Runaway Train, Never Coming Back

Last week at rehearsal, I made the following declaration:

“This group is a runaway train. You can either stay on for the ride, or get off.”

For as long as I’ve been singing a cappella, I knew that this statement, which I honestly had not planned in advance to say, was the most truthful thing I had ever said in an a cappella rehearsal.

I said it because I felt I had to be honest with the other members of the group. A cappella, for me, is not a hobby, nor is it a fascination. It is an obsession, one that drives me to dedicate my life to the art form. Through my years of college, grad school, and doctoral candidacy, I knew that the only form of music I wanted to hear when I got up out of bed in the morning was anything a cappella.

And so I made this declarative statement to both inspire and warn, and I say it to you now for the same purpose: I will do whatever is necessary to advance the art form. I will not stop pursuing new ideas and trying new techniques. I will not lay back and go on vacation, just because it’s the summer. I will not let anyone in the group, or anyone outside the group hold me back from moving forward. It wasn’t the group that was the runaway train, it was me.

Did that statement ring true with you or did you think I was a bit harsh? Well, the jagged truth is that the people you see becoming the names you know are runaway trains. They are in pursuit of the grand prize, while others are happy with the participation trophy. I certainly haven’t won any grand prize yet, nor will I anytime soon, but my eye is on the proverbial prize and the train is always headed in that direction.

With the summer looming and the school year gone, maybe it is time to ask yourself the tougher questions: Do you believe in the runaway train, or would you prefer the train didn’t exist? Does everyone in your group share your beliefs? Why, exactly, are you in this group? When you ask yourself the questions that only you can answer, and then you lie to yourself about what those answers are, that is what causes the drama and the controversy. With so much happening in a cappella today, and the exponential growth that seems too big to control right now, you have to adapt or move aside.

In other words, a cappella is a runaway train. You can stay on for the ride, or get off.

Marc Silverberg

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Living Up To Standards

Did you know that the National Association for Music Education (or NAfME) has written nine national educational standards for music?

If you are a music educator or future music educator, the answer to this question should be “Yes, duh.” But that’s kind of rude, so thank you for being a jerk. Jerk.

If you aren’t a music educator, then the answer is probably a resounding “no” and will most likely be followed by “and I don’t care.” Which is also really rude.

So far, you and I are not off to a good start. But I’ll forgive you.

A cappella music can satisfy EVERY one of these nine standards. The next time someone questions why you would ever want to teach a cappella music or how a cappella music could ever be considered “educational,” hit them with this “truth-bomb.”

Standard 1- Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

Umm…yeah. This is pretty easy. Let’s move on…

Standard 2- Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

So this one is more difficult, as “a cappella” tends to mean singing WITHOUT instruments. But more and more a cappella groups are breaking away from the constraints of a cappella. Jazz group Groove For Thought uses a piano. European group Postyr Project uses a drum machine. Techno group ARORA loops everything with Ableton Live. Ladysmith Black Mambazo has used African drums in the past. Just because you want to stay primarily a cappella doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate an instrument every now and then.

Standard 3- Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.

I have written countless articles about the need for more vocal improvisation. Read this for some ideas:

http://acappellaquest.blogspot.com/2012/03/warm-ups-are-always-picked-la...

Standard 4- Composing and arranging music within specific guidelines.

A cappella music is all about arranging. Try challenging your composers with these guidelines:
1- Arrange a song you’ve never heard before
2- Arrange a classical sonata
3- Turn a familiar song into something totally unfamiliar and new

Standard 5- Reading and notating music.

Can your students sight-read music? Can your students transcribe music by ear? Can your students recognize chord progressions hidden within a full, 9-part arrangement? Chances are, the answer is no, so this requirement has a long way to go.

Standard 6- Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.

Compare and contrast several a cappella covers of the same song. Watch and compare different performances by the same group and determine whether they are improving or losing steam. Determine if an a cappella recording has too much cosmetic work done to it, and describe why or why not.

Standard 7- Evaluating music and music performances.

This is a great opportunity to see live a cappella performances. (Field trip!) Does a group that you have listened to several times on iTunes match the same quality live on stage? Could your group perform that song better? How?

