Short of the Week

I just watched a short of the week called "Intrusion" by Jake Michel. This short documentary was a live-action filming of a home invasion. This film was made to inform people of human nature. The film starts out with a man talking to the camera saying that there is someone in the house, and that he is going to go downstairs to check it out. It is very dark in the house so you can't see very much going on. What you can see is that the door to the house is open and things are knocked over so it appears as though someone really did break in. The man then grabs a knife to protect himself and shuts off the light to his camera as we watch a man walk out of the bathroom. What we find out is shocking, the man in the bathroom lives in the house along with three other people, and the man holding the camera is in fact the intruder. I would say this was a an okay documentary because all though it did keep me on the edge of my seat the entire time and was very action pact, there was very little talking so I didn't quite pick up on the information the author was trying to get through.

Interview

I interview Ron Wilber, a member of the AcoUstiKats. I asked him a series of questions about his experiences, the questions and answers are listed below. 

1. When did you start singing?

I've been singing since I can remember. My mother said I came out the WOMB wailing, but I think my first solo was in church at age 3!

2. What made you want to be in an A Cappella group?
There's something so natural and earnest about acapella. No instruments, no tracks; just you and your gift working to create something magical. That's what making music is all about.

3. What was your favorite event that you have preformed at, and why?

Oh, man. I have enjoyed so many different performances and experiences; of course, I'll have to default and say that The Sing-Off takes the cake.

4. Does everyone get along in the group?

DUH! We're like brothers; we fight like brothers, but we also work and have fun like brothers. Our differences are what join is together.

5. What is your favorite song that you have been able to perform?
Oh, man. Another HARD question.

As a classically trained musician, I've had the opportunity to song various types of music from all over the globe; I think thT the program that I put together for my senior recital was one of my all-time favorite performing moments. So much great music; ranging in all different languages! It was an eye-opening experience.

6. Are you a Theatre Major?

I am a double major in Music Education and Vocal Performance.

7. Who do you look up to most in the group?

You are just HITTING ME with all the hard answers. I love so many different things about everyone in the group. It's hard to chose and point out one single thing about an individual.

8. What have you learned most from being in a group such as this one?
That preparedness and teamwork will take you VERY far.

9. What was it like preforming on the Sing-Off?
Indescribable. Take you favorite ice cream, pair it with your favorite cake or pie; then imagine yourself eating those things in your favorite outfit on the most beautiful place in the world? Then add a puppy and great music; multiply it by infinity. Those feels equal how amazing it was to be on the show.

10. What is the biggest difference between choir, and A Cappella?

Definitely the style of music and genre. Choir can usual be more academic; while acapella can reach a current day mass of people. Of course, there are exceptions to the rules, but this is pretty true to form!

11. Do you like the movie Pitch Perfect? Does it compare to actual collegiate A Cappella?

Yes! All the scenes in the movie happen in various places around collegiate campuses, but it's QUITE true to form!

12. Is there one person in the group who is kind of the person in charge or is it a group effort entirely?
We all have our various jobs, roles, and tasks in the group. We all work together and that builds us up as a group.

13. Who picks what songs you preform?
Again, something we all discuss and agree on! Nick is our arranger; I am the Musical Director.

14. What are your plans after graduation in relation to the AcoUstiKats?
Well, I'm still singing with them and plan to stay as long as the group is thriving!

15. Do the AcoUstiKats have any big events coming up?

We are opening for The Sing-Off's Season 4 winners, Home Free, Saturday in Henderson, KY!

16. What do you like to do outside of A Cappella?

Teach, cook, read! The normals.

17. What is it like being on stage in front of thousands?
I always get nervous, but it's an exhilarate feeling; getting to share my gift with those who are willing to listen! I am so grateful!

18. If you could go back in time, would you change anything about your experiences?

I would take more pictures. No changes!

My interview with Ron went amazing, he is such a fun, out going person as you can tell from some of his answers. I think the AcoUstiKats are very lucky to have him as a member of their group.

The Right Notes

I found an article on insidehighered.com called "The Right Notes" by Alexandre Tilsley. 

This article discusses the movie Pitch Perfect and the culture of A Cappella. A cappella has been growing in popularity since the debut of "Glee" three years ago, and collegiate a cappella gained recognition on NBC’s "The Sing Off," a competition show that made several college groups famous nationwide. For actual collegiate a cappella singers, parts of the film Pitch Perfect ring true, though they insist the a cappella world is not quite as political as it’s sometimes made out to be. They have rehearsals, and gigs yes, but its not as glamorous as the movie portrays it to be. They take what they do verst seriously and put all the effort they have into their practices. The movie also gives off the impression that male a cappella groups are more talented than female a cappella groups, but this is not true but female groups do have a tougher time gaining popularity due to the fact that most of the audience are females, and they would much rather watch males preform. 

