The world of a cappella is filled with aca-blogs!
Which a cappella blog should you follow?
Which a cappella blog should you follow?
Bajigga.com
Formed in 2013 by Simon Riker, this site is the home of a new collegiate a cappella network. Bajigga encourages collegiate groups to post images, group descriptions, membership lists, repertoire, contact information and a full calendar of events. There are also arrangements, videos and other assorted information by various members. While some groups may update their information, most use the site as a basic advertising vehicle, another placeholder, rather than a blog or primary site. Only time will tell if Bajigga grows into an active community. The groundwork has been laid, but there's a long way to go.
ACB A capella Blog
Formed in 2007 by Mike Chin and Mike Scalise. The blog is strongly oriented towards collegiate a cappella. January-May the blog is active. Other months, the blog is much less active. Coverage of ICCA events is a major focus. Highly recommended for collegiate singers.
A cappella 101
Like the name implies, this is an educational, "how-to blog". Begun in 2011, this blog is thorough, exhaustively researched, and probably should have been named "a cappella, the missing manual". Perfect for students, competing groups or anyone looking to up their aca-game. This isn't really the best place for a cappella in the news, aca gossip or youtube clips, but the entries do promise practical, real-world advice from experts. Lots of useful legal information, but the most quoted article: Liner Notes.
A cappella News
A cappella News is sponsored by Primarily A cappella and Singers.com and all are run by ex-pat, John Neal, owner of the Harmony Sweepstakes. The blog leans light on philosophy and heavy on interesting multimedia links and news bites, often from other sources. Though the site is composed almost entirely of other sites' stories, John shows a seasoned sense of what makes for a compelling entry. This is a spot for both happenings and overlooked gems.
AcaTribe
New York attorney, Dave Bernstein, Esq. describes himself as "far from being an active participant in the a cappella community" though he is a judge for the CARAs, a former aca-singer and a self-described "avid a cappella fan". More regularly updated than most acablogs, Acatribe is not often a source for insider information, but instead, a positive energy blog that helps groups, studios and festivals better promote themselves. The opinions of aca-luminaries are warmly reiterated and love for the House Jacks, the Beelzebubs, Voca People and other familiar names are all in full force. He can always pen a solid sentence and with the addition of video links, Acatribe shares a love affair with most things CASA, CAL, SingStrong, Sing-Off and a cappella generally.
Rarely, some dubious or vague concepts do make their way onto Acatribe: Bernstein informs the reader that being a professional a cappella group means constant unpaid concerts "without any promise of financial reward." (It does?) And though Bernstein admits this financially risky lifestyle was "too intimidating" for him when he considered it, he nonetheless urges that "It is now time for more groups ... to make that commitment and take their chances." (Why? How?) Also, rightly or wrongly, some readers may expect Acatribe to address legal issues, since the blog is written by an attorney. Those readers will need to look elsewhere, as discussion of legal issues is almost entirely absent from this blog.
Acatribe's most personal post? An honest and insightful jab at the excess of Christmas a cappella. Most useful post? The a cappella festival listing, created with Florian Stadtler. Overall, an enjoyable, uplifting voice to help support a cappella.
CASA: The Contemporary A cappella Society of America
CASA is a charity dedicated to a cappella music. As a service to the community, in the early 2000s, they began to host several a cappella-related blogs. These blogs were once exclusive, but are now largely open to any who wish to partake. As a result, they also now vary greatly in focus, quality and frequency. Some are priceless; some are mindless. New blogs do often make it to the front page of the site and many bloggers post both at CASA and at their "real" blogs making CASA a combination of original material and aggregation.
Vocal Blog
One of the best sources of International a cappella happenings. The blog is written by two of Europe's a cappella illuminati: Florian Stadler, an a cappella producer of live events with his company SpielPlanVier based in Germany, and Clare Wheeler of the Swingle Singers, a world renown, grammy winning vocal jazz ensemble based in London. Light-hearted and globe trotting, this blog is always a positive read.