Standard 8- Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.

While not very a cappella specific, this is one of the most overlooked standards. Sure, it’s easy (or easier) to compare music with art or drama, but how do you use music to teach science? How do you use music to teach European history?

It is important to understand, and stress to your students, that music has permeated its way into every subject, from all angles. Music was a part of history and culture and in America, became one of the most prominent characters in social change. Music can be sung in any language and about any topic. Music is made up of frequencies that rely on physics and the overtone series. Music is interpreted by several parts of the ear and the brain. Music is constructed logically using mathematical formulas where the ratio of one pitch to the next determines the octave or interval.

Because so much of a cappella is currently “popular” music, a cappella arrangements can be used as historical references to past and current climates. A cappella singing requires vocal pedagogy which requires an understanding of human biology. A cappella singing requires musicians to pay attention to the overtone series and can go flat in specific acoustical spaces.

Standard 9- Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

As stated above, music’s role in history cannot be overstated. Music was at the forefront of change before movies and television existed. Music is one of the best surviving representatives of older centuries. Music described the thoughts and feelings of those who lived in that time. Music is as current today as it ever was and will ever be.

Marc Silverberg

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Solo Survivor

My wife and I are huge fans of Survivor. Not because we enjoy the game play. The show is basically the same every time. We love the yelling. We love the backstabbing. We love watching the smart ones succeed and the dumb ones cry. We love watching the human drama unfold, even if it isn’t totally real.

As much as I love Survivor, I would never apply to be on the show. It’s not the athletic prowess one needs to have which I currently, and probably will always, lack. It’s not being confined to eat rice, fish, and coconuts for 39 days. What keeps me from ever applying to Survivor is the same thing I love watching: The drama.

I love watching the drama, but I hate living it. A cappella groups are, in many ways, like the contestants on Survivor. They must work together to succeed, like the tribe, but deep down, everyone knows that only one can be the star. One person will be the sole survivor and claim a cappella’s top prize: The solo.

Solos can turn a tribe into individuals. Solos can be the cause of drama, especially when you have divas (male and female) in your group, and then they don’t get the solo. Oh man…that’s a nuclear bomb waiting to go off. Solos tend to think of themselves as winning individual immunity. They don’t have to worry about practicing blend or dynamics, because they are separate from the rest of the group.

But that is not what solos are. Solos are integral to the foundation of an arrangement. Even if there was no solo, someone [cough, sopranos, cough] usually has the melody in a vocal arrangement, and we all know that asking an entire section of sopranos to sing the melody of a pop song is a terrible idea, just because of consistency.

Assigning someone a solo cannot be avoided, because the alternative is much worse: [Deep Breath] You try to give multiple people in your group a solo, and then you get to the venue and there’s only one solo mic, so all of you have to share, and the timing of the arrangement means everyone’s first word is always going to be cut off because you have to switch stage positions, and then the audience gets mad because they can’t understand the words anyway, and basically it looks like a free-for-all on stage, so then your group looks unprofessional for doing it this way, when the whole time all you really wanted to do was avoid this particular thing from happening and make everyone happy [runs out of air]

Here are some suggestions for handling your solo:

1) Audition the soloist BEFORE you arrange the song.

This gives everyone a chance to audition, because the key has yet to be set. What if someone can “kill” the solo, but only if it’s down a whole step? In my opinion, you should give it to that person, not the person who can barely squeak out the solo in the original key.

2) Stop, drop, and roll

Stop crying over spilt solo. Drop the issue before it causes drama. Roll with the situation.

3) Have a plan

Are you the group that has one front man? Are you the group that wants to spread the wealth? Guess what, you can’t be both (Or can you?). Everyone in your group needs to understand the group’s philosophy on solos. If you are going to audition for competitions or the Sing-Off, then one soloist is king. If you want to do some freelance gigs or make an album, spread the wealth. If you want to do everything, have a system in place that ensures people know whether or not a solo is up for grabs.

Marc Silverberg

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The Best Albums You've Never Heard, Part 2

Hey you! Did you know there are some fantastic a cappella albums that have eluded your grasp, just because you didn’t come across them in your travels? Here is a list (in no particular order) of the a cappella albums that you should be listening to right now.

