* Each ingredient has its strengths, which need to be accentuated, and weaknesses, which should not be foregrounded. If one of your singers is a perfect balladeer but weak on uptempo solos, by all means stick with the ballads.
* Effects, like spices, need to be chosen carefully and balanced. A rich curry is a thing of beauty, but it exists because of a harmonious blend of elements, just as a contemporary a cappella track laden with electronica. If you’re slopping distortion over your vocals in hopes of coming up with some delicious guitars, you might get lucky, but more often you’re just gonna get an overspiced dish.
* Planning a set is like planning a meal. You want your appetizer (or “amuse bouche”) to firmly announce who you are as a chef, yet not scare anyone off. Come back with something inviting early in the meal that will appeal to anyone, and once you’ve established yourself, branch out and take some chances. And as dessert is usually everyone’s favorite course, save your best for last, leaving people with a wonderful lingering flavor, like an acoustic off-mic tune.
* You can learn a lot about cooking and a cappella from reading and watching and taking courses, but there’s nothing like rolling up your sleeves and digging in.
* Once you become experienced enough at a certain dish, you don’t need a recipe; once you become experienced enough within a style of a cappella, you don’t need an arrangement. However, this level of expertise can take a while to achieve, and is far more difficult in some realms (close harmony jazz and baking) whereas pretty easy in others (pasta sauce and doo wop).
* Not everyone likes everything, and that’s OK. Some people don’t eat spicy food or listen to jazz. Others hate bland cuisine and relentless triads. It’s McDonalds for some folks, and French Laundry for others. Decide what kind of food you’re serving up, then don’t feel the need to apologize, and definitely don’t feel the need to appeal to everyone.
* Other people’s food tastes better than the food you’ve cooked yourself, and in the same vein you’ll always hear the errors in your own music far before you’ll hear it in a comparable group’s. Alas, once you start to cook, some of the magic that originally attracted you does indeed fade away, but as you begin to become more proficient, others begin to taste/hear magic in your creations.
* The more you do it, the more it may seem like a chore. Remember the joy that initially brought you into cooking and/or a cappella, and experiment with a new style or cuisine to keep it fresh for yourself. As much as you may think you know, I’m pretty sure you’re not familiar with Burmese cooking or aboriginal Taiwanese a cappella. Both are wonderful, and you can learn something from each to bring back into your staple recipes/arrangements.
* Both food and music can give you, and others, a deep sense of satisfaction.
* And wash your hands often. I know, that sounds a little like “wear sunscreen,” but I guarantee you there’s no better way to keep from spreading germs, which is something you don’t want in food or on your vocal chords.
And this is just the beginning.
What similarities have you noticed between cooking and a cappella?
Click on the wrench in the upper left-hand corner to see what else you can do.