BYU A Cappella Club: A Guide for New Group Directors

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1 1 Jul 2015 Cngratulatins n starting yur new a cappella grup! BYU is quite pssibly hme t mre a cappella grups and singers than any ther university in the cuntry. This is f curse in large part thanks t the many hardwrking and diligent grup directrs. The fllwing dcument shuld help yu get started in yur jurney as grup directr. We have cme up with these three guiding principles t help yur grup succeed, based n ur experience frm past years, and have created this guide based n these principles. The principles are as fllws: 1. Fllw the aims and missin f BYU and BYUSA, including fstering and prviding a place [fr peple with similar interests] t meet, enjy activities, render service, and develp leadership (see 2. Wrk hard t establish a high quality a cappella grup and encurage the develpment f skills and cnfidence s each grup member can becme a better singer, perfrmer, and musician. 3. Seek t establish psitive relatinships bth within yur grup as well as between yur grup and the ther grups & Club leadership. We strive t fllw thse principles urselves as we run the A Cappella Club, and urge yu t fllw them in yur individual grup. Nw, t elabrate Frming yur grup The basics: Decide n what type f grup yu are creating. Will it be all male, all female, r mixed? Hw many members d yu want t have? What style f music will yu sing? It s usually best t chse music frm within genres that yu enjy persnally. What will yu call the grup? Traditinally many grups g fr musical puns, but that is bviusly nt required. (We d suggest yu avid a name that refers t a specific number f singers, since that may change frm semester t semester.) Will yu arrange yur wn music r get written ut sheet music? Mre n that belw. Yu are part f the BYU A Cappella Club; at least we encurage yu t be! We are ne f the lngest running and mst successful clubs n campus. The Club is the vehicle by which a cappella grups can interact with BYU administratin. We als hld events such as scials and a cappella cncerts, and in general can serve as a resurce fr a cappella grups in many ways (examples given belw). The nly requirement t be part f the Club is that at least 2/3 f yur grup members must be BYU students/faculty/staff/ spuses. There are n club dues; we fund club activities such as scials, CD recrdings, etc., primarily thrugh the sale f cncert tickets. The BYU A Cappella Club spnsrs jint auditins at the beginning f each semester fr all f the grups wh wish t participate. If yu d want t participate, let the club fficers knw as sn as pssible. One big advantage f participating in a grup auditin is that yu will get t hear a large number f singers, typically arund Each singer sings a 60 secnd sl and des a range and sight reading check. If yu like a particular singer yu invite them t a callback t get t knw them better, listen t them again, and see if they fit yur visin fr yur grup and have a cmpatible persnality. If a singer gets ffers frm several grups, they can chse which grup they like mst. If yu missed the jint auditins because yur grup was frmed after the start f the

2 2 semester, we can give yu a list f the singers wh were invited t call backs but wh weren t taken in a grup. Cmmunicatin is critical! Get phne numbers and addresses fr all f yur singers. Pass n all f the cntact inf t the club fficers s that we can send club wide annuncements and reach grup members as needed. Cnsider setting up a Facebk page fr yur grup many grups have fund Facebk useful fr grup cmmunicatins, internal grup discussins, annuncing cncerts t friends and family, etc. Have cncrete gals fr yur grup. Hw many sngs d yu want t master in a given semester? D yu want t auditin fr the Jam? D yu want t auditin fr the Best f BYU A Cappella Club CD? Find ut when thse auditins will be held fr the semester. D yu want t schedule ther perfrmances? Grups smetimes d benefit cncerts, accept gig pprtunities, cmpete in the ICCAs, etc. Rehearsals Schedule a regular meeting place fr yur rehearsals. If yu wuld like t reserve a rm n campus, we can list yu as a quasi club fficer n the BYU Clubs website. That will allw yu t schedule rms thrugh Campus Scheduling n the 3 rd flr f the Wilkinsn Center. In recent years, grups have met in the Varsity Theater (Prvcalize), an upstairs rm in the RB (Familiar Ring), a basement rm in the MARB (Attentin), a theater style rm in the JKB (Duly Nted), in an ffice in the ESC (The Staff) and even utdrs in the tunnel by the RB stairs (Grace). All ther things being equal, it can be quite helpful t have a rm with a pian, a cmputer, and a white bard. And when finalizing chregraphy, a mirrr can als be helpful. The mst imprtant thing yu can d with yur new grup is t practice, practice, practice. Finding yur grup s vice is essential and may even take lnger than a single semester. As the directr, yu shuld peridically step aside and listen t the rest f yur grup sing in rder t hear hw things sund as a whle and give feedback t yur singers. And yu shuld prbably als have smene else peridically listen while yu keep singing, s they can help evaluate yu. (That s assuming the directr is als a singer, which is usually but nt always the case.) Als, if yu d like a club fficer t stp by t give feedback, just ask! Make sure every member f yur grup is cmmitted t the rehearsal schedule. Mst grups practice nce r twice a week. Grups can fall apart quickly if members begin missing rehearsals; in fact, this may be the single mst destructive thing t yur grup s dynamic! When yu are auditining singers fr yur grup, yu shuld make it clear what the cmmitment is, and singers shuld be willing t fulfill the cmmitment fr the time they have prmised. If there are situatins f cnsistent tardiness and absentness, discuss as a grup hw they shuld be dealt with; as a last resrt yu can even cnsider the drastic step f replacing individuals. Yu will need t decide n weekly rehearsal times that can fit everyne s schedule. Sme grups already have a time in mind when they invite auditiners t callbacks, and if a singer is unable t rehearse at that time the grup directr might strngly cnsider nt accepting the individual int the grup. If yu d prefer t select peple first and set a time later, then be sure t wrk hard t find rehearsal times that wrk fr everyne. Pr tip: can be very helpful fr this. Als, if additinal rehearsals are needed beynd yur regular schedule (e.g. t prepare fr the A Cappella Jam r anther event), be sure t similarly pick times that everyne can make and give yur grup members plenty f ntice.

