How to be Aca-Awesome
Deke Sharon
Contemporary A Cappella has become internationally known, boosting choral enrollment in scholastic and adult ensembles around the world, thanks to movies like Pitch Perfect and television shows like The Sing Off (NBC). We’ll discuss what makes this style of music different, how it originated and fits in a historical context with other forms of a cappella, what vocal techniques are brought to bear, how to teach and direct this style, how to use your voice as an instrument, and an opportunity for questions.Â
During the masterclass:
- Style & Practice
- History
- Vocal Techniques
- Best Educational PracticesÂ
- Vocal Instrumental Sounds
Meet Your Professor
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“The father of contemporary a cappella" - Entertainment Weekly
“The genius behind Pitch Perfect” - BBC
“A one man a cappella revolution" - Boston Globe
“Deke Sharon makes a cappella cool again" – NPR
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On camera and/or directing/producing behind the scenes:
- Pitch Perfect 1, 2, 3 (Universal)
- Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin (Peacock)
- The Sing Off (NBC) (+Netherlands, China, South Africa)
- Pitch Battle (BBC One)
- Pitch Slapped (Lifetime)
- Best in Snow (Disney+)
Deke Sharon has been performing professionally since the age of 8. As a child he toured North America and shared the stage performing in operas with the likes of Pavarotti. Heralded as “The Father of Contemporary A Cappella” this performer, arranger, music producer, author, producer and coach is responsible for the current sound of modern a cappella.  While at college, he pioneered the dense vocal-instrumental sound that we today take for granted as the sound of contemporary a cappella and has spent his life since then performing and popularizing it.
He has arranged thousands of songs, produced dozens of award-winning albums, and written seven books. He was the vocal orchestrater and a producer of the first a cappella musical on Broadway “In Transit” and the opening number of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical “Unmasked.” He’s a frequent emcee at events and gives corporate speeches on business lessons from vocal harmony to companies like Google and Facebook. He has an annual concert at Carnegie Hall each spring, and has shared the stage with countless music legends, including Ray Charles, James Brown, Crosby Stills & Nash, Run DMC, The Temptations, LL Cool J, and The Four Tops, as well as performed the televised “Monday Night Football Theme” with Hank Williams Jr. through the 2011 NFL season.
Programs/organizations founded:
CASA: The Contemporary A Cappella Society of America
ICCA: The International Championship of College A Cappella
CARAs: The Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards
BOCA: Best of College A Cappella Compilations
Camp A Cappella
Many ensembles including The House Jacks, DCappella, Vocalosity, American Vybe