CONCERTS
Saturday, August 29
ELEMENTAL HARMONY: House Concert
Plus Special Guests: The Bohemian Soul Rustlers
7:00: FREE FOOD (including first glass of wine free!)
8:00: Showtime
$15 in advance (call 818-903-8194)
$20 at door
$12 for party of 6 or more (in advance)
8839 Nestle Avenue
Northridge, CA 91325
Presented by Text in the City.
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THE PERFECT GENTLEMEN
Sunday, August 30, 7 pm
Old Town Music Hall
140 Richmond Street, El Segundo 90245
Tickets: $20, all seats reserved
(310) 322-2592
www.otmh.org
Saturday, September 12, 8 pm
The Coffee Gallery Backstage
2029 Lake Avenue Altadena 91001
Tickets $20.00
Reservations: (626) 398-7917, www.coffegallery.com
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SO CAL VOCALS of USC
"All Hail" A Cappella Concert
The VoCals and all the other SC groups kick off the new school year:
Labor Day, September 7th, in Bovard Auditorium, 7:00 PM.
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CONGRATULATIONS
to THE BOBS who received the following awards from Just Plain Folks, an organization that the Los Angeles Times
calls “The Grammys of Independent Music.”
BEST A CAPPELLA ALBUM
Get Your Monkey Off My Dog
BEST A CAPPELLA SONG
Disappointment Pants (Greene/Engelhardt)
BEST A CAPPELLA SONG
Come Here Often? (Schumacher)
BEST FEMALE SINGER/SONGWRITER ALBUM
Not Gonna Be Pretty (Amy Engelhardt)
BEST MODERN ROCK SONG
Like Me (Amy Engelhardt)
The JPF Awards Ceremony will be held in Nashville on 8/29/09
www.justplainfolks.org
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AUDITIONS
VP needed: Just formed group with the working name of "Sono" is looking for man/woman/thing with a talent for spitting in rhythm. We are just starting out so we're focused on performing, not making bucket loads of $$$, so you'll want to keep your day jobs for now. Preferred someone has solid skills and no other current performing obligations. Contact if interested:http://www.wearesono.com
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*AUDITORY YUM* Now forming in South Orange County: *Auditory Yum,* a medium-sized mixed a cappella group singing for fun, paid and unpaid gigs. We'll also form a quartet with multiple stand-in singers for each position. We sing a cappella jazz, blues, pop, R& B, barbershop and whatever turns on multiple members. Please email some details about
yourself, including: previous singing/performing experience; what you'd like to achieve with the group; which rehearsal evenings are optimal/impossible for you; other things you'd like us to know: SumKindaYum@socalsings.com
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WESTSIDE VOICES
Are you a mature alto or soprano who enjoys singing a variety of music? Westside Voices (westsidevoices.com) is a top-quality 12 voice a-cappella group, which rehearses Monday nights on the Westside. If you would like to sing challenging music with a group of great musicians, and have a lot of fun, call Harris at (310) 822-9067
SOCAL VOCALS Fall 2009 Auditions
Tuesday and Wednesday, September 8th and 9th, from 6:30 to 11 PM in Taper Hall (THH). Candidates should be prepared to sing a verse and a chorus of a solo song (any genre is accepted; pop/rock is encouraged) that highlights their vocal talent, and also some scales and vocalization that will be facilitated by the VoCals. Auditions are fun and laid back, so be yourself! Hope to see you there!
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PODCAST CORNER
Miss hearing music live? You can still hear it for free. recommended by Joel Levitz:
The Acapodcast
A Cappella Originals
A Cappella U
American A Cappella
Mouth Off
The Voice Box
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SPEAKING OF A CAPPELLA
Yeah, it’s been a long time since I started publishing this newsletter for all the a cappella directors and fans in So Cal, and I hardly ever inject my own “stuff.” But this summer I had two fabulous a cappella experiences that weren’t with my own beloved students at Windward School, and I just thought I’d write ‘em up. Both took place in July at Esalen Institute, in Big Sur CA.
On July 3-5, I took a workshop on vocal improvisation with David Worm of Oakland-based SOVOSO, Bobby McFerrin’s Voicestra, Circlesinging.net., and many other musical endeavors. Dave brought along his partner in their two-man band, GLASS HOUSE, instrumentalist Mark Vickness (not an cappella duo, but VERY soulful and moving). In the workshop, we improvised for hours in a lovely yurt with the sound of the crashing waves in the background, excellent workshops in vocal percussion, including a long section on Latin rhythms and instruments. We even got to perform one of Glass House's original tunes for a big happy crowd of Independence Day revelers. FUN. Anyone can come next summer, just go to the Esalen Institute website:http://www.esalen.org/workshops. And check out Glass House (glasshousemusic) on You Tube and ITunes.
Also an excellent a cappella opportunity at Esalen, Dr.Ysaye Barnwell, founder and director of SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK, the African-American women’s quintet based in Washington D.C. but traveling worldwide to bring the sounds of the African diaspora to fans everywhere. Dr. Barnwell was in residence for a 6-day workshop on “Creating a Vocal Community.” Workshop participants gave a concert for about 200 of us in an even larger yurt, with the fabulous Dr. B lining out great heart-lifting tunes for over two hours. I was astonished -- she had an unrehearsed community joining her well-rehearsed workshop group (almost all amateurs but some glorious voices among them) in 3-4-5-6 part harmony in a most efficient and joyful manner. Yes, we made a joyful noise! Join me next summer at Esalen, if you like music in these styles, if you like to sing under the stars in beautiful hot tubs, enjoy a massage or a walk through organic gardens during ample free time – it’s a vacation designed for the singer within each of us. And Dr. Barnwell has just published the 2nd volume of her excellent songbook Singing In the African American Tradition, with CD’s. Check it out: http://www.homespuntapes.com/shop/product.aspx?ID=1526
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The next newsletter will go out on Wednesday, September 2, 2009.
Please send your news, updates, gigs, rants, and raves to socalcasa@earthlink.net
Your Southern California CASA ambassadors
Dane Hutchins: dlhutchins@SoCalSings.com
Betsy Hanger: socalcasa@earthlink.net
SoCalCASA website: http://welcome.to/SoCalCASA
Published by: socalcasa@earthlink.net
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