3 3 Start rehearsals n time. And use rehearsal time wisely. It is imprtant t find a balance between having fun and getting real wrk dne n yur repertire fr the semester. Have a game plan fr the rehearsal. Decide befrehand what sngs yu want t wrk n and what specific gals yu have fr thse sngs. Start rehearsal by warming up. If yu want t have ne less thing n yur plate, it s nt a bad idea t assign ne f yur grup members t be in charge f warm ups. Encurage yur grup members t practice n their wn s that rehearsal time can be spent getting the grup t jell rather than wrking n individual parts. Distributing sheet music and/r MIDI recrdings f the sngs may be helpful. Yu can use sftware such as MuseScre t allw singers t turn ff/n the ther parts as they listen t/wrk n their wn part. Plug yurself int the greater a cappella cmmunity. In additin t yur friendly club fficers, there are a lt f peple all ver the cuntry wh are willing and able t give yu helpful advice. Fr example, a ggle search fr hw t run an a cappella rehearsal ppped up these websites: Hw T: A 12 Step Prgram fr an Effective Rehearsal, by Ben Bram f The SCal Vcals 12 step prgram effectiverehearsal ben bram scal vcals 21 Tips fr Ruining Yur Rehearsal, by Dave Brwn, frmer CASA president (frmer Vcal Pint singer, funder f Ntewrthy, etc.) Hw T Organize Yur A Cappella Grup Twards Perfectin, by Kim Clark t rganize yur acappella grup twards perfectin/ Music/Arrangements Yu need t decide n the specific pieces yu will sing as early as pssible. Smetimes the grup directr chses; mre typically the grup decides as a whle. Chse apprpriate music that is in line with BYU s standards. Find/create arrangements: many grups create their wn a cappella arrangements, if they have grup members with time/interest/arranging talent. If yu d like t d that but dn t have any experience, the Club fficers can ptentially help ut just ask! Other grups use pre existing arrangements. There are many resurces fr btaining a cappella sheet music. The Club fficers have recently started an arrangement archive f sngs arranged by club members in previus years ask us if yu are interested. Other resurces include: musescre.cm (sheet music sharing) singers.cm (existing cmmercial arrangements) betteracappella.cm (database f a cappella arrangements, mst fr sale) jwpepper.cm (cmmercial music publishing cmpany) musicntes.cm (cmmercial sheet music, mainly nn a cappella) The music directr needs t knw the music backwards and frwards. (The music directr is ften but nt always the grup directr.) Ideally all grup members will be able t learn their music n their wn, but if nt yu will need t be able t help them s the music directr needs t knw all f the parts him/herself. If yu use sheet music, make sure there are n surprises, bad edits, etc. Chse yur slists wisely. Few things will make an a cappella perfrmance stand ut like a dynamic slist, and few things will cause an a cappella perfrmance t crash and burn like a singer whse vice wasn t quite right fr the sl r wh therwise culdn t