(For part 1 of this article, see: http://acappellaquest.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-best-albums-youve-never-heard-part-1.html)

1) GQ by GQ

Why should you listen to this album? Because these girls can SING. I don’t typically listen to Barbershop music in the car, but this album is way beyond mere barbershop. First of all, the barbershop tunes that ARE on this album are so perfect and so vocally amazing, that you can’t help but sit silently, listening to vocal perfection, while drool escapes your mouth. But for the non-barbershopper, there are jazz songs, a Fiona Apple cover, a Scottish folksong, and the crème de la crème, the absolute, most amazing cover of Plain Gold Ring you’ll ever hear in your life- an epic 5-minute multitracked collage of sound.

Tracks you must listen to: Plain Gold Ring, Hot Knife, Put Your Arms Around Me Honey

2) Tintinnabulation by the Virginia Belles

I came across this album while listening to tracks for Voices Only nominations. I’m thrilled that these girls have gotten their fill of credit, with tracks on Voices Only and BOCA. This album is full of finely crafted arrangements, including a beautiful rendition of “Your Song” and a burning rendition of “Rumour Has It.” Give this album your attention, or at least listen to them on the compilations.

Tracks you must listen to: Rumour Has It, Your Song, Fire, Do My Thing

3) Wonders of the World by Five O’Clock Shadow

This is probably a little behind the times, after all this album came out over a decade ago. But the tunes (almost all original) are some of the best a cappella tunes I’ve ever heard. For a whole year in college, this album was one of the only ones I listened to. One of my all time favorite a cappella songs was, and still is “What’s It All About.” Critics of the album claim the songs are too effect heavy, and maybe that’s true, but it doesn’t stop the songs from being incredibly catchy.

Tracks you must listen to: Inside Her Mouth, What’s It All About, Promise You This

4) Rhapsody in Bob by The Bobs

For someone who likes a cappella so much, you’d think my favorite musical piece of all time would be something vocal. But it isn’t. A lifelong Gershwin fan, nothing moves me more than Rhapsody In Blue, and the Bobs took the premise and ran with it. True, it isn’t entirely a cappella (the song has piano accompaniment), but they are the only a cappella group to attempt the entire song, all 17 minutes of it. Love or hate the Bobs, this is an epic feat worth discovering.

Tracks you must listen to: Rhapsody in Blue, I was a Teenage Brain Surgeon

5) Har Ar Passion by Riltons Vanner

This album is a perfect case of why you should never let a foreign language turn you off from listening to something new. I can’t understand a single word in any of these tracks, and I know them all by heart. The music is catchy pop with a little bit of jazz thrown in. It’s a shame the group no longer exists, but this album proves that the time they had was really worth it.

Tracks you must listen to: Har Ar Passion, Folket Fran Ea, Schack Matt

6) Smiley Laughy Happy Facey by Mister Tim

I both love and hate Tim. He produces a comedy a cappella album that basically solidifies him as the Weird Al of a cappella, when really, that’s what I wanted to be, because I love Weird Al, not because I have any looping talent. This album is hilarious. Simple as that.

Tracks you must listen to: We Arr Who We Arr, Hawaii, Baby, Don’t Stop Buh-LEED-in

7) German Verboten by Maybebob

And speaking of hilarious…Maybebop.

Tracks you must listen to: Krautpleasers, Smells Like Teen Spirit

8) Ricochet by Richmond Octaves

Runner-up for the CARA for Best Male Collegiate Album. My very first review was for this album, and I was blown away by the incredible interpretations of songs that I considered to be “overdone” in the a cappella world at the time. Their version of “Too Close” is the only version I’ve heard that actually does the song justice. While I criticized them for their choice of which track goes where on the album, watching them gain notoriety with appearances on several compilations solidifies what I originally thought: This album is phenomenal.

