And it's likely the winner here will win the finals.

A bold statement, you say?

Let's look at the history:

2007 - BYU Noteworthy - Won
2006 - BYU Vocal Point - Won
2005 - U Oregon Divisi - 2nd place (and some argue they actually won if not for a judging snafu)
2004 - BYU Vocal Point - Didn't travel to the finals, so their replacement Mt. Sac Fermata Nowhere went and placed 2nd
2003 - U Oregon On the Rocks - 2nd place
2002 - BYU Vocal Point - Didn't travel to the finals, and their replacement On the Rocks took 3rd
2001 - UC Berkeley Golden Overtones - 2nd place
2000 - UC Berkeley Men's Octet - Won
1998 - UC Berkeley Men's Octet - Won
1997 - Stanford Talisman - Won
1996 - Stanford Fleet Street Singers - perhaps 2nd or 3rd place? (not sure)

(note: for religious reasons, BYU Vocal Point had to abdicate twice and let the second place group go in their place as they couldn't compete on a Sunday. Many think they would have won the finals at least once if they'd gone).

This track record is unmatched anywhere else in the country.

Granted, 11 years is perhaps not a large enough sampling size to have long-term statistical significance, and yet there does seem to be something in the West Coast water that results in such ICCA dominance. But what is it?

Honestly, I don't know.

* West Coast a cappella groups are few and far between, which at first would seem to be a hinderance, but when you consider the fact that the groups don't have many other colleges to visit on road trips each weekend, they have more time to focus on the ICCAs. A weak argument, frankly, as more performing usually makes a group better.

* West Coast groups are younger, and as such have the ability to focus on a more contemporary sound and ICCA-focused performance style. Perhaps true, but tradition is usually the best indicator for a group's excellence year after year, as an established tradition at a school, a solid alumni organization and reliable fan base all play a big role in an a cappella group's success.

* Many of the dominant East Coast groups don't compete. This has some significance, as many of the nation's best-known and longest-standing a cappella groups never enter the ICCAs. However, there are more a cappella groups in the East than anywhere else, so other groups should (and do) step up in significant numbers. Plus, the South and Midwest are on equal footing with the West when compared to New England.

* West Coast colleges tend to have fewer groups, which results in a larger student population to a cappella singer ratio. Some East Coast colleges have over 10 groups, which results in fewer singers at auditions, and a talent pool that's more thinly spread. Yet again the South and Midwest are on equal footing, so this doesn't seem to argue for the West.

It's not the weather (the colder it gets, the more people stay indoors, which you think would result in more rehearsal time!), it's not the schools themselves (New England schools tend to be more helpful to their a cappella groups, as the tradition is longstanding. Western colleges do not nurture their groups the same way), it's not the style (the internet has more or less eroded regional differences, with plenty of cross-pollination happening throughout the community), it's not the students (every school has students from all over the country, and all around the world).

So... what is it? Thoughts?

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http://web.archive.org/web/19961031084205/www.casa.org/index.html

Many great memories are triggered by this page, as well as some perspective:

* The ICCA's were only the NCCAs and had just had their first finals in Carnegie Hall.

* BOCA was brand new.

* The first CASA songbook had just been published.

* There was only one A Cappella Summit (what we now call the West Coast Summit)

* The a cappella newsgroup (rec.music.a-cappella) was in full effect.

A stroll through the directory, list of web links or recording archives provides a good snapshot of the size of the community at that time.

And if you want to get a good sense of the scope and perspective of the a cappella community a decade ago, take a stroll through the 6 part FAQ.

There are also some enjoyable interviews and concert reviews in the "reading room"

By the way, the width of the logo and bars at the top of the page was the width of a web browser screen back in those days.

If you remember those days, take a look-see, and perhaps post a couple memories below. We've come a long way, baby!

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Well, there is plenty you'll learn about mic technique and nuance down the road. But this isn't the time for that. First things first: you have to learn how to use your mic in the most basic sense.

You've watched Mariah Carey and Scott Leonard, so you know how to use it, right? Not so fast.

Let's assume you have something simple, like a Shure SM58. A simple, basic dynamic microphone. Good choice. Essentially indestructible.

First of all, for most voices it's best to be about an inch or maybe two from the mic. Six inches is a bit too much unless you're screaming.

