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June marks the one-year anniversary of the A Cappella Originals podcast brought to you by CASA.org mi casa es su casa. The July podcast will feature all sorts of one-year (“the toothpaste anniversary”) features… special notes from former hosts and contributors to the podcast, highlights from the past year, and special music written just for this podcast! Not to mention amazing music from great a cappella songwriters. Also in July’s podcast: The first edition of A cappella Summer Movie Views, details about the new A Cappella Originals songwriting competition, and cool new narration and bumper spots from the talented Diana Priesler! Yay, nice sounding female voice!
We have mourned you, songwriting tips
Sorry about not including songwriting tips in last podcast… I assume someone noticed it was mentioned and not included, and was possibly disappointed. I edited it out at the last minute for purposes of time. Meanwhile, the rest of you need to start paying attention - you also missed a special appearance by Slappy, the USA Chess Team Mascot.
A Short Opinion: Innovation or Regurgitation?
Where does contemporary a cappella stand, creatively, in the music world?
Is there really any innovation?
What about groups that sing great arrangements of other people’s songs – isn’t that still leftovers?
Singing covers of generic pop songs… leftovers of leftovers? Regurgitations of leftovers?
Singing the best of what’s on the radio right now – trendy regurgitation?
I was listening the other night to a college a cappella group fill the resonant atrium of the campus student union with exciting strains of ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ (it’s 2007!!!!!!!!!!!)… REGURGITATION OF ANCIENT LEFTOVERS??!?!?!
I’m a choir guy – I direct choirs, sing in choirs, write music for choirs. I think Bach rules. I could sing Bruckner all day. Madrigals and part songs make me do the happy dance. To me, the beauty of the choral art is that it preserves the finest music from ages past, written for vocal ensembles by master composers who know how to draw out amazing stuff from the voice, while still exploring new horizons (Eric Whitacre, anybody?). Singers get to experience great music and social fellowship, present fine programs, and learn about art from the past.
Is that what contemporary a cappella is doing? Preserving, museum-like, the great music of the past several decades? And if that’s true, does that mean that Mr. Roboto, Brown-Eyed Girl, Don’t Worry, Be Happy, Zombie Jamboree, Kyrie Eleison (the Mr. Mister version, not one of the zillions of versions for church services), Stand By Me, and You Can Call Me Al are the finest songs we have to offer from the last forty years?
Or is contemporary a cappella like jazz, where the art is in the re-interpreting of, putting a unique spin on, standard tunes?
Discuss.
You can reach Mister Tim at tim at moosebutter dot com
If you would like your music to be featured on the A Cappella Originals podcast it must be in the CASA A Cappella Originals mp3 library. For information on donating your recordings to the CASA A Cappella Originals mp3 library email podcast@casa.org or phone: 415-358-8067
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