Tag: 2019

New Tunesday – May 14, 2019

N’Harmonics

Fresh off their ICCA win, this NYU group released a studio recording of “To The Wolves” from their winning set.

Vadé (ft. Jermaine Riley)

We can’t help but compare this London group to Boyz II Men. Just hear for yourself.

Highline Vocal Jazz

Here’s a little George Gershwin from the jazz quintet out of New York City.

קוינטה וחצי Quinta and a Half

For those of us outside of Europe, Eurovision seems like a pretty magical competition. Qunita and a Half gives us a little evolution video in honor of the kick off of Eurovision 2019 in Tel-Aviv.

Elephant Claps

Proof that the Moscow Spring A Cappella Festival was a great experience even if you didn’t win anything.

Last Chance to Vote in Moscow A Cappella Festival

Since May 1st, 195 groups from around the world have been filling the streets of Moscow with a cappella and will keep singing through Sunday, May 12th. The Moscow Spring A Cappella Festival, now in it’s third season, is sponsored by the Moscow government, Moscow Seasons Street Festivals, and the office of the Mayor of Moscow.

A the end of the festival, champions will be named and impressive cash prizes will be awarded. Last year’s champion was Minnesota-based Six Appeal who earned the Grand Prix prize of 6.2 million rubles (approx US$100,000). Six Appeal returned to Moscow to defend their championship and were joined by eleven other US-based groups, including Face, Ball in the House, and Blue Jupiter.

To vote for these groups or any of your other favorites from around the world, voting is open until May 12. In addition to the Grand Prix prize, there are several other prizes based on group size. Fans can vote for groups once per day. As the competitors are saying – “don’t miss your chance to influence a Russian election!”

New Tunesday – May 7, 2019

Nothing proves that music is a great communication tool like this week’s new releases:

The Swingles

Only The Swingles could release a soundcheck video as beautiful as this.

The G-Men

Fresh off their excellent performance at the Playstation Theater for ICCA Finals, this University of Michigan standout released their semi-final performance of their winning set.

Six13

In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Six13 shared this.

VoicePlay

There may never be another Prince, but at least we can still enjoy great covers like this one.

From the Roots

Captured during their performance at SING! Texas, From the Roots shares a Sylvan Esso cover.

Triforce Films

Take a break from the Starbucks cup dilemma to enjoy the GoT theme song done right, er, a cappella.

UNC Clef Hangers

When you’ve got a whole a cappella group at your disposal, why wouldn’t you include them in your proposal?

MICappella

Speaking of using a cappella to make a big announcement, this Singapore group used their music to make one of theirs.

FORK

Sometimes the news is less than great, but a music video is still the way to say it.

The Lost Keys

This NYC-based groups brought a little Pomplamoose influence to this Hall & Oates classic.

Flight Scene

You can never go wrong with an Amy Winehouse cover.

Natural State of Mind

This high school group out of Arkansas certainly has made the rounds this spring. This song is one of the most powerful from their competition set.

Arvada West Vocal Chords

Bringing things back to the chapel, this high school choir gives a modern take on the origins of a cappella with this Bon Iver cover.

New Varsity Vocals Champions Named

The stages of Town Hall and the PlayStation Theater brought a cappella to Broadway this weekend for the 2019 ICHSA and ICCA Finals.

After two evenings of performances that marked the culmination of a year of hard work from all of the finalists, two new groups joined the legacy of Varsity Vocals champions – InToneNation and the N’Harmonics.

Here are the full results:

ICHSA Finals
InToneNation ICHSA 2019

OVERALL STANDINGS
1st Place: InToneNation (New Manchester High School) – 441 Points
2nd Place: Skyline Blues (Skyline High School) – 338 Points
3rd Place: The Thursdays (Chelmsford High School) – 331 Points

SPECIAL AWARDS
Outstanding Soloist: Tyler Lewis (InToneNation) for “Dancing On My Own”
Outstanding Vocal Percussion: Chris Ekpiken (Skyline Blues) for the entire set
Outstanding Arrangement: InToneNation for the entire set & Griffin Prillwitz (Free to Breathe) for “Sweet Dreams”
Outstanding Choreography: Evolve for the entire set

ICCA Finals
N'Harmonics ICCA 2019
OVERALL STANDINGS

1st Place: N’Harmonics (New York University) – 444 Points
2nd Place: BisCaydence (University of Miami) – 358 Points
3rd Place: ScatterTones (UCLA) – 352 Points

SPECIAL AWARDS
Outstanding Soloist: Tyler Lewis (HardChord DynaMix) for “Trainwreck”
Outstanding Vocal Percussion: Lora Riehl (Pitch, Please) for the entire set
Outstanding Arrangement: Brett Castro (N’Harmonics) for the entire set
Outstanding Choreography: Brett Castro and Devon McDowell (N’Harmonics) for the entire set