Have the your group's "upper" voices (everyone other than the bass or second altos) sing into their mic and see where the sound essentially disappears. You never want to have your mic that far from your mouth, and you don't want to have it almost that far away except in the most extreme circumstances. Pulling away from the mic on a high note is really only a matter of a couple inches.

Now's a good time to do a little personality test: what kind of person are you? Bold and brassy, or shy and retiring? There's a good chance your personality will be reflected in your mic technique. The members of your group need to adjust for this: louder voices back off a bit, quieter voices be careful not to slowly disappear. Go down the line, singer by singer, and nudge each in the right direction for a unified sound.

Exceptions to the "inch or two from the mic" rule?

* Basses, who should have it right up on their mouths, for the proximity effect (a low end boost that occurs when you're right next to the mic). Have all of your singers try this - see how the low end gets a bump - and make sure everyone hears how they don't want this unbalanced EQ on their voice, as it almost always makes them sound muddy. And realize that you can't swallow the mic when you're too quiet, as it will effect the tone of your voice - make sure the base level on all of the channels is up high enough that you can sing quietly and still be heard.

Conversely, the basses should remember toback off the mic when they're not being basses (e.g group unison passages, or when they're singing lyrics in their upper register).

*Vocal Percussionists, who will need to place the mic above/below/aside their mouth, based on where the puff of air comes blasting out for their snare sound (I'm guessing that none of your newbie mic users use the mic to get a kick sound with a blast of air - that requires experience with a microphone). Mic placement is everything for a vocal percussionist, as it can make the difference between windy/messy and clean/crisp.

Watch out for the common VPist practice of surrounding the mic with his or her hand. It doesn't give a great sound so much as limits the frequencies, and flirts annoyingly with feedback issues. Guys do it because they see rappers do it and think it looks cool, but for sound it's not often a boon. Some experienced singers disagree, so my suggestion is for you to hold the mic properly until you know that you really do want the sound of a cupped mic.

The first question everyone will ask once they have a general sense of how to hold the mic is should they mix themselves while they sing? The answer is Yess, to some extent, but know that the shy ones will initially quickly mix themselves out of the sonic picture. 90% of the time the mic should be in the same place for everyone, with minor adjustments when needed.

What about waving your mic around dramatically while you sing? Don't do it. Looks stupid, sounds stupid.

Once you get your singers pretty set, spend a little time at the board - setting a mid-level baseline for each mic and getting the singer to find an appropriate mic placement and singing level (the mic shouldn't alter how they sing, but it will, so they need to all know and fight the urge to sing differently), and then use subtle occasional fader moves when necessary. Hopefully only really needed when someone moves on/off lead or VP, which means the only fader nudges should happen between songs (exception: feedback! Run and grab that as soon as it happens!). This allows you to use your basic sound system without a sound man, when needed.

And, more importantly, when you do have a sound man, most of the time their hands will be off the board. Which means you will have to mix yourselves. Which is fine. It takes a little time to learn, but it's time well spent as you can't very well perform for a stadium full of people without microphones.

What? You think I'm joking about a stadium?!? Well, then, you haven't yet performed the National Anthem before a ball game (and perhaps a couple other songs before or in the middle of the game). And you should! A couple rehearsals and perhaps a performance on your mics and you'll be ready for the thronging masses...

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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!)

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I didn't know Awaken A Cappella from UCLA, and I'd certainly never heard of her. But the first moments of "Gravity" had me hooked.

And it was an original. By a college student. Her.

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My latest favorites are Duwende. Why?

1) They're performing all original music. This alone is enough to launch them to the top of my list, as original music is an essential part of the future of contemporary a cappella. We need to be more than cover bands. And Duwende is much, much more having released yet another album of all-original pop music. Sure, they might get more gigs performing cover tunes, but instead they stay true to themselves and make their own music. And it's great.

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This year's median quality level has taken a significant step upward, with perhaps 85% of the albums having been carefully tracked and produced. Gone are the days of "stereo pair in the chapel, two times through each song, pick your favorites" recordings, which I always likened to yearbook photos. People now are using digital technology wisely, often on their own, and then making sure it's well mixed (often with a professional engineer). The result is that most collegiate a cappella albums this year are solid.