5th Judge
Begun in 2008, this blog's focus is on televised vocals -both a cappella and accompanied. Founder, Warren Bloom often posts colorfully strong opinions about a cappella, but thankfully, after more than a decade of ICCA judging and more than two decades of contemporary a cappella singing, this music educator has the goods to back it up. When Glee's Warblers made a mostly lip-synced appearance on the Today Show, Warren wrote, "... things start to go even further South. And by "things", I suppose I mean Criss's lead alone, because, again, no one else is actually singing...lame lyrics "so gangster, I'm so thug" sound even lamer with Criss trying his hardest to fight the limitations of his own vocal cords... And the Models continue to phone it in in the movement department, which is the bland icing on this rapidly collapsing cake." Readers should expect long, stream-of-consciousness blogs and long breaks between entries (2010 averaged 1 blog every 3 months), but then again, writing this lively is worth the wait.
A cappella Psych
Founder, Matt Caruso works with Caroline Andrews, Kyle Fox, and Nicholas Wright to offer multiple paid a cappella services such as production, management, coaching and arrangements. Their blog serves to promote the business, but also to discuss a cappella, generally. As a result, the entries vary enormously in quality and usefulness, roughly falling into three very different styles: substantive, promotional and casual:
Only time will tell which category will come to define A cappella Psych.
Acalosophy
Founder, Lauren Barriero goes by the nickname LoLo. She's the former director of the Florida State University AcaBelles, founder of the multi-state girl group, Musae, and producer for The Vocal Company. Since Jan of 2011 she's used this background to focus her blog on singing technique, performance and other a cappella-related topics.
Human-feedback
Robert Dietz is a singer, songwriter, a cappella arranger, choral composer, music critic, vocal percussionist and sound editor. His blog accurately describes itself as "what I’m doing, commentary on a cappella/general music stuff, and links to neat things my friends are up to." Dietz' credits include work on "The Sing-Off", "Glee" and a non-a cappella performance project with singer Nate Tao called "Take 1". He has won awards for both his HS work and his collegiate work with Ithacapella. Fans of Dietz's work will enjoy his promotional project updates. Those purchasing his services may find discounts, and one may even stumble upon other opportunities like his free commissions program. More negatively, the general commentary postings are better appreciated, not as logical positions, since they frequently lack supportive facts and research, but as a simple window into one talented and creative person's thoughts. Dietz nonetheless displays both self-awareness and humility, noting "this writing is a small town guy sticking his toe into the vast ocean [...] I’m not a great swimmer, so it won’t be a regular occurrence."
ACAfeed The Acappella feed
This isn't a blog, but rather an a cappella news aggregator. Created by studio wizard and microphone inventor, Freddie Feldman, this site collects almost all mentions of a cappella in the known universe. The only drawback for those interested in aca-blogs is that the site is automated rather than curated. Everything makes it in -every twitter comment, every youtube post, every forum post. Nothing is excluded, no matter how trivial or unrelated to real a cappella interests, so long as the right keywords are there.
The Real Community Blog
Although titled "blog" this section of the The Real Group/Real Academy/Real Community site, created in 2011, is closer to a forum in which various users can upload posts and other users can comment on them. Some posts are touching, some are mere advertising. The page won't give you a singular viewpoint, but when founder, Peder Karlsson writes, it's always a good read.
AcaGEEKS blog
Brent and Lindsey Chismark, co-founders of Midwest CAL group "Two Weeks Notice" began this blog as an outgrowth of their desire to keep their own group members in the aca-loop. Their mission statement says they focus on "why we should care", rather than just on what's going on. But given the extremely short post length and the ubiquitous linking to outside sites, you are more likely to find news or links with a cherry of opinion on top rather than multiple scoops of in-depth analysis. Still, that may just be the perfect balance for those with packed schedules or short attention spans!
My-Acafication blog
Singer, Jeston Lewis uses this blog to document his personal journey to explore a cappella. Though major aca-links abound, there is still a highly personal nature to this blog. It's hard not to feel a warmth for a writer who posts blogs with comments like these:
The A cappella Records Blog
Begun by Chris Crawford and friends in 2009, A cappella Records has focused their business on taking masters (recorded a cappella tracks of various groups) and then licensing and digitally distributing them to some 400 retailers including iTunes, Amazon and Rhapsody. This blog tells the stories of this company's featured groups, tracks and general happenings. Yes, it is a mouthpiece for music sales, but at the same time, these guys do a good job keeping things down to Earth and decidedly non-sleazy.
