CASA - The Contemporary A Capella Society

I just finished choosing tracks for this year's Best of High School A Cappella CD, and one of the most impressive recordings is a song that many of you are familiar with: Insomniac This Billy Pilgrim song was re-imagined by the Virginia Gentlemen over a decade ago, and found its way onto BOCA #2 (1996). Since then, it has become one of the most durable, frequently covered contemporary a cappella standards. Strange, because it lacks the two primary determiners of a cappella longevity: a song that was very successful in multiple versions (such as "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" or "In The Still of the Nite"), and a song that was, in its original recording(s) very vocal. The Billy Pilgrim original is obscure and not memorable. In addition, it doesn't feature a great deal of vocal harmony. Why then has it proven so successful, so memorable, so durable? I have a few theories: * It's a good song. There are many great original tunes that never find much success on the radio, and yet the lyrics, melody and harmony all work together very well. * It's a stellar arrangement. The song manages to capture the guitar's rhythmic intensity and yet remain very pleasingly vocal. * The solo is not high, and as such sounds good in the standard male vocal range. Not all of us are Steve Perry/Robert Plant, and yet the majority of radio hits are written for a screaming high tenor voice (some suppose this is because it can be sung by women as well). * It's not very difficult. Many fantastic tracks have been found on 15 different BOCAs, but they're often extremely complex and challenging (which is part of the reason they're so satisfying to listen to). Insomniac is rich and full, but not complex - a difficult target to hit, and the VG's hit it right in the middle. Those, of course, are merely theories. What do you think? And what other songs do you think have become contemporary a cappella standards, against the odds? (casa.org's comment system is back in operation - dive in, the water's fine!)

I just finished choosing tracks for this year's Best of High School A Cappella CD, and one of the most impressive recordings is a song that many of you are familiar with: Insomniac

This year's Best of High School A Cappella compilation lineup has been announced: 1) Dancing In The Streets - Kettering Fairmont HS Eleventh Hour 2) Insomniac - Glenbrook North HS Ow! 3) Owner of a Lonely Heart - Brentwood Academy Singers 4) She Will Be Loved - Eugene A Cappella All Stars 5) Time After Time - Marblehead HS Jewel Tones 6) If - Jakarta International School Joint Sound 7) I Need You - Washington HS A Slice of Jazz 8) Hands - Cypress Lake Center for the Arts A Cappella 9) Mary - Cherry Hill West Men of Note 10) So Far Away - Maria Carrillo HS Jazz Choir 11) I Wish I'd Met You - North Olmstead HS Special Edition 12) Unwritten- Flint HS Major Minors 13) First Date - Conard HS Vocal Jazz Quintessence 14) I Hope You Dance - Dryden HS Beyond Measure 15) Don't Know Nothin' - Cheyenne Mountain HS Crimson 16) Remember - Hopkins HS Chamber Choir Read more information about BOSHA and its parent organization Varsity Vocals, here.

Congratulations to the 2008 Jonathan A. Minkoff A cappella Award Committee, Freddie Feldman, Diana Preisler, Marty Gasper and Dave Brown.

{mosimage} The East Coast A cappella Summit announces the first stage of its 2008 line up! Vocaldente - Euro-pop a cappella from Hanover, Germany Mauf - Dance/Trance a cappella beatbox band from Austria Six13 - Jewish Rock A cappella from New York Cartoon Johnny - pop and jazz from DC Euphonism - sultry pop a cappella Plus award-winning barbershop, beatbox and more! Blue Jupiter - co-producers of the ECS with CASA -Jazz infused pop-funk a cappella band from New York City, NY, fresh off their fourth tour of Asia Masterclasses from A cappella Producers Freddie Feldman of VOCOMOTION Studios in Evanston, IL Bill Hare of Bill Hare Productions in San Francisco, CA Marty Gasper of 2Dog Creative in New York City And more! Check back soon for more announcements! Tickets are selling fast! Buy yours today! www.casa.org/tickets.