Look everyone – I know I'm biased. I'm a high school director with CDs to sell. Still, I'll say it: buy a high school CD today.

There are a lot of reasons you should buy a high school CD. Here's a few:

• Some of them are actually pretty good
• Even if they aren't so good, you can hear what NOT to do
• Just by hearing anything new, you could get an idea: “I forgot about that song! That arrangement isn't great, but the one I do for my group will be.”
• They are good ear training: listening to both flawless AND very flawed recordings keeps your ears fresh. Directors: if the CD is great, it's an inspiration. If it isn't, consider it a rehearsal training ground.

Now for the best reason ever to buy a high school CD. Today.

• It supports the future of a cappella

If you're in a college group now, who's coming to your school next year? Someone in high school now. They are the ticket-buyers, the future-auditionees, the CD-purchasers. They are the future of a cappella. They are getting started and getting excited.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Yes, I want to sell more CDs for my own group. Sure – if you want to buy an Eleventh Hour CD, I'll not say nay. That's not the point. Buy any high school CD, or buy several. Buy a track apiece of every group you see on acaTunes.com. Just take a chance on the young'uns.

Most of us know the hard work and sacrifice it takes to make a CD, but in the high school arena, common problems are more exaggerated. High school kids don't have their own money, really... so if they can't raise enough, they have to ask Mom & Dad. Once the CD is made, they have less ability to travel, more constraints on their schedules. This means less ways to sell. Their product isn't quite as good, so there's less selling power there, too.

I talk with a lot of directors, and I know first-hand that there are more high school groups forming each year. Many of them are getting off the ground and have talked with me about recording. They are scared to jump in.

So here I am – the middleman. I'm trying to make some connections here, folks. If high school groups look around and see that their product can sell, just enough to break even, they'll record. That means:

• More a cappella singers who have some recording time under their belts
• More a cappella geeks
• More awareness about a cappella in the community of that school
• More singers coming up through the a cappella pipeline
• More a cappella goodness for everyone

You love America? Buy American. You love a cappella? Buy a high school CD. It'll make you feel good in so many ways.

About the author:
Brody McDonald is the Director of Choirs at Kettering Fairmont High School. Fairmont’s ensembles have appeared at OMEA conference (2003, 2005, 2007, 2008) and consistently receive the highest ratings at state-level adjudicated events. Fairmont’s concert choirs have been featured performers on university and church artist’s series, have performed with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, and have shared the stage with artists ranging from The Texas Boys’ Choir to Kenny Rogers. Fairmont's pop/a cappella group Eleventh Hour has sung backup for Kenny Loggins, opened for LeAnn Rimes and The Beach Boys, and has been selected to perform at the American Choral Director's Association Central Division Conference in 2010. Eleventh Hour has numerous studio CDs, have appeared on BOHSA 2008, 2009 and SING V, and won CARA awards for Best High School Album and Best High School Song. Eleventh Hour recordings are available for download at www.acatunes.com

[photo: Kettering Fairmont's Eleventh Hour]