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I've got a whopper for you all: the best American a cappella group you've never heard of.

They're called Mosaic, and they've somehow "bubbled under" the a cappella community's consciousness while performing for hundreds of thousands of fans across North America annually.

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Cut to scene where he’s attempting a version of “These Eyes” by the Guess Who (not an easy song by any measure) with the rest of the guys all trying desperately to sing background parts.

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Twenty years ago there were almost no professional groups, so regardless what decisions the members would make, they were likely forging new ground. In fact, the simple decision to be a professional a cappella group was novel enough.

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Wait, what’s that? You don’t have 3 months of vacation? Well, neither do I.

Luckily, although you’re not free to take an extended trip, with the right tunes you can take a world-trip to the sunniest locations, thanks to recordings by some of the best a cappella groups from around the world.

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In our director’s discussions, the topic of choosing a name came up, and in hopes of this information being interesting to others starting groups, here are some thoughts on the most important considerations when choosing a name for your soon-to-be a cappella ensemble.

Your name should be:

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What group? Oh, you know them. You just don’t think of them as an a cappella group...

“Do, a deer, a female deer...”

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Perhaps 5 of them start or join professional groups. That’s a tenth of a percent.

And another unknown percentage find other singing opportunities. Perhaps a local church choir or symphony chorus.

But there’s no question: the vast majority of them are not involved in anything that approximates their collegiate sound and experience.

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So, in no particular order, here are some of the best of 2006:

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Jerry Lawson swore off a cappella after 35+ years with the Persuasions, and a couple years later he’s in the studio recording an a cappella solo album while touring with a new group of backing singers. Andrew Chaikin leaves the House Jacks for new horizons, and before long he’s back touring his live-looping a cappella solo act as Kid Beyond.

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An a cappella group gets assaulted, and like many people in this community I’m thoroughly shocked.

Not because a bunch of 19 year olds got in a fight, or even assaulted another group. Mob mentality makes almost anything possible.

Not because the police department hasn’t pressed charges. Police corruption? Someone call the LAPD!

I’m shocked that so many of the comments posted on blogs and web sites show that there are people out there who appear genuinely glad these students were jumped, that they somehow deserved it.

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First of all, allow me to be the first on casa.org to congratulate Jonathan Minkoff on his reappointment to the role of CASA President. I enjoyed being President again last year but don’t have the indefatigable focus I once did, so I’m glad to have Jonathan take the reigns. 

He has a number of excellent ideas to help take CASA and the a cappella community to the next level, and I’ll be right there, standing in the shadows as Vice President, happy to soak up any credit that flows downhill.

Secondly, I finally decided on a name for this column: “<insert pun here>.” I think it says it all. 

Now, to the article...

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Yes, that’s right. People shy away from drawing generalizations about individuals based on their race, religion or sex, largely because they just don’t prove to be true. Not so with one particular voice part, who after 15 years of working with literally hundreds of a cappella singers I find to be remarkably predictable.

That’s right. I’m talking about basses.

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All these requests for money can be a bit overwhelming, as there are so many projects in the world that need funding, and only so much money any of us have. So, in lieu of asking you, our faithful CASA.org readers, to give money this year, the following is a list of other things you can do to spread a little harmony during the holidays.

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Back story: The House Jacks just found a new bass: Antonio Medrano (Troy’s heading to NYC. Future trivia question: “What a cappella group lost two consecutive members to lead roles on Broadway?”)

The following is an email I wrote to Tone to explain what he’ll need for an upcoming 3 week tour to Europe...

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Nonetheless, I have a column due, so my mush and drool will now be your mush and drool 

Legal disclaimer: these thoughts are random, and as such no guarantee of interesting or cohesive writing is warranted in the words below. In addition, it should be noted that if I mention a track here, it does not equate to of inclusion in BOCA, as I reserve the right to change my mind and love something I hated or vice versa, and Don’s opinions have yet to be factored in.

So, without further ado, in no particular order:

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Every year I’m asked exactly how we decide which 18 songs to put on BOCA. Fact is, there’s no single equation, and the process of narrowing from 2,500 or so potential songs is not an easy one. 

Whereas though there’s no single guaranteed formula, I can tell you a few of the important factors in our decision:

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