Contemporary A Cappella In The Choral Classroom · A Cappella Pop: A Complete Guide to A Cappella Singing. Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Music Publishing Company, Inc. ‣ Schumacker, Alec

CONTEMPORARY A CAPPELLA IN THE CHORAL CLASSROOM

2016 OMEA CONFERENCE

&

MRS. MEGAN PERDUE, PRESENTER

DIRECTOR OF CHORAL STUDIES, LAKE OSWEGO HIGH SCHOOL OREGON STATE REPRESENTATIVE, A CAPPELLA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION (AEA) BOARD MEMBER, WOMEN’S A CAPPELLA ASSOCIATION (WACA)

WANT TO START A CONTEMPORARY A CAPPELLA GROUP?

THIS SESSION IS FOR YOU!WANT TO INTEGRATE CONTEMPORARY A CAPPELLA INTO YOUR CHORAL GROUP?

WANT TO LEARN SOME BEATBOX SOUNDS AND SEE WHAT THE FUSS IS ABOUT?

THIS SESSION IS FOR YOU!

YES, THIS SESSION IS FOR YOU, TOO!

WWW.LAKEOSWEGOCHOIRS. WORDPRESS.COM

ACCESS THIS PRESENTATION ONLINE AT

MEGAN PERDUE [email protected]


WHAT IS CONTEMPORARY A CAPPELLA?‣ The creation of a “vocal band”

‣ Voicing - male, female, or mixed

‣ Size

‣ Anything that works for you!

‣ Usually 5-16 singers, can be more

‣ In smaller groups, usually one singer per part/microphone

‣ Larger groups can use zone/solo microphone combinations or no amplification

CONTEMPORARY A CAPPELLA IN THE CHORAL CURRICULUM

WHY CONTEMPORARY A CAPPELLA?▸ Contemporary a cappella is

“having a moment” (just ask Siri).

▸ Make connections with students through music that is relevant to them.

IT DISSECTS POPULAR SONGS IN A WAY THAT YOU CAN’T BY LISTENING TO THE RADIO IN YOUR CAR; YOU UNDERSTAND IT.

C.J.


IT MAKES ME FEEL MORE REAL. SINGING MAKES ME ADOPT THE EMOTIONS OF THE PIECE AND THOSE EMOTIONS FEEL MORE AUTHENTIC THAN DAY-TO-DAY-EMOTIONS.

Devon


SINGING CONTEMPORARY A CAPPELLA MUSIC PROVIDES A MORE RELATABLE EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS. ONE OF THE BIGGEST WORRIES OF BEING IN CHOIR IS THAT THEY WON’T SING MUSIC THAT STUDENTS KNOW. BY SINGING CONTEMPORARY MUSIC, YOU ELIMINATE THAT WORRY!

Anonymous


IT CHALLENGES ME TO LEARN MORE DIFFICULT LINES AND TRAIN MY EAR TO LISTEN FOR BLEND AND DIFFERENT HARMONIES.

Hayley


IT OPENS MY EYES TO THE COMPLEXITY OF MUSIC.

Anonymous


IT TEACHES FOCUS, RHYTHM, PITCH, PRECISION, IMPROVISATION, TEAMWORK… EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE SHARP AND EXACT SO IT FORCES PEOPLE NOT TO LOSE FOCUS. AND IT TEACHES LEADERSHIP BECAUSE EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE A LEADER, AND IT’S EASY TO TELL IF SOMEONE IS JUST FOLLOWING.

Rachel


IT’S JUST MORE COOL AND FUN TO SING SONGS THAT PEOPLE KNOW AND CAN UNDERSTAND AS OPPOSED TO SINGING SOME RANDOM CENTURIES-OLD SONG. THEY’RE BOTH EQUALLY CHALLENGING THOUGH…

Max



REPERTOIRE, ARRANGING, AND IMPROVISATION‣ “Off-the-rack” arrangements

‣ Alfred, Hal Leonard

‣ Custom Arrangements

‣ www.acappellaeducators.com

‣ www.betteracappella.com

‣ www.human-feedback.com

‣ www.totalvocal.com

‣ Self-arranged/Group-arranged

‣ www.thebenbram.com

‣ www.acappellapsych.com

‣ www.random-notes.com


ARRANGING YOUR OWN MUSIC‣ Use your resources: ask your students!