Voice Only Blog
Founder, Heather Clancy shares her a cappella experiences with her Sweet Adeline's quartet, "Escape Quartet"and her Sweet Adeline's choir, "The Harmony Celebration Chorus of Ridgewood, N.J." Her blogs are short and of a personal, diary-like nature, shared with honesty and charm.
Mouth-Off Articles
Quiet since Q1 of 2012, Mouth Off was a free podcast featuring Dave Brown and Christopher Diaz. They do also sometimes write down their thoughts in article form. Both of these hosts are witty, fun, positive and very knowledgable. Rumors of a return abound, but new marriages and world tours are keeping these hosts pretty busy for now.
Postyr Blog
Sometimes a cappella group, sometimes vocal-oriented band, Postyr is an award-winning ensemble based in Denmark. This blog, written by members of the band, follows Postyr's journey as they deal with everything from exciting tour schedules to frightening car accidents, to the ins and outs of using looping technology while still keeping heart in the music. Sometimes personal, sometimes educational, this is a Postyr fan's best opportunity to stay in touch with a group that is pushing boundaries with their original approach to music.
AcaPolitics
AcaPolitics is a fictional book by Stephen Harrison about the fierce and funny rivalry between a cappella groups (11/2011 release on Aftermath Press). The blog hosts the first 5 chapters of the book, a Q+A with the author and fan quotes. Harrison promises to tweet coverage of collegiate a cappella, but this blog exists primarily to promote the book. Thankfully, this is a book well worth the a cappella community's attention. Some authors write about a cappella from the outside looking in, but Harrison's real life a cappella experiences at Washington University imbue his writing with authenticity. Sentences like "Collegiate a cappella isn’t glee club,” said Taylor, perhaps too firmly." will resonate with anyone who's truly experienced collegiate a cappella. So while this might not be the blog to follow on a regular basis, it sure looks like a book worth buying.
Euphonism Blog
This DC-based mixed a cappella group started blogging in June of 2011. Whether discussing the difficulties of losing a bandmate and trying to hold auditions, the unsolved mystery of why new studio monitors don't sound right, or the happiness of a bonding weekend, the members of Euphonism share stories we can all relate to. Personal, but ultimately lighthearted, this band blog provides their fans revealing glimpses that ought to leave readers smiling: "...to challenge me, the group thought maybe I could do more fierce female songs so Madonna was the ultimate choice. ”Papa Don’t Preach” and “Open Your Heart” .... I gave it a whirl. Literally, Charlie got in my face and told me I needed more grit. Grit. Only my shower has seen that."
Snowday Blog
Begun in June 2011, Snowday keeps fans in the loop with this lighthearted blog. As Snowday and Euphonism share some common membership, fans of either should likely be fans of both. That holds true for the blogs as well as the singing. Amanda Aldag and Charlie Friday are entertaining bloggers, and fans of these individuals will find their take on Snowday happenings, why "chicken" is not the musical genre born in barbershops, and how to lay low at a 40th birthday. And don't be surprised if Jeeves Murphy makes a contribution as the A cappella Embassy blogger now sings with Snowday, as well.
The Rachel Papers
Rachel Bowie describes her blog as "a cappella geek to magazine chic" but this blog leans toward the latter. There are some a cappella blogs here, but readers will be more likely to enjoy a wealth of commentary on New York City's hottest trends.
1000 Voices A cappella Blog
This blog is entirely focused on the Christian worship music of a single musical worship event. Included are religious thoughts as well as tips about drinking sufficient water before the big weekend of worship and singing. Probably not what general a cappella fans were looking for.
Thomas J West Blog
Short blogs that occasion upon a cappella, but frequently stay within the realms of music education and technology.
Alliance for A cappella Initiatives, The Blog
This blog is largely abandoned. Its last entry dates from 2008.
