VoiceJam. It's aca-awesome!

 

 

"It's addictive in the best way." - Amanda Cornaglia (Clear Harmonies) 

According to Mickey Rapkin’s nonfiction book Pitch Perfect, a cappella music describes one of the oldest forms of music in existence, “the kind made without any accompaniment at all,” and descended from the tradition of Gregorian chant. Yet, since the release of Pitch Perfect in 2012 - the world has been going crazy over modern a cappella music. The revival of this traditional art form was the inspiration for *VoiceJam,* an exciting 2-day festival produced and hosted by Walton Arts Center featuring vocal celebrities, workshops and a competition for a cappella groups from around the world. 

We had the chance to chat with this year's competitors who will soon battle it out for a chance to compete at VocalAsia in Shanghai, China! Here's what they had to say about their passion for a cappella and its new found popularity...

Q: What differentiates a cappella from other art forms?

Mello Divas:  You have to rely on yourself and each other more than in many other art forms. You have to listen more carefully, you really have to combine lots of technical elements with stage presence. It has to look and sound effortless.

DeltaCappella:  The lack of instruments means there's no "safety net." Singers in an a cappella group have to rely on each other to stay in tune and produce the harmonies and textures in the music.

Clear Harmonies:  It's addictive in the best way. Singing, especially a cappella, is really uplifting. A few hours in rehearsal or in a show can help get through even the worst day. This art form has also cultivated a wonderful community of creative, generous and amazing people. I've found some of my best friends through a cappella. 

Hibernotes:  Every art form is unique in its own way; however, a cappella music is different in that it's all about the sounds made from the mouth and the overall story that is performed. From matching vowels, crescendos, intonation, blend, energy, beat boxing and riffing, a cappella music has so many different challenging aspects. 

Q: How accurate is the movie Pitch Perfect when it comes to the "a cappella world?"

Mello Divas:  Not terribly accurate. People don't just improvise "perfect" arrangements on the spot like in the whole song battle thing.

DeltaCappella:  I'm not sure, my gut feeling is that the movie is like most forms of mass-market entertainment in that it builds characters who represent the extremes, so the drama portrayed in the film can happen, though usually not to such extremes. 

Clear Harmonies:  It definitely captures the essence of collegiate a cappella. The humor, the camarderie, the build-up to a big competition. We just hope people don't see us as "The Tonehangers." We definitely don't sing a cappella to recapture any youthful glory! It was fun to be able to laugh at our community's idiosyncrasies, though. I'm looking forward to seeing how the second movie portrays the international a cappella community. 

Hibernotes:  Pitch Perfect is EXACTLY how the a cappella world is... Just kidding! Pitch Perfect is essentially an overly exaggerated version of what typically happens in our a cappella world. There are always challenges, especially when competition season rolls around, but in the end we all love each other and love what we do. A cappella can be a whole lot of fun and they require a lot of work and dedication too.

Q: Why VoiceJam?

Mello Divas:  Deke Sharon! We thought it would be a great opportunity to learn from the father of a cappella and really high level groups. 

DeltaCappella:  It's rare that a competition is within driving distance of our home in Memphis. When I heard about this event in Fayetteville, I asked all the members to check their calendars to see if they were free, and thankfully, all but one of us is able to be here.

Clear Harmonies:  Both the opportunity to perform for a new audience here in the U.S., as well as the chance to perform in China. I was an Asian Studies major in college, studying Japanese and Mandarin. After college, I spent 4 years living and working in Japan and traveling around Asia. The opportunity to go back to perform and introduce my bandmates to such an amazing place would be a dream come true.

Hibernotes: Back in the fall we received an email about VoiceJam, but kind of pushed it to the side because it seemed too good to be true. Deke Sharon AND a potential trip to China? We definitely thought this competition was out of our league. However, as the spring semester rolled around, we brought the idea back into the picture. We decided to be ambitious and send in a video submission for the heck of it. To our surprise, we unexpectedly got accepted and could not be more thrilled!

 

 

Come show your support for these talented and passionate individuals during Northwest Arkansas' premiere a cappella festival *VoiceJam* April 10-11 at Walton Arts CenterVisit bit.ly/VoiceJam2015 to learn more.

Battle of the Bands

Walton Arts Center's

Battle of the Bands

Thursday, Feb. 26 - Saturday, Feb. 28

Next weekend at Walton Arts Center three musical groups will face off in a Battle of the Bands like you’ve never seen it before! Artists from different decades with significantly different styles will compete in hopes of becoming the best of the best at Walton Arts Center.

Introducing our competitors...

In the first corner, we have Rhonda Vincent and the Rage! One of the most awarded bands in bluegrass, this musical sensation is sure to be a tough competitor. Rhonda Vincent, who was dubbed “The New Queen of Bluegrass” by The Wall Street Journal, is known for having mastered the progressive chord structures and multi-range, fast-paced vocals typical of bluegrass music. With that kind of talent, this band is going to be hard to beat! On Thursday, Feb. 26, see why The Buffalo News says that “Rhonda Vincent is to bluegrass now what Aretha Franklin once was to soul music.” Even the queen of country music, Dolly Parton is a fan! When asked what she thought about the bluegrass superstar, Parton answered with praise:

“Rhonda Vincent. What a talent. What a beauty. What a special human being.”

Our second musical act battling for the crown is The Australian Bee Gees Show. If you like romance, nostalgia, dancing and disco, this is sure to be the group you'll root for! This band pays tribute to four decades of songs written by the Gibb brothers a.k.a. the Bee Gees, including well-known songs like “Staying Alive” and “You Should be Dancing.” On top of that, there's a flashy light show and LED screens that really make you to feel like you’re back in the good ole days... the 70s! Grab your bell-bottoms, get up and boogie down with The Australian Bee Gees Show on Friday, Feb. 27.

And last, but not least, is the most contemporary of our competitors. Prepare to get pitch-slapped on Saturday, Feb. 28 by a sing-along version of “Pitch Perfect,” which tells the story of a group of ladies well-versed in competing in vocal battles. Using their voices to emulate instruments and harmonize contemporary tunes, this a cappella group is full of sass and ready to bring it! By mashing up pop songs we all know and love into something original and cutting edge, these ladies will make you laugh and want to sing-along! Lucky for you, we have the lyrics for you to follow along with on-screen. Grab your BFF and practice your do-re-mi's…’cause it’s going to be a sing-off like no other!

Now that you’ve gotten to know the competitors, you’re going to have to help us choose a winner! It is going to be tough deciding between these talented artists, so get your tickets for next weekend’s shows and decide, once and for all... who will win the Battle of the Bands? 

Tickets to all of these shows are on sale now! Buy tickets here.


 *Please note that this is not truly a Battle of the Bands, but rather a collection of various musical performances that will be held at Walton Arts Center this month. No competition winner will be chosen.