‣ Usually solo is not notated

‣ Start by knowing the song very well; listen a lot!

‣ Consider recording your ideas first, then notating them

‣ Bass line should avoid vowels unless joining a homophonic “Ah,” “Oh,” or other word

‣ Syllables should only be a suggestion

‣ Let background parts use words when possible; basses, too!

‣ A Cappella Arranging by Dylan Bell and Deke Sharon - GREAT guide to DIY arranging


LESSON APPLICATION: “BILLIE JEAN”

1. Listen!



1. Listen!

2. Bass line



1. Listen!

2. Bass line

3. Rhythm guitar - soprano



1. Listen!

2. Bass line


4. Rhythm guitar - alto



1. Listen!

2. Bass line



5. Lead vocal - tenor

“Billie Jean is not my lover,

She’s just a girl who claims that I am the one,

But the kid is not my son.

She says I am the one,

But the kid is not my son.”



1. Listen!

2. Bass line



5. Lead vocal - tenor

6. Beatbox - “Extra Credit!”

“Billie Jean is not my lover,

She’s just a girl who claims that I am the one,

But the kid is not my son.

She says I am the one,

But the kid is not my son.”

“BUH - TS - PF - TS”


LESSON APPLICATION: “BILLIE JEAN”Objective: Students will perform an a cappella arrangement of the chorus to Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” in four parts with optional vocal percussion. They will arrange each part by listening to the original track with teacher assistance, if necessary.

Vocabulary: a cappella, beat box, bass line, electric guitar, lead vocal, onomatopoeia

National Standards: CREATING, Anchor Standards 1, 2, & 3; PERFORMING, Anchor Standards 4 & 5

1. Play recording of chorus of “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson. Students listen critically to the form and texture of the segment, analyzing number of parts and instrument sounds.

2. Ensemble arranges bass line and discusses “onomatopoeia” for bass guitar sound.

3. Ensemble arranges soprano line and discusses “onomatopoeia” for electric guitar and synthesizer sounds.

4. Ensemble arranges alto line from soprano line, at the interval of a fourth below the soprano line. Soprano and altos sing parts together.

5. Ensemble sings lead vocal; tenors sing lead vocal.

6. Ensemble performs 4-part arrangement.



‣EXTENSIONS

‣Ensemble arranges vocal percussion part. Ensemble performs chorus to “Billie Jean” in four parts with vocal percussion.

‣Ensemble creates choreography to accompany chorus to “Billie Jean.”

‣Ensemble or small group arranges whole song for performance


THE RHYTHM SECTION‣ Basic vocal percussion sounds:

‣ Kick - beginning of a measure; “Buh”

‣ Snare - “Pf” (“Pst”) or “Kih”

‣ Hi-Hat - “Ts,” stop air with tongue for closed or let it flow for open

‣ Bass Technique:

‣ “Dm” = the magical syllable

‣ Minimize vowels, but do let basses sing on “ah” or “oh” pads and on text, if appropriate for the arrangement


RHYTHM READING

▸ Many pop music examples are rhythmically complex and present excellent opportunities to study syncopation through simple meters.

▸ Integrate rhythm reading and beatboxing for an energetic lessons on note reading and multiple parts.

▸ LESSON APPLICATIONS:

▸ Syncopation

▸ Beatbox Rhythms

IT’S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT RELATES TECHNIQUES AND SKILLS THAT WE LEARN IN CHOIR TO OUR EVERY DAY LIVES AND THE MUSIC WE LIVE OUR LIVES TO.