Tonic Sol-Fa Blog
It's all about the midwest based a cappella band, Tonic Sol-fa, direct from the guys in the group.
Vocal Line Blog
Vocal Line is a cutting edge choral force of nature. Under the gifted hand of conductor Jens Johansen, not only have they redefined rhythmic choral music in Denmark, but they have set a standard which has been an inspiration throughout Europe. They host the biannual AAVF festival, one of the world's largest vocal festivals, won a host of awards including SingStrong's ACA-Idol in the US, and toured with the likes of Bobby McFerrin, performing some of his most challenging material. This is a group well worth traveling great distances and paying great sums to hear. But the "singers blog" itself may have a more narrow appeal than the group. Updated about every two months, postings are light-hearted, uniformly positive musings on successful performances. Put another way, the group performs with stunning dynamics, but they tend to write at mezzo piano. But even this critique may be based in differing cultural norms. The Danish, and in particular these Danes, are as nice as they come! Of course that's how they blog!
A cappella Embassy
Jeeves Murphy formed a personal blog called "ImJeeves" in 2010. In 2011 he ported his blog entries over to AcaEmbassy. This new blog is intended as a collaboration between the CASA Ambassadors of Maryland, DC, and Virginia "to promote active involvement in the a cappella scene." To help create this new site, Jeeves declared in his blog that he would "remove [himself] from the center of attention." That change may come, but currently, all articles are written by Jeeves and all are from his unique perspective. That's not a bad thing! In fact, it is the very charm of this blog. Examples:
Yes, it's about a cappella. But it's just as much about this individual and his journey. Jeeves straddles the world of "fanboy" (his own words) and semi-professional, commenting on recording, concerts and happenings in a very personal and emotional way. Only time will reveal the shape of the new A cappella Embassy, but it would surely be diminished without the sweet "fanboy" who shared his tears with us.
SNC Quarter Notes
Begun June 2011, and published quarterly, "SNC Quarter Notes" is an online Straight No Chaser fan magazine. This isn't SNC's official blog, but rather a 40-page collection of anything and everything that Shaina Eng and her staff of 9 dedicated fans think other fans might want: favorite SNC twitter posts, birthdays, weddings and births in the members' families, articles like "How has SNC Inspired You?", photos, still frames from videos, dining choices near SNC performances, and even SNC-themed games. While this doesn't have much for the fan of a cappella generally, that's not really the target market. The writing is aimed at regular folks who just can't get enough of SNC.
A cappella Sounds Blog
This blog purports to focus on Singapore's a cappella scene, though there isn't much here. The blog is more focused on listing groups and concert dates of related groups than on analysis or discussion.
Pitch Perfect: The Quest for A cappella Glory
Founder Mickey Rapkin uses this blog to bring attention to his book/movie of the same title. The blog primarily focuses on efforts to tie a cappella to famous and quasi-famous individuals. If a non-singing athlete was off-handedly compared to an a cappella singer by a sportscaster, this is the blog most likely to cover it.
A cappella Music For All
This blog drew the attention of record companies whose works were allegedly being infringed. This resulted in the near complete removal of all materials. Most of the songs were then presumably compiled by the author on Amazon and presented to the the blog's fans for purchase.
DMX Blog
DMX is a company that assists in creating branding experiences through music, image and even scent, but for some reason they also have several a cappella blog posts like "A cappella Singing is Fun to Learn". I wouldn't expect too much a cappella coverage from this company, but they do still have about half a dozen old a cappella articles up.
Formed in 2013 by Simon Riker, this site is the home of a new collegiate a cappella network. Bajigga encourages collegiate groups to post images, group descriptions, membership lists, repertoire, contact information and a full calendar of events. There are also arrangements, videos and other assorted information by various members. While some groups may update their information, most use the site as a basic advertising vehicle, another placeholder, rather than a blog or primary site. Only time will tell if Bajigga grows into an active community. The groundwork has been laid, but there's a long way to go.
ACB A capella Blog
Formed in 2007 by Mike Chin and Mike Scalise. The blog is strongly oriented towards collegiate a cappella. January-May the blog is active. Other months, the blog is much less active. Coverage of ICCA events is a major focus. Highly recommended for collegiate singers.