Tracks you must listen to: Never Close Our Eyes, Too Close, Basket Case

9) Rock Paper Shotgun by the Northwestern Undertones

So this is a case of don’t judge an album by its first two songs. I admit, when I heard it, it wasn’t particularly interesting to me, until I got to “Party.” Though I didn’t write the review for CASA,  a friend of mine did, and before he wrote that review, he and I had a long discussion on the merits of the album versus the flaws. He was right and I was wrong- the album, through and through, is well crafted and a lot of fun. After listening to the album umpteen times, my mind was turned.

Tracks you must listen to: Party, Gunpowder and Lead, I’ll be Waiting

10) The Hexachords EP by The UMASS Hexachords

These guys are ahead of the curve- a student run college group made up of only six singers, that took second place at the most recent ICCA semi-finals. Their EP is brilliantly arranged, and really showcases what a small group can do. Their album is available on Loudr.

Tracks you must listen to: Party Song Mashup, Stand By Me

11) Stratosphere by Fundamentally Sound

My friend Lee Stovall is an up-and-coming a cappella arranger with a tremendous amount of talent. . I dare anyone to find an a cappella track that is more powerful and more emotionally heavy than “Killing In The Name.”

Tracks you must listen to: Killing In The Name, I Believe in a Thing Called Love, The Luckiest

BONUS Q&A!

Q: Hey…how come you don’t include albums by popular groups like Pentatonix, Rockapella, Take 6, The Bubs, The Sil’hooettes, etc.

A: Because this post is called “albums you’ve never heard.” As an author, I’m assuming that a cappella fans will know the majority of popular groups by name, and will already own several, if not all, of their albums. Just because they aren’t on this list, doesn’t mean they are unworthy of your attention. By all means, hunt these groups down. They are well-known for a reason.

Q: Can I write you hate mail if I don’t see an album on your list?

A: I’d prefer if you didn’t, but I welcome any suggestions. (Free from profanity) I love listening to new things.

Marc Silverberg

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Hero Worship

I don’t know if you have noticed this trend, but I have noticed that certain pop stars get covered by a cappella groups more than others. For every Lady Gaga cover, two Ben Folds covers appear. For every Titanium, we get two covers of Hide and Seek. Why are a cappella groups drawn to certain artists, who, in the grand scheme of music, are not as popular as the Katy Perrys, One Directions, and Pharrell Williams of the world? Let’s discuss…

1) Ben Folds

Not only is Ben the champion of a cappella promotion (see: Ben Folds Presents: University A cappella!, Sing-Off) but I can understand the musical draw his songs provide. I have been a Ben Folds Five fan since I first heard "Underground" on their self-titled album. His songs are harmonically complex, full of detailed characters with backstories and plots, and his rhythmic piano style lends itself easily to a cappella syllables. Ben seems to be the underground (no pun intended) a cappella superstar-the pop star that every college bound singer can look up to. He is a music theory geek and advocate for music distribution. It’s no wonder that a cappella groups from around the world clamor to cover his songs first and foremost.

Listen to these tracks:
“Don’t change Your Plans” by the Harvard Callbacks- BOCA 2006
“The Luckiest” by VOCES 8
“Effington” by Ben Folds- Ben Folds Presents: University A cappella!
“Gone” by The Duke’s Men- The Chase

2) Sara Barellies

A cappella’s first superstar artist. You can actually hear the premiere of Gravity on BOCA 2004, with Sara singing lead. Sara proves the dream can come true: You can build your musical chops in an a cappella group, and then go on to superstardom. Just like Ben, her piano style lends itself easily to a cappella syllables and her mezzo-like range makes every female in your group fight for the solo. It also doesn’t hurt that she was the breakout judge of the Sing-Off’s longest running season.

Listen to these tracks:
“Winter Song” by Sweet Signatures- BOCA 2013
“Gravity” by UCLA Awaken- BOCA 2004
“King Of Anything” by UCD 6

3) Imogen Heap

The a cappella artist from the UK. Imogen heap is a live looper and multi-track artist…kind of like the first Peter Hollens, but not entirely a cappella. Her a cappella releases, "Hide and Seek" and "Earth," have been covered years after their release. Not only that, but lesser known Imogen Heap songs are appearing more frequently on BOCA and Voices Only compilations. Her driving beats and repetitive background parts are too catchy to resist. It also helps that she commissions a cappella groups to cover her songs and even sing with her on stage.

