live @ WERS
*Ambiance/ Phantom of The Opera Medley/Jazz Ladies
*Gas House Gang/Music Of The Night/A Little Night Music
*The Flirtations/Everything Possible/Live: Out On The Road
*Sweet Honey In The Rock/Wanting Memories/ Still On The Journey
* Rockapella/Zombie Jamboree/Spike & Co. Do It A Cappella
*True Image/ I Need You/Spike & Co. Do It A Cappella
*The Bobs/Slow Down Krishna/Shut up And Sing
*Rockapella/Peanut Shell/Vocobeat
*The Blenders/ Aunt Sue's Ant Soup/From The Mouth
The Trenchcoats/Stray Cat Strut/Your Joy
*The Flirtations/Mr. Sandman/Live; Out On The Road
Five O'Clock Shadow/Oh Sugar/FOCS
Mixed Company/867-5309 Jenny/Unanimous

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