Would you like to sing in a world-class a cappella group?
If you are a woman in your late teens or twenties and live within 30 minutes of Newport Beach, have a great sense of pitch, can read music well, and can sing with or without vibrato and would like to potentially make a big splash in the world with two other singers, please audition for my 3-women a cappella group and help me come up with a name for it. |
What will be different about this group?
Almost all female a cappella groups do cover tunes in pop music styles; their goal is to entertain. My group will do mostly original works in many different styles; our goal is to inspire although we hope it will entertain as well. The group is non-denominational; we will perform pieces that resonate with people of all backgrounds.
What demographic will this group cater to?
The world via YouTube. Also, interfaith groups, synagogues, churches, mosques, conventions—almost any group that wants to hire us. There is a real need for spiritual repertoire that casts a wide net over the concerns of people of all backgrounds.
Will we get paid?
YES! Once I find three singers who fit together you will be paid between $300 to $1,000 depending on whether we record and video one or two pieces, whether the video and recording are done separately or at once, where they are done, and what budget I have to work with. After that, each member will decide whether they would like to continue to build the group into a world-class act or if they would rather not participate further.
If the members decide to stick together, we will do gigs in Orange County or wherever we are paid enough to travel, work on new original pieces, and promote the group through Facebook, Instagram, and other social media outlets. With our own YouTube channel, we can promote our services to the world so there are limitless possibilities.
What is your experience with choral music?
I've sung in high school, college, and jazz choirs. I've always loved choral music, especially composing it. My sacred pieces have been performed around the world, and I've also written jazz and barbershop quartet pieces, all a cappella. As a songwriter I've won awards for my gospel, pop, and children's music but also compose jazz, cabaret, and musical theater pieces. A musical I'm co-writing will be produced in 2020 by Northern Sky Theater in Wisconsin.
Why 3-part vocals and why all female?
The idea was to have the fewest people possible for finding singers who are good musicians at such a young age is difficult. The more singers involved, the longer this would take. Eventually, more singers might be added. With so few people, they would have to be all male or all female for a perfect blend is difficult with more than one gender. The all female sound is particularly angelic and has a long history of spiritual associations.
What inspired this project?
I had been thinking about this for decades but I never had a grasp on how to compete with the plethora of other musical groups vying for the public's attention. The answer: don't compete. Do something no other group is doing quite like you. The light bulb struck when I was invited to a reading of Mark Turnbull's The Alcotts in Laguna Beach where he had high-school aged female actors/singers blend in perfect 3- and 4-part harmony. I realized that nobody in the world could hear this sound and not be moved. I also knew an interfaith group that paid for musicians to perform at their once-a-month gatherings and often had difficulty finding groups. Though this is what inspired me to pursue this project, I always think on a global scale. There's no reason why we have to limit ourselves.
How should I audition?
The audition process is in two steps: first, either email me MP3's or web links of you singing (a verse and chorus is fine) a ballad over an octave in range and an up tempo piece along with about 30-60 seconds of choral plaintive music (think Gregorian chant). Please make sure if there is any accompaniment that it is much lower in volume than your vocal and make sure that you are miked close preferably. Second, if I feel you would fit in vocally with the other two singers, I'll have you audition in person hopefully with the other two singers to see how you blend and to see how well you sight sing. You can always contact me any time with questions.
AUDIO SAMPLES (click on title)
O Son of Spirit – Recorded live at St Paul's United Methodist Church in Houston, TX, 2005. Also performed by the Canzona Women's Ensemble in 2016 in San Luis Obispo.
Be Here Now – a fun song in the style of The Roaches demoed by me but ideally meant for a women's group.
Do Not Stand at My Grave and Cry (click Listen & Watch) – Song set to the famous poem by Mary Elizabeth Frye, sung by Melissa Thatcher. A 3-part arrangement is completed but waiting to be recorded.
Almost all female a cappella groups do cover tunes in pop music styles; their goal is to entertain. My group will do mostly original works in many different styles; our goal is to inspire although we hope it will entertain as well. The group is non-denominational; we will perform pieces that resonate with people of all backgrounds.
What demographic will this group cater to?
The world via YouTube. Also, interfaith groups, synagogues, churches, mosques, conventions—almost any group that wants to hire us. There is a real need for spiritual repertoire that casts a wide net over the concerns of people of all backgrounds.
Will we get paid?
YES! Once I find three singers who fit together you will be paid between $300 to $1,000 depending on whether we record and video one or two pieces, whether the video and recording are done separately or at once, where they are done, and what budget I have to work with. After that, each member will decide whether they would like to continue to build the group into a world-class act or if they would rather not participate further.
If the members decide to stick together, we will do gigs in Orange County or wherever we are paid enough to travel, work on new original pieces, and promote the group through Facebook, Instagram, and other social media outlets. With our own YouTube channel, we can promote our services to the world so there are limitless possibilities.
What is your experience with choral music?
I've sung in high school, college, and jazz choirs. I've always loved choral music, especially composing it. My sacred pieces have been performed around the world, and I've also written jazz and barbershop quartet pieces, all a cappella. As a songwriter I've won awards for my gospel, pop, and children's music but also compose jazz, cabaret, and musical theater pieces. A musical I'm co-writing will be produced in 2020 by Northern Sky Theater in Wisconsin.
Why 3-part vocals and why all female?
The idea was to have the fewest people possible for finding singers who are good musicians at such a young age is difficult. The more singers involved, the longer this would take. Eventually, more singers might be added. With so few people, they would have to be all male or all female for a perfect blend is difficult with more than one gender. The all female sound is particularly angelic and has a long history of spiritual associations.
What inspired this project?
I had been thinking about this for decades but I never had a grasp on how to compete with the plethora of other musical groups vying for the public's attention. The answer: don't compete. Do something no other group is doing quite like you. The light bulb struck when I was invited to a reading of Mark Turnbull's The Alcotts in Laguna Beach where he had high-school aged female actors/singers blend in perfect 3- and 4-part harmony. I realized that nobody in the world could hear this sound and not be moved. I also knew an interfaith group that paid for musicians to perform at their once-a-month gatherings and often had difficulty finding groups. Though this is what inspired me to pursue this project, I always think on a global scale. There's no reason why we have to limit ourselves.
How should I audition?
The audition process is in two steps: first, either email me MP3's or web links of you singing (a verse and chorus is fine) a ballad over an octave in range and an up tempo piece along with about 30-60 seconds of choral plaintive music (think Gregorian chant). Please make sure if there is any accompaniment that it is much lower in volume than your vocal and make sure that you are miked close preferably. Second, if I feel you would fit in vocally with the other two singers, I'll have you audition in person hopefully with the other two singers to see how you blend and to see how well you sight sing. You can always contact me any time with questions.
AUDIO SAMPLES (click on title)
O Son of Spirit – Recorded live at St Paul's United Methodist Church in Houston, TX, 2005. Also performed by the Canzona Women's Ensemble in 2016 in San Luis Obispo.
Be Here Now – a fun song in the style of The Roaches demoed by me but ideally meant for a women's group.
Do Not Stand at My Grave and Cry (click Listen & Watch) – Song set to the famous poem by Mary Elizabeth Frye, sung by Melissa Thatcher. A 3-part arrangement is completed but waiting to be recorded.