Listen to these tracks:
“Hide and Seek” by Imogen Heap- Speak For Yourself
“Earth” by Imogen Heap- Ellipse
“First Train Home” by The Bostonians- BOCA 2011

4) F.U.N.

Without rambling on too much about Some Nights, it should be easy to see why this band is the new target for a cappella- The incredibly catchy harmonies, many of which you can improvise, the long narrative stories woven through their music, and the constant and difficult tempo changes that make groups work that much harder. Honestly, it’s fun to sing F.U.N. When their second CD finally premieres, I bet we will see a lot more covers of F.U.N. to come. Oh, and it probably didn’t hurt that Pentatonix covered "We Are Young."

Listen to these tracks:
“We Are Young” by Pentatonix- PTX Vol. 1
“Some Nights/We Are Young” by Straight No Chaser- Under The Influence

5) Michael Jackson

Before you roll your eyes and say “DUH,” let’s delve deeper into this one. Yes, Michael Jackson has always been, and will probably always be the king of pop. Yes, his albums are still among and including, the highest grossing albums of all time. Yes, we can probably sing every one of his number one singles by heart. But shouldn’t that relegate Michael Jackson songs, especially rhythmically driven beats like Billie Jean and Smooth Criminal, to the “Lion-Sleeps-Tonight-Memorial-Pile-of-Overdone-A cappella-Songs?”

In short, no. No offense to Lion Sleeps Tonight, but his songs are WAY better than that. They are iconic, and the more we hear a cappella covers, the more we hear groups either trying to promote their solo as the next Michael Jackson, or trying to cover the song in a way that no one has ever done before. And speaking as someone who has seen a lot of live a cappella, it’s clear that when a group picks a Michael Jackson song, it’s usually because someone can dance like him…which, good or bad, is always entertaining to watch.

Listen to these tracks:
“Smooth Criminal” by FORK- Helsinki
“Billie Jean/Poison” by Straight No Chaser- Six Pack Vol. 2
“Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” by Duwende- Remember: The Music of Michael Jackson

6) Rihanna

The musical draw of Rihanna isn’t hard to determine. Driving beats, simple harmonies, catchy melodies, an accessible singing range- She has all the makings of an a cappella idol.

But lately, groups have been re-imagining her music in completely different ways. Why?

Maybe it is because most of Rihanna’s music contains simple harmonic progressions- simple and repetitive, so there is a lot of room to play with the form. As an arranger, I find that the songs I have the most fun arranging are the ones where the chord progression is so simple that there is room to branch out and try a slew of different things. Maybe it is the fact that most of Rihanna’s music is beat driven, so eliminating that key identification is an exciting opportunity for an arranger, because it challenges them to think of a new interpretation of the music. Or maybe people just like Rihanna. (How could you not?)

Listen to these tracks
“We Found Love” by Voices In Your Head- BOCA 2013
“Diamonds” by Nor’Easters- Equilibrium
“Please Don’t Stop The Music” by Treblemakers- Pitch Perfect: The Soundtrack

Marc Silverberg

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http://www.casa.org/content/quest-cappella-major-hero-worship

The Problem With Rankings

There has been a lot of buzz this week over ranking systems. Wherever you go, whatever you do, someone will find a way to rank your skills, your accomplishments. In our country, filled with Billboard top 100, iTunes top selling singles, and even Letterman’s humorous Top Ten list, our culture is used to ranking one thing above another, and assigning intrinsic value to each rank.

Before we start thinking that rankings are rank, let’s take a moment to examine the purpose, and practical application of rankings.

1) Rankings are only as important as we determine them to be.

A rank is kind of like a collectable item: It’s only as important as we make it. The first comic appearance of Superman goes for millions of dollars because Superman is the ultimate American superhero icon. Even people who aren’t into comic books know who Superman is. The first comic appearance of Electro the Robot is probably worth nothing, since no one knows who that is.

