I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM, WE ALL SCREAM FOR A CAPELLA (AND FOR GAVIN CREEL)

At the crossroads of Off-Broadway, a capella, and Gavin Creel, there's plenty of hope.
By David Cotrone (Writer)

I’ve always been a sucker for a good voice, which is why probably why I scour Youtube for more videos of Gavin Creel than I’d like to admit. But there's a reason why his voice makes me, well, ummm, excited. For me, the best voices are the ones that don't give me a choice besides listening. That's why I’m talking a capella groups, bands of singers who cover popular songs without any musical accompaniment. Below are a few gems:

1. "The Only One For Me" by UNC’s Clef Hangers.

 

Is that Anoop Desai? Why yes. In fact, the Anoop Desai. The Noopster. The Noopty Loops. The Granddaddy of Funk. No doubt his voice will melt the Arctic quicker than global warming.

2. "Like A Prayer" by Straight No Chaser.

 

Even more proof of why this is one of the best songs to sing in the shower.

3. "End of Time" by Pentatonix.

 

Enough said.  

Now, unfortunately, some "critics" claim that recent theatre is sort of lackluster, flecked with dirt, and in need of some serious Windex. Well, SUCK ON THIS, NAYSAYERS: just think about recent dares such as In Transit. Off-Broadway in 2010, the musical is set in the subways of New York. Cool? Real cool, as it’s done completely in a capella. (YUP.) 

What I’m saying? Broadway might be going heavy on adaptations and revivals, but you can't forget its beautiful, innovative cousins. That just ain't fair. At any rate, if anyone's got their hands on any What Would Gavin Do? bracelets, please know that I’m willing to pay. Handsomely.  

DAVID COTRONE is from Plymouth, MA. His writing has appeared in The Rumpus, Thought Catalog, Paper Darts, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, and elsewhere. He's the Editor of Used Furniture Review, a literary magazine, and the Moderator of Clamp, a space for thought. www.davidcotrone.com

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Comments

[Loren A. Roberts (guru of multi-hyphenate media)]

Don't forget about all the wonderful barbershop in musical theatre. I sang barbershop in high school, and the first tenor in our high school quartet is still singing barbershop:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkRq7jK64GU

or The Perfect Gentlemen (good friends with the tenor of this quartet too):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAZgQuG1Sdk

Love a capella.

[David Cotrone (Writer)]

These are lovely. Hopefully the art of barbershop makes a resurgence soon, even if it never left.

[Olurotimi]

I've always loved sinnigg. Sang in school and church choirs as a kid, but like so many other things that are great about childhood I somehow forgot just how much sinnigg really meant to me. I'm the guy that always sings in the shower, or while on a long road trip one of those secret singers', I suppose. But to sing with other men? That seemed just a little beyond my comfort' zone.Then came the day when my wife bought me a pair of tickets for my birthday, to see the annual show that this chorus puts on every spring. Aw, nice of her to remember I really liked to hear barbershop, I thought. And then well, much to my amazement I discovered my amazement!What really impressed me most was that it really did seem to be just a bunch of regular guys (like me?) up there and what's more, they seemed to be having a terrific time sinnigg this fabulous four-part harmony stuff! Man, wouldn't it be sweet to be able to be part of that?You have to understand that at that time I was struggling with a lot of career frustration the biggest being too overbooked with overtime. I admit that all this was making me far more irritable and pessimistic than normal, and maybe because of this, my wife (bless her insight) took the initiative and contacted the chorus herself to inquire about membership. Okay, then before I even really knew what happened, I was being driven down to a rehearsal by a very friendly guy (Bruce) where I was generously welcomed by the rest of the guys' and sinnigg right along before the night was through! I was hooked. What happened to cranky ol' me, and my overbooked worklife? Funny, when the right incentive comes along, suddenly you somehow will find the time.And then? I tell everyone that my chorus experience has given me a lot more than improved sinnigg skills. Sure, it's given me a way to also rediscover the joy of a great song, or the soothing recharge' to the spirit that sinnigg always gives. On top of all that, it's given me a whole range of enriching performance experiences and of course, so many wonderful friendships from the other guys, and even other choruses from all over. (It's a VERY social group)Yep. Just to sing with my good friends, at least once a week that turned out to be quite the powerful dose of mojo. It's a performance activity and as such, it can handle 100% of your attention and focus there's an exciting singer's rush about being in the song' that's like nothing else out there.More? Tons. You'll learn about creative collaboration, interpretation, performance (learn some choreography? Me?) and the invaluable lessons of being part of a group's planning and exec. And that's what I love most about this group: it has the courage to believe. It believes in looking at and even trying new ideas, new challenges. New roles and learning new skills. You walk home from a practice or a show planning meeting or a performance believing almost anything is possible with this group. And it usually is.If any of this excites you and you're thinking about checking us out soon, don't hesitate. The most common comment you hear among the guys when we discuss how we got started remains the same: how I wish I had discovered all this sooner!Ready men? To the risers!

[Jungo]

Phoniex online would be a good chicoe. But why not start off at your local community college. Cost are less than a university and most offer online classes that are transferable to us's and cal state schools.References :