SaraJane



LESSON APPLICATION: “SYNCOPATION”








LESSON APPLICATION: “BEATBOX RHYTHMS”

National Standard: PERFORMING, Anchor Standard 4

Student Population: elementary, middle, high

Objective: Students will accurately perform the rhythmic line on both rhythm syllables (ta, ti-ti) and beatbox syllables.

LESSON APPLICATION: “BEATBOX RHYTHMS”


1. Use various note values.

2. Assign different note values to different drum kit sounds.

Ex: Quarter notes = bass, Eighth notes = snare, Quarter rests = hi-hat

3. Split into sections or small groups. Some sing warm-ups or scales while the others beatbox. Switch parts.

4. Perform with recordings

EXTENSIONS:


SIGHT-SINGING

▸ Because most pop music is diatonic, contemporary a cappella presents an accessible opportunity to study solfegge syllables

▸ LESSON APPLICATIONS:

▸ Name That Tune! (National Standard: PERFORMING, Anchor Standard #4)

▸ Trash-ketball (National Standard: PERFORMING, Anchor Standard #4)


LESSON APPLICATIONS: “NAME THAT TUNE!”

1. Speak on rhythm syllables

2. Sing on solfegge syllables

3. Speed up, if necessary and… Name that tune!


LESSON APPLICATIONS: “NAME THAT TUNE!”


2. Sing on solfegge syllables

3. Speed up, if necessary and… Name that tune!

“Royals,” by Lorde


LESSON APPLICATIONS: “TRASH-KETBALL”

1. Get recycling can/crumpled paper, split into teams


3. Establish key and audiate on solfegge syllables

4. Shoot that trash (or recycling)!

1 pt. for correct song, 1 shot for group solfegge performance, 3 shots for solo solfegge performance


LESSON APPLICATIONS: “TRASH-KETBALL”“Cups” from Pitch Perfect, performed by Anna Kendrick

IT IS INTERESTING BECAUSE IT ALLOWS THOSE NOT IN CHOIR TO APPRECIATE AND ENJOY THE PERFORMANCES MORE.

Charis



VISUAL TIPS‣ Contemporary a cappella is NOT show choir

‣ Focus is on the singing, not the movement

‣ Effective movement highlights musical moments

‣ Bell tones

‣ Strong downbeats

‣ Beginning of chorus

‣ Consider who needs to see/hear whom

‣ Bass and vocal percussion

‣ Soloist

‣ Doubled parts


NEXT STEPS…

▸ Recording contemporary a cappella

▸ A cappella and music technology (there’s an app for that)

▸ Microphone technique and mixing for live performance

▸ Vocal pedagogy and contemporary music

▸ Connections between contemporary a cappella and multicultural a cappella and Renaissance a cappella

▸ Competitions and festivals

▸ ICHSA, Rose City Sing Off, SheSings, National A Cappella Convention, LAAF, BOSS, A Cappella Academy


RESOURCES & REFERENCES

‣ A Cappella Education Association (AEA), www.acapellaeducators.com

‣ State Representative: Megan Perdue, [email protected]

‣ Women’s A Cappella Association (WACA)

‣ Contemporary A Cappella Society (CASA)

‣ Tunes 2 Teens - Chris Tess, [email protected]

‣ McDonald, Brody. (2012). A Cappella Pop: A Complete Guide to A Cappella Singing. Van Nuys, CA:

Alfred Music Publishing Company, Inc.

‣ Schumacker, Alec. (2013). Incorporating Popular Music Into The Choral Classroom (Doctoral

dissertation.) Retrieved from University of Miami Scholarly Repository. (Paper 986)

IT’S EXCITING BECAUSE IT’S NEW. IT FEELS LIKE EXPLORATION… SOMETHING YET TO BE DISCOVERED.

Jackson


Documents

Contemporary A Cappella In The Choral Classroom · A Cappella Pop: A Complete Guide to A Cappella Singing. Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Music Publishing Company, Inc. ‣ Schumacker, Alec