A cappella 101
Like the name implies, this is an educational, "how-to blog". Begun in 2011, this blog is thorough, exhaustively researched, and probably should have been named "a cappella, the missing manual". Perfect for students, competing groups or anyone looking to up their aca-game. This isn't really the best place for a cappella in the news, aca gossip or youtube clips, but the entries do promise practical, real-world advice from experts. Lots of useful legal information, but the most quoted article: Liner Notes.
A cappella News
A cappella News is sponsored by Primarily A cappella and Singers.com and all are run by ex-pat, John Neal, owner of the Harmony Sweepstakes. The blog leans light on philosophy and heavy on interesting multimedia links and news bites, often from other sources. Though the site is composed almost entirely of other sites' stories, John shows a seasoned sense of what makes for a compelling entry. This is a spot for both happenings and overlooked gems.
AcaTribe
New York attorney, Dave Bernstein, Esq. describes himself as "far from being an active participant in the a cappella community" though he is a judge for the CARAs, a former aca-singer and a self-described "avid a cappella fan". More regularly updated than most acablogs, Acatribe is not often a source for insider information, but instead, a positive energy blog that helps groups, studios and festivals better promote themselves. The opinions of aca-luminaries are warmly reiterated and love for the House Jacks, the Beelzebubs, Voca People and other familiar names are all in full force. He can always pen a solid sentence and with the addition of video links, Acatribe shares a love affair with most things CASA, CAL, SingStrong, Sing-Off and a cappella generally.
Rarely, some dubious or vague concepts do make their way onto Acatribe: Bernstein informs the reader that being a professional a cappella group means constant unpaid concerts "without any promise of financial reward." (It does?) And though Bernstein admits this financially risky lifestyle was "too intimidating" for him when he considered it, he nonetheless urges that "It is now time for more groups ... to make that commitment and take their chances." (Why? How?) Also, rightly or wrongly, some readers may expect Acatribe to address legal issues, since the blog is written by an attorney. Those readers will need to look elsewhere, as discussion of legal issues is almost entirely absent from this blog.
Acatribe's most personal post? An honest and insightful jab at the excess of Christmas a cappella. Most useful post? The a cappella festival listing, created with Florian Stadtler. Overall, an enjoyable, uplifting voice to help support a cappella.
CASA: The Contemporary A cappella Society of America
CASA is a charity dedicated to a cappella music. As a service to the community, in the early 2000s, they began to host several a cappella-related blogs. These blogs were once exclusive, but are now largely open to any who wish to partake. As a result, they also now vary greatly in focus, quality and frequency. Some are priceless; some are mindless. New blogs do often make it to the front page of the site and many bloggers post both at CASA and at their "real" blogs making CASA a combination of original material and aggregation.
Vocal Blog
One of the best sources of International a cappella happenings. The blog is written by two of Europe's a cappella illuminati: Florian Stadler, an a cappella producer of live events with his company SpielPlanVier based in Germany, and Clare Wheeler of the Swingle Singers, a world renown, grammy winning vocal jazz ensemble based in London. Light-hearted and globe trotting, this blog is always a positive read.
5th Judge
Begun in 2008, this blog's focus is on televised vocals -both a cappella and accompanied. Founder, Warren Bloom often posts colorfully strong opinions about a cappella, but thankfully, after more than a decade of ICCA judging and more than two decades of contemporary a cappella singing, this music educator has the goods to back it up. When Glee's Warblers made a mostly lip-synced appearance on the Today Show, Warren wrote, "... things start to go even further South. And by "things", I suppose I mean Criss's lead alone, because, again, no one else is actually singing...lame lyrics "so gangster, I'm so thug" sound even lamer with Criss trying his hardest to fight the limitations of his own vocal cords... And the Models continue to phone it in in the movement department, which is the bland icing on this rapidly collapsing cake." Readers should expect long, stream-of-consciousness blogs and long breaks between entries (2010 averaged 1 blog every 3 months), but then again, writing this lively is worth the wait.
