The farce known as the Grammy Awards
Britt Graves
categories for Grammy awards, and STILL no category for acappella. I
mean, if someone can SPEAK on an album and win one of those things,
*why* don't they have one for the purest, most beautiful form of music
there is? Are they terrified that if they have an acappella category,
all those other studio creations with great PR reps will suddenly have
egg on their faces?
I know I've heard about people trying to get an acappella category for
the Grammy's...so what can I do to help the process along? Who do I
need to write letters and emails to? Who is it I need to whack between
the eyes with a cosmic 2x4?
Wanting to get involved,
Britt
Joshua Stuart Diamant
Joshua S. Diamant
musical director
Nonsequitur
coed a cappella at Columbia University
(first-ever performance in 3 days!!!!)
Wilfred Mathews
that requested each one visiting their site to submit a letter to support
this very idea. I did so, hoping that it would be taken seriously, and
included in this year's grammy. Unfortunately (and obviously) nothing has
changed much, and people *still* prefer crap like Eminem's rap, and not care
about the beauty of a cappella singing....why oh why don't they see the
marvels the human voice can achieve?!.......we sure have over a 100
categories up for grabs, why can't one of them be for a cappella? It'll
definitely symbolize we crowning ourselves, in celebration of the Human
Voice - the instrument with literally no boundaries! Oh...well....someday I
hope we can help them see this!
Wil.
Britt Graves <bgr...@arkansas.net> wrote in message
news:3A94BCBC...@arkansas.net...
Joshua Stuart Diamant
listen to the way he constructs lyrics.
Seriously, though, if I may go off topic, I was pretty happy with the
results of the Grammys this year. Steely Dan won album of the year, U2
won song of the year, Macy Gray beat out Christina Aguilera (unlike in
last year's best new artist category) for some award...it seems like
they really were more concerned about quality than about
sales...thoughts?
Joshua S. Diamant
musical director
Nonsequitur
coed a cappella chomping at the bit at Columbia University
becky k.
sense?
it's a form of instrumentation, not a "category" of music. that's why
there isn't a "best performance by a group using guitars and bass and
drums" grammy.
if someone tells me a group is a bluegrass band, i have a vague notion
as to what that band will sound like. if someone tells me a group is an
a cappella group, that means nothing to me except that there are no
instruments played. it doesn't mean anything in terms of the actual
style of the music.
it *should* be the case that an album by take 6 is considered in the
best jazz vocal category, or that any of the pop