Using this article as well as others to guide my interview, I plan on asking Ron Wilber (member of the AcoUstiKats) what he thinks about the movie Pitch Perfect and how true to a cappella he thinks the film is. Also in the article it talks about female groups not being as popular as male groups, i want to know Ron's point on this, and why he thinks this might be true. In my documentary i think it would be good to compare this film and the thoughts of a cappella members to show how much of it is actually real and how much of it is acting. 

The What, Why, and How of Young Adult Male Choirs

I found an article on Academic Search Complete called " The What, Why, and How of Young Adult Male Choirs." This article is written by Jefferson Johnson, who is the director of choral activities at the University of Kentucky.

Johnson talks mainly about the motivation these guys have and the talent it takes to perfectly sync their voices with one another. Being the director, Johnson has a direct impact on how the choir operates. To help motivate the singers, they have multiple strategies to help them warm up. Once the choir experiences a perfect sounding four part harmony, they are hooked. Johnson has had a lifetime of experience directing choirs and knows how the male voice works. After male singers have completed the voice change phase of their development (puberty), they share a set of common traits for the rest of their lives. This is usually determined from the ages of 16 to 60.

This article is a good one to have in my documentary, because it gives you the inside knowledge of a choir directors role in the lives of the males who are apart of the group. I can use this information in my interview with Ron Wilber as well because now that i know of the warm up strategies they have i can ask him how they help with getting him ready to perform, and if they take the information Jefferson Johnson teaches them in their choir, and put it towards the AcoUstiKats.

AcoUstiKats

 I found a video on Youtube of the AcoUstiKats very first performance on the Sign-Off. They are singing "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q-N79ilXTI.

In this video the members of the AcoUstiKats are not only preforming, but also being interviewed about being in the group and life as an AcoUstiKat really is. The men in this group take so much pride in being apart of something this special. Not only a band, but a brother hood is what these guys are. They are known as the AcoUstifrat around University of Kentucky's campus. This group loves spending time together, at the end of the day all thats important, is being a family according to one member. Members of the group talk about the many privileges of being in this band, including getting to sing to multiple beautiful women on campus. The guys love the fact that girls like boys that can sing, they say its an added bonus. The AcoUstiKats feel as if the music program at the university doesn't get as much recognition as it deserves, and this is because of the love of basketball here at the college. But, after watching their performance on the Sing-Off, America will know Kentucky for the AcoUstiKats.

The audience, and judges reaction the the AcoUstiKats performance was amazing. The judges feedback was all positive, and the entire crowd was cheering them on. The AcoUstiKats went on to beat out another group and move on to the next week on the Sing-Off.

Contemporary A Cappella as a Show Choir Alternative

I found an article on Academic Search Complete called "Contemporary A Cappella as a Show Choir Alternative"

 This article talks about how a cappella groups have grown over the past twenty years, and how tv shows like the sing-off, and glee have helped this style of choir be introduced to large crowds. The uprising of a cappella groups in High Schools and colleges has caused a conflict as to if this more modern music should replace traditional choir. Heidi Welch, a High school music director has provided a list of reasons why a cappella should be and alternative for choir. "Contemporary a cappella music depends on listening and trust", says Welch. CAC groups also have a programming flexibility that other ensembles may not be able to manage. A school CAC group can be extremely rewarding for teachers and students alike. "I have such a close relationship with my singers," Welch says. "Leading a CAC group is definitely different from directing a show choir. Although the music may be more challenging, there are fewer extra considerations". 

This article really made me think of a cappella groups and how until now I really didn't know much about them. I don't really know the difference between a cappella and traditional choir, but to know that there is a conflict going on right now about whether changes should be made really shocks me because i didn't know it was such a huge deal. When I interview a member of the AcoUstiKats i think I will ask them about their experience with both a cappella and traditional choir. Which one they prefer, and if they think a cappella should be an alternative for choir. 

Accafellows

I found an article on Academic Search Complete called "The Accafellows: Expolring the music making and the culture of a collegiate a cappella ensemble."

This article talks about a case studies that were done at a University on an all male a cappella group. The study that was done consisted of recordings of group interviews, rehearsals, and performance observations. All of this research that was collected, revealed five themes. Music- making culture, fraternity, alumni involvement, leadership, and value of participation are all characteristics that are taught to these band members through a cappella. Although such positive results were found over the past twenty years few researchers have studied these self governed, student-run music ensembles, despite the growth in numbers, and popularity. 

By reading this article I have found more topics, and questions to bring up in my interview. I plan to ask about the bond that these guys have, or find out if they are strictly a music group. Also I want to know about the alumni involvement. I'm curious as to if when the group made the decision to go on a tv show if they had the emotional and financial support of alumni, or did they have to raise money themselves. As for value of participation, I would hope that everyone one on the team is dedicated to the group, but I'm going to ask if there is one person on the team that puts in more effort than the others, or if there is one person who is the "leader".