Doo Wop Acappella

In Doo-Wop Acappella: A Story of Street Corners, Echoes, and Three-Part Harmonies, scholar and musician Lawrence Pitilli details this too-little-explored area of 1950’s - early 60’s American culture. As Kenny Vance and the Planotones suggested in their classic song “Looking for an Echo,” every doo-wop acapella group’s mission—the search “for a sound, a place to be in harmony, a place we almost found”—was more than the story of street kids seeking recording glory. It is the tale of urban change, mass migrations, ethnic acculturation, a changing radio and recording industry, and the dynamics of cultural change in the “sounds”—sonic and linguistic—that every generation seeks to make and re-make for itself. In his study of this neglected period, Pitilli uncovers a rich musical tradition practiced largely by amateurs in an almost mythologized urban America. Although most of these practitioners were musically untrained, their lack of formal music education and financial support neither diluted their passion for singing or their quest for possible fame and fortune. In this engagingly written and celebratory work, Pitilli further demonstrates that doo-wop acappella was closely tied to broader issues, including the self-invented individual, gender roles, ethnicity, race, and class.

Contains alphabetically arranged entries that provide information on the cities of origin, members, and music of some of the most popular rhythm and blues and doo wop groups.

More than any other person, Deke Sharon is responsible for the current success of pop a cappella. Founder of the House Jacks (the original “rock band without instruments”), Deke continues to influence through his work with The Sing-Off, Pitch Perfect, Pitch Perfect 2, and Vocalosity. Combine Deke’s expertise with that of directors Ben Spalding and Brody McDonald, add a foreword by Ben Folds, throw in advice from contributors like Peter Hollens, and you have the most comprehensive volume ever created on the subject of contemporary a cappella singing. Sections include: * Setting the Stage * Getting the Band Together * Arranging * Preparing * Technology * Making a Name * and more!

In this highly anticipated sequel to A Cappella Arranging, Deke Sharon and Dylan Bell provide even more tools and insights to help musicians master the craft of a cappella arranging—including new creative principles and theoretical techniques to expand the palate, as well as arranging in various musical genres spanning several decades of music. Since the publication of the original book in 2012, a cappella as a genre has grown enormously. Using conversational yet instructive tone, A Cappella Arranging 2.0: The Next Level picks up where the previous book left off, helping people deepen their a cappella arranging skills. In four parts, the book addresses a variety of topics including: The creative process An advanced understanding of vocal ranges Counterpoint and polyphony Harmonic concepts and techniques Arranging for the studio Live looping arrangements Instrumental idioms Arranging in different styles, including world styles Medleys and mashups This is the perfect resource for taking your a cappella arrangements to the next level.

From amateur collegiate a cappella groups to professional ensembles like Straight No Chaser and Pentatonix, contemporary a cappella has exploded onto the world pop music scene. In So You Want to Sing A Cappella, Deke Sharon combines historical context and a comprehensive look at the a cappella community with a detailed discussion of vocal techniques, rehearsal practices, and live audio support needed to sing great a cappella. Additional contributed chapters discuss singing and voice science, vocal health, vocal percussion, and audio technology. The So You Want to Sing series is produced in partnership with the National Association of Teachers of Singing, and each book features online supplemental material on the NATS website. Please visit www.nats.org to access style-specific exercises, audio and video files, and additional resources.

Offers a decade-by-decade history of American singing groups, from the Ames and Mills Brothers, to the Platters and the Beach Boys, to Destiny's Child, the Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync, and many others, covering more than 380 artists and furnishing information on each group's career, key members, influences, photos, and discographies. Original.

"You Don't Know Me" is the fascinating memoir of Stormin' Norman Seldin, the influential musician, band leader, songwriter, arranger, producer, promoter and record label owner. Norman's music career transcends the genres of rhythm & blues, doo wop, soul, jazz, rock & roll, pop and rock music and his life stories go way beyond his involvement in music. Norman began playing piano at age three and fronted his first band by the age of twelve. Norman's strong influence helped shape the emerging Asbury Park rock scene of the 1960's that became known worldwide as the Jersey Sound. As a teenage dance and concert promoter he brought together many of the early bands like the Castiles, Motifs, DuCanes, Sonny & the Starfires and Jaywalkers that produced rock luminaries like Bruce Springsteen, Vini Lopez, Doc Holiday, Billy Ryan, Mickey Holiday, Vinnie Roslin and others. Norman hired and recorded Clarence Clemons prior to Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. In doing so, he broke the color barrier in Jersey shore clubs. In soul music, Norman discovered Harry Ray before Ray Goodman & Brown. In doo wop music, Norman managed acts like Larry Chance & the Earls and produced numerous concerts by Nicky Addeo, Vito & the Salutations, Shells, Duprees, Danny & the Juniors, Belmonts, Olympics and countless others. He recorded doo wop groups like the Darchaes, Uniques and Shondelles. This barely scratches the surface of a career that went from New Jersey to Mississippi to Florida and back. But accomplishments alone don't make for a great read. There has to be a storyline to draws readers in. While music is woven through the fabric of every paragraph, this book is not really about music. It's about one man's determination to overcome adversity while living by his own terms. Whether racing horses, surviving health crises or fighting discrimination, Norman Seldin "stormed" his way through each situation. This book is the life story of Stormin' Norman Seldin. Music is just Norman's companion. Norman found early on that in an imperfect world, real music is pure. In a world full of discord, Norman found harmony.