4 4 handle it. Dn t hesitate t experiment with different slists fr a given sng s yu can in the end pick the ne wh will really sund the best/be the best fit. Smetimes the needs f the ther parts need t be taken int cnsideratin, as well; fr example if the best slist fr the piece happens t als be the best persn fr anther crucial part, perhaps yu shuld chse a different persn fr the sl in rder t make the sng as a whle sund the best. It s OK fr the same persn t sing sls in multiple sngs; it s als OK t switch the sls arund if yu have multiple capable and interested singers. If yu d have several ptential slists, cnsider writing/selecting arrangements t shw ff specific individuals as slists. And in additin t shwing ff the main slists, it may als be gd in yur arrangements t lk fr brief mments when the ther singers can have mmentary sptlights. (Wh desn t lve a great bass r vcal percussin riff?) Blend, blend, blend. Even thugh the sl is imprtant, it shuldn t be seen as a way t shw ff r stand ut frm the grup. The grup as a whle needs t be chesive. In the same way that the right slist is imprtant, it is als critical that the right singer be given certain parts in the sng if their vice fits thse parts best. Backup parts generally shuldn t use much if any vibrat r the chrds wn t lck; it s OK if the slists use sme (but nt TOO much). And by all means make sure all parts are sung in tune! Be creative. Dn t treat an arrangement as set in stne. Yu always have the freedm t make adjustments and tailr it fr yur grup. Ideas shuld be experimented with and tried. Often the best arrangements and learning experiences cme frm grup members being able t cntribute their ideas t changing, adjusting, and imprving arrangements s always be respectful f the ther grup members pinins. Perfrmances The BYU A Cappella Club spnsrs tw cncerts n campus each semester the A Cappella Jam and the Y Cappella Shwcase. The Jam is by auditin nly, and generally 5 r 6 grups are selected t perfrm alng with Ntewrthy (Fall Semester) and Vcal Pint (Winter Semester). The Shwcase is a nn auditined venue where any/all grups are welcme t perfrm. These tw cncerts are great ways t bring publicity t yur grup as well as the Club as a whle. Please cme t these events, and invite all yur friends t cme, even when yu are nt perfrming yurself! Lk fr ther perfrming pprtunities utside f the Jam and the Shwcase. Try t perfrm ften! This may include singing at grup members ward talent shws r ward prayers, perfrming arund campus such as at The Wall r at BYU s Gt Talent, finding a randm spt utside f the Wilkinsn Center t sing t students passing by during a class break, r seeking ut/accepting paid gigs. Sme grups try t perfrm weekly. Even ding a perfrmance fr just the Club fficers may be useful as it gives yu experience perfrming and we can give yu experienced and knwledgeable feedback. (Just ask!) The mre yu perfrm as a grup, the better yu will sund as a grup and the mre fans yu will gain! If yu set up yur wn perfrmances, be sure t let us knw s that we can help publicize them via e.g. the Club s Facebk page, Dress: many grups have specific clthing they wear t their perfrmances, such as custm t shirts r matching shirts and ties. This can be effective (and a gd way t brand yur grup) but it is nt required. Establishing a legacy

5 5 Sadly, many grups nly last a semester r tw. There are many steps yu can take t avid this fate: As yu pick new grup members, lk fr nes wh can/will stay in the grup multiple years. That way yu ll have multiple singers cming back frm year t year. Cnversely, if all r nearly all f the singers are just in it fr a single year, then there s almst n way the grup will last beynd that year. Create strng bnds f friendship within yur grup. Yu will spend a lt f time with yur grup members thrughut the semester. That time will be spent much mre effectively and will be mre impactful if yu all becme clse friends, and singers will be much mre likely t want t cme back the fllwing year. Anticipate departures. Find ut early n in the semester which grup members plan n staying thrugh the next semester, and in particular which nes will be returning in the Fall after a Winter semester. This will help prevent end f thesemester surprises and will allw yu t plan fr lsses sner. Share leadership with ther grup members in rder t get them invested in the grup. Fr example, give ut assignments and/r have grup members vlunteer t help ut in varius capacities. There shuld always be mre than ne individual helping t run the grup. In this way when ne leader leaves, there will be thers that can cntinue n. Ideally grups will have several members capable and willing t lead the grup if necessary. Als make sure mre than ne persn can arrange (r therwise prcure) music; lss f a sle arranger can als play a factr in a grup s demise. If yu d like help training peple t fill future rles as directr r arranger, we can help (just ask!). Pass the batn if/when yu yurself plan n leaving the grup, pick ne f yur mst cmmitted members f yur grup t take ver. Or have a grup electin if mre than ne persn is interested/capable. Grup members shuld knw the plans fr wh is t take ver in the future well befre the end f a semester. If everyne knws, peple can prepare fr the future and understand that the grup will cntinue. Create an nline presence. Scial media such as Facebk, YuTube, and s frth can help draw fans and create a grup identity which can stand the test f time. Interact with the Club. Try t have at least ne f yur grup members serve as a Club fficer r assistant. We need the help! We re always lking fr peple wh can help run events, manage the website/scial media, prduce the CD, and s frth. Participate in Club activities such as scials and wrkshps. Being part f the whle BYU a cappella cmmunity will help keep singers interested. And we want t help yur grup survive! We can serve as a resurce fr bth yu and the grup directr wh takes ver after yu leave. We can help grw yur fan base by publicizing yur cncerts and vides. Yu shuld als make sure yur grup is listed n ur Club website, Other resurces Here are a number f ther a cappella resurces yu might want t check ut: The Cntemprary A Cappella Sciety, the main a cappella cmmunity and (amng ther things) hme f the CARA awards CASA s Facebk grup, the mst active frum fr discussing a cappella stuff

6 6 A cappella advice by Deke Sharn, directr f the Huse Jacks, the main vcal cach fr The Sing Off series and the Pitch Perfect mvies, and funder f CASA.rg The Recrded A Cappella Review Bard, which reviews a cappella albums Acappella 101, by Jnathan Minkff, Funder and executive prducer f the SingStrng Internatinal A cappella Festival Varsity Vcals, rganizers f the ICCA cmpetitin and the Best f Cllegiate A Cappella albums