A cappella Psych
Founder, Matt Caruso works with Caroline Andrews, Kyle Fox, and Nicholas Wright to offer multiple paid a cappella services such as production, management, coaching and arrangements. Their blog serves to promote the business, but also to discuss a cappella, generally. As a result, the entries vary enormously in quality and usefulness, roughly falling into three very different styles: substantive, promotional and casual:
- Practice (substantive) calls on Caruso's psychology expertise to pen a fascinating and incredibly educational piece that breaks down the precise mental processes involved in rehearsal. A must-read!
- Production (promotional) gives readers the hard-sell: "If you’re ready to make your mark on the acaverse look no further than ACappellaPsych!" Not what most readers are looking for.
- Arranging (casual) expresses one CARA judge's disappointment in over "99%" of the collegiate arrangements, because they are either too imitative, or they are different, just to be different. The author urges his solution: don't try to please CARA judges; follow your own vision. The author's opinion is clear, and that may interest some readers. Others may find the advice too vague to be of any practical use.
Only time will tell which category will come to define A cappella Psych.
Acalosophy
Founder, Lauren Barriero goes by the nickname LoLo. She's the former director of the Florida State University AcaBelles, founder of the multi-state girl group, Musae, and producer for The Vocal Company. Since Jan of 2011 she's used this background to focus her blog on singing technique, performance and other a cappella-related topics.
Human-feedback
Robert Dietz is a singer, songwriter, a cappella arranger, choral composer, music critic, vocal percussionist and sound editor. His blog accurately describes itself as "what I’m doing, commentary on a cappella/general music stuff, and links to neat things my friends are up to." Dietz' credits include work on "The Sing-Off", "Glee" and a non-a cappella performance project with singer Nate Tao called "Take 1". He has won awards for both his HS work and his collegiate work with Ithacapella. Fans of Dietz's work will enjoy his promotional project updates. Those purchasing his services may find discounts, and one may even stumble upon other opportunities like his free commissions program. More negatively, the general commentary postings are better appreciated, not as logical positions, since they frequently lack supportive facts and research, but as a simple window into one talented and creative person's thoughts. Dietz nonetheless displays both self-awareness and humility, noting "this writing is a small town guy sticking his toe into the vast ocean [...] I’m not a great swimmer, so it won’t be a regular occurrence."
ACAfeed The Acappella feed
This isn't a blog, but rather an a cappella news aggregator. Created by studio wizard and microphone inventor, Freddie Feldman, this site collects almost all mentions of a cappella in the known universe. The only drawback for those interested in aca-blogs is that the site is automated rather than curated. Everything makes it in -every twitter comment, every youtube post, every forum post. Nothing is excluded, no matter how trivial or unrelated to real a cappella interests, so long as the right keywords are there.
The Real Community Blog
Although titled "blog" this section of the The Real Group/Real Academy/Real Community site, created in 2011, is closer to a forum in which various users can upload posts and other users can comment on them. Some posts are touching, some are mere advertising. The page won't give you a singular viewpoint, but when founder, Peder Karlsson writes, it's always a good read.
AcaGEEKS blog
Brent and Lindsey Chismark, co-founders of Midwest CAL group "Two Weeks Notice" began this blog as an outgrowth of their desire to keep their own group members in the aca-loop. Their mission statement says they focus on "why we should care", rather than just on what's going on. But given the extremely short post length and the ubiquitous linking to outside sites, you are more likely to find news or links with a cherry of opinion on top rather than multiple scoops of in-depth analysis. Still, that may just be the perfect balance for those with packed schedules or short attention spans!
My-Acafication blog
Singer, Jeston Lewis uses this blog to document his personal journey to explore a cappella. Though major aca-links abound, there is still a highly personal nature to this blog. It's hard not to feel a warmth for a writer who posts blogs with comments like these:
- "I feel like all I talk about on this blog is Sonos and the Swingle Singers. Then I think, that’s perfectly fine because they are so darn talented and I’ve seen both of them live."
- "So I'm going to start working on my own work. ... Do YOU want to work with me?"