The same goes for ranking websites. The AFI (American Film Institute) ranked "Citizen Kane" as the number one film of all time. I disagree, so does that make them right? Well no, because all rankings are subjective, meaning that they are based on one’s own opinion and not factual data. It just so happens that AFI is a well-respected organization with movie scholars and critics on their panel, so the fact that they made "Citizen Kane" the number one film of all time probably means they had significant cause to do so. But I don’t agree, so right there you cannot state, for a fact, that AFI’s ranking is universally accepted.

2) What's the basis?

First, we need to understand the difference between objective and subjective. Objective means with absolutely no bias. A scoring system that’s completely objective is based on scientific data, determined by proven fact. Subjective is the exact opposite-it is based on opinion.

The ICCA, Harmony Sweepstakes, and all other a cappella competitions, try as they might, are subjective. The ICCA does the best job of determining a point system for each individual aspect of the group’s performance, but still, the score is subjective, based on the opinion of the judge. It is nearly (but not totally) impossible to make any kind of singing competition objective. The Barbershop Society is the closest, with each judge studying the arrangement as the group sings, and marking off points for blend or balance, or whatever else they deem fit.

For a judging system to be completely objective, you would need to score a group on a scale of 100 points, and take a point off for every wrong note, every blend issue, every tempo change performed incorrectly, etc. It’s really hard to do, and too complicated to be accurate. That’s why, when you get judged in a competition, you should keep this in the back of your mind: Your score, your placement, your overall impression is based solely on the opinions of the judges and nothing else, so it is very hard to take it at face value.

And who determines what to be scored and how? Human beings, who are inherently flawed. So if you put too much stake into scoring systems, you are saying that you care way too much what five, completely random people think about you, and that’s just silly.

3) Rankings often contradict each other.

You should never take one ranking system at face value. That is one ranking system, written by one group of people. When you determine whether the ranking system is viable, you need to look at several systems and compare the results.

For example, almost every group that ranks the best movies of all time has “Citizen Kane” as number one, so it’s safe to assume that the majority of movie scholars think this and this decision merits some weight. But television rankings are all very different. One group says "Breaking Bad" is the greatest television show of all time, one says "The Wire," one says the "Simpsons," etc. Who is right? No one. Who should you trust? Whomever you want.

When it comes to competition feedback, I use this method for determining which judge comments are worth looking at, and which are total bunk. Let’s say you just competed in the ICCA and you have five feedback sheets from judges. Use this method to determine how to score your actual performance:

1-If there is a comment that appears on all five judging sheets, take it to heart. Judges don’t compare notes, so if all five judges noticed the same thing, then it is either really good or really bad.

2-If there is a comment on one sheet that is completely contradicted on another sheet, cross both of those comments out and ignore them. If one judge liked your dance move and the other judge hated it, then how exactly are you supposed to react to that? You react by crossing them both out, and ignoring it.

3-If one judge noticed a very specific thing and none of the other judges noticed it, then you have to look at who the judge was, and what kind of background they have. If the judge who once choreographed a Broadway show thinks your dance is too simple, you can probably take that opinion to the bank. If someone like me thought the dance was too simple, you can probably shrug it off.

4) What do you get if you are number 1?

Here’s a fun fact: If you are at the top of any ranking list, if you win the ICCA, if you win Harmony Sweepstakes, guess what prize you get? NOTHING! You get nothing. No record deal. No prize money. No special plaque. You get nothing but the satisfaction of being first. If you get nothing, then why do you care so much that you are on top?

Rankings are subjective. Despite what critics tell you, despite what kinds of formulas they use, they are always subjective unless there is hard data to back it up. So please, take it at face value and don’t let the ranking ruin your day.

Marc Silverberg

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http://www.casa.org/content/quest-cappella-major-problem-rankings

100 Ways to Make a Medley

A student came up to me recently, frustrated with the task of composing an interesting medley, as commissioned by another group. For him, and for everyone else looking to make your medley stand out from the crowd, I offer these helpful suggestions.

[ADDITIONAL NOTE: Clearly, there are areas in this list where I started to run out of ideas. Just ignore those...]