The A cappella Records Blog
Begun by Chris Crawford and friends in 2009, A cappella Records has focused their business on taking masters (recorded a cappella tracks of various groups) and then licensing and digitally distributing them to some 400 retailers including iTunes, Amazon and Rhapsody. This blog tells the stories of this company's featured groups, tracks and general happenings. Yes, it is a mouthpiece for music sales, but at the same time, these guys do a good job keeping things down to Earth and decidedly non-sleazy.
Voice Only Blog
Founder, Heather Clancy shares her a cappella experiences with her Sweet Adeline's quartet, "Escape Quartet"and her Sweet Adeline's choir, "The Harmony Celebration Chorus of Ridgewood, N.J." Her blogs are short and of a personal, diary-like nature, shared with honesty and charm.
Mouth-Off Articles
Quiet since Q1 of 2012, Mouth Off was a free podcast featuring Dave Brown and Christopher Diaz. They do also sometimes write down their thoughts in article form. Both of these hosts are witty, fun, positive and very knowledgable. Rumors of a return abound, but new marriages and world tours are keeping these hosts pretty busy for now.
Postyr Blog
Sometimes a cappella group, sometimes vocal-oriented band, Postyr is an award-winning ensemble based in Denmark. This blog, written by members of the band, follows Postyr's journey as they deal with everything from exciting tour schedules to frightening car accidents, to the ins and outs of using looping technology while still keeping heart in the music. Sometimes personal, sometimes educational, this is a Postyr fan's best opportunity to stay in touch with a group that is pushing boundaries with their original approach to music.
AcaPolitics
AcaPolitics is a fictional book by Stephen Harrison about the fierce and funny rivalry between a cappella groups (11/2011 release on Aftermath Press). The blog hosts the first 5 chapters of the book, a Q+A with the author and fan quotes. Harrison promises to tweet coverage of collegiate a cappella, but this blog exists primarily to promote the book. Thankfully, this is a book well worth the a cappella community's attention. Some authors write about a cappella from the outside looking in, but Harrison's real life a cappella experiences at Washington University imbue his writing with authenticity. Sentences like "Collegiate a cappella isn’t glee club,” said Taylor, perhaps too firmly." will resonate with anyone who's truly experienced collegiate a cappella. So while this might not be the blog to follow on a regular basis, it sure looks like a book worth buying.
Euphonism Blog
This DC-based mixed a cappella group started blogging in June of 2011. Whether discussing the difficulties of losing a bandmate and trying to hold auditions, the unsolved mystery of why new studio monitors don't sound right, or the happiness of a bonding weekend, the members of Euphonism share stories we can all relate to. Personal, but ultimately lighthearted, this band blog provides their fans revealing glimpses that ought to leave readers smiling: "...to challenge me, the group thought maybe I could do more fierce female songs so Madonna was the ultimate choice. ”Papa Don’t Preach” and “Open Your Heart” .... I gave it a whirl. Literally, Charlie got in my face and told me I needed more grit. Grit. Only my shower has seen that."
Snowday Blog
Begun in June 2011, Snowday keeps fans in the loop with this lighthearted blog. As Snowday and Euphonism share some common membership, fans of either should likely be fans of both. That holds true for the blogs as well as the singing. Amanda Aldag and Charlie Friday are entertaining bloggers, and fans of these individuals will find their take on Snowday happenings, why "chicken" is not the musical genre born in barbershops, and how to lay low at a 40th birthday. And don't be surprised if Jeeves Murphy makes a contribution as the A cappella Embassy blogger now sings with Snowday, as well.
The Rachel Papers
Rachel Bowie describes her blog as "a cappella geek to magazine chic" but this blog leans toward the latter. There are some a cappella blogs here, but readers will be more likely to enjoy a wealth of commentary on New York City's hottest trends.
1000 Voices A cappella Blog
This blog is entirely focused on the Christian worship music of a single musical worship event. Included are religious thoughts as well as tips about drinking sufficient water before the big weekend of worship and singing. Probably not what general a cappella fans were looking for.
Thomas J West Blog
Short blogs that occasion upon a cappella, but frequently stay within the realms of music education and technology.
Alliance for A cappella Initiatives, The Blog
This blog is largely abandoned. Its last entry dates from 2008.
Tonic Sol-Fa Blog
It's all about the midwest based a cappella band, Tonic Sol-fa, direct from the guys in the group.
Vocal Line Blog
Vocal Line is a cutting edge choral force of nature. Under the gifted hand of conductor Jens Johansen, not only have they redefined rhythmic choral music in Denmark, but they have set a standard which has been an inspiration throughout Europe. They host the biannual AAVF festival, one of the world's largest vocal festivals, won a host of awards including SingStrong's ACA-Idol in the US, and toured with the likes of Bobby McFerrin, performing some of his most challenging material. This is a group well worth traveling great distances and paying great sums to hear. But the "singers blog" itself may have a more narrow appeal than the group. Updated about every two months, postings are light-hearted, uniformly positive musings on successful performances. Put another way, the group performs with stunning dynamics, but they tend to write at mezzo piano. But even this critique may be based in differing cultural norms. The Danish, and in particular these Danes, are as nice as they come! Of course that's how they blog!
A cappella Embassy
Jeeves Murphy formed a personal blog called "ImJeeves" in 2010. In 2011 he ported his blog entries over to AcaEmbassy. This new blog is intended as a collaboration between the CASA Ambassadors of Maryland, DC, and Virginia "to promote active involvement in the a cappella scene." To help create this new site, Jeeves declared in his blog that he would "remove [himself] from the center of attention." That change may come, but currently, all articles are written by Jeeves and all are from his unique perspective. That's not a bad thing! In fact, it is the very charm of this blog. Examples:
- "Those students [at SingStrong 2011] reminded me of everything I love about music - the brotherhood, the fellowship, the passion it can exude, the lives it can inspire. I was brought to tears during their performance and I rose to my feet when it was over, along with the rest of the audience."
- "...deep down inside, I am a giddy little school girl meeting Nick Lachey from 98 Degrees."
- "If you want to know the in's and out's of recording, the technology, and all that, you're asking the wrong person! All I know is this - put on the headphones, sing into the mic, and don't clip! Of course, if you'd like to know more, let me know."
Yes, it's about a cappella. But it's just as much about this individual and his journey. Jeeves straddles the world of "fanboy" (his own words) and semi-professional, commenting on recording, concerts and happenings in a very personal and emotional way. Only time will reveal the shape of the new A cappella Embassy, but it would surely be diminished without the sweet "fanboy" who shared his tears with us.
SNC Quarter Notes
Begun June 2011, and published quarterly, "SNC Quarter Notes" is an online Straight No Chaser fan magazine. This isn't SNC's official blog, but rather a 40-page collection of anything and everything that Shaina Eng and her staff of 9 dedicated fans think other fans might want: favorite SNC twitter posts, birthdays, weddings and births in the members' families, articles like "How has SNC Inspired You?", photos, still frames from videos, dining choices near SNC performances, and even SNC-themed games. While this doesn't have much for the fan of a cappella generally, that's not really the target market. The writing is aimed at regular folks who just can't get enough of SNC.
A cappella Sounds Blog
This blog purports to focus on Singapore's a cappella scene, though there isn't much here. The blog is more focused on listing groups and concert dates of related groups than on analysis or discussion.
Pitch Perfect: The Quest for A cappella Glory
Founder Mickey Rapkin uses this blog to bring attention to his book/movie of the same title. The blog primarily focuses on efforts to tie a cappella to famous and quasi-famous individuals. If a non-singing athlete was off-handedly compared to an a cappella singer by a sportscaster, this is the blog most likely to cover it.
A cappella Music For All
This blog drew the attention of record companies whose works were allegedly being infringed. This resulted in the near complete removal of all materials. Most of the songs were then presumably compiled by the author on Amazon and presented to the the blog's fans for purchase.
DMX Blog
DMX is a company that assists in creating branding experiences through music, image and even scent, but for some reason they also have several a cappella blog posts like "A cappella Singing is Fun to Learn". I wouldn't expect too much a cappella coverage from this company, but they do still have about half a dozen old a cappella articles up.
New a cappella blogs get added all the time. We'll add hot aca-blogs as they become available.