1) Songs from the same decade
2) Songs from the same genre
3) Songs from the same artist
4) Songs from the same composer
5) Songs from the same lyricist
6) Songs from the same show
7) Songs from the same movie
8) Songs from the same television show
9) Songs from the same block of television shows
10) Songs from video games
11) Songs you all love
12) Songs you all hate
13) Songs that, when you put the lyrics together, they tell a story
14) Songs with the same chord progression
15) Songs from commercials
16) Songs from the same region
17) One song covered by multiple artists
18) Songs with the same lyrical topic
19) Songs that have nothing to do with each other in any way
20) Songs where the verse of one song could be better complimented by the chorus of a different song
21) Songs that start with the same melodic interval
22) Songs with the same rhythm
23) Songs that demonstrate how uncreative an artists is, because every song sounds exactly the same
24) Songs performed at a specific concert
25) Songs from the same album
26) Songs that start in different keys, just to demonstrate how good your arranger is at linking them together
27) Songs you can dance to
28) Romantic songs
29) Power ballads
30) Songs with extreme guitar solos
31) Songs that all start with the same word
32) Songs from a specific holiday
33) songs that make you laugh
34) Songs that make you cry
35) Songs that feature one soloist singing with different voices
36) Songs that are popular with Karaoke singers
37) Songs with extremely difficult-to-sing melodies
38) Songs that have never been released
39) Songs that can be looped
40) Songs that change their harmonic progression by adding a different bass line
41) Songs in the same time signature
42) Songs that are typically covered by a cappella groups
43) Songs that are never covered by a cappella groups
44) Songs that someone told you could never be performed by an a cappella group, EVER.
45) Songs that are impossible to cover because you would need a specific instrument to make it authentic, and yet you cover it anyway
46) Songs from a specific license company
47) Songs that tell a story…a story that already has different songs attached to it
48) Songs that progressively get faster
49) Songs that progressively get slower
50) Songs from a specific culture
51) Songs in a different language
52) Songs first sung in English, then covered in different languages
53) Songs made up by weird, unusual sounds
54) Songs that annoy everyone
55) Songs that everyone in the audience knows the words to
56) Songs that describe one person, whether that person is real or fake
57) First song has a soloist, second song has a duet, third song has a trio, etc.
58) Songs chosen entirely at random in advance
59) Songs chosen entirely at random from the audience
60) Songs with very long intros, and you never quite get to the words
61) Songs that won awards
62) Songs that hit #1 on the Billboard or iTunes chart
63) Songs that you are sure no one has ever heard of
64) Original songs
65) Parodies
66) A medley of songs that are linked by a continuous solo countermelody
67) Songs in the style of a fugue
68) Theme and variations
69) Songs in AABA form
70) Songs covered by a specific a cappella group
71) A medley of medleys
72) Songs that allow for humorous dialogue interludes
73) Songs that could only be performed in a specific type of setting
74) Songs that require a specific type of technology
75) Songs that could be used for a Riff-Off
76) Songs that combine styles of music very well
77) Medleys of mash-ups
78) Songs with the same bass line
79) Songs that tie together a video clip
80) Songs with similar choreography
81) Songs that demonstrate unique choreography
82) Songs that could be staged like a play
83) A medley that comes full circle (Song 1-Song 2-Song 3-Song 2-Song 1)
84) A medley of songs, if they were sung by a different artist
85) A day in the life of a particular artist
86) A medley of songs with misheard lyrics
87) A medley of songs with the original lyrics, rhythm, melody, etc.
88) A medley of songs that blatantly stole from other songs
89) A medley of songs that only work with extreme dynamics
90) A medley of songs sung with heavy vibrato
91) A medley of songs sung with no words, just humming
92) A “name that tune” medley
93) A medley where the next song is determined by a roll of the dice or flip of the coin
94) A medley that forces everyone in your group to adopt a new, unfamiliar, personality
95) Songs all covered by a specific a cappella arranger
96) Songs in public domain
97) Songs that are popular at your local school
98) A medley of 100 songs in 3 minutes
99) A medley of songs all sung at exactly the same time
100) A medley of why you hate medleys

Marc Silverberg

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http://www.casa.org/content/quest-cappella-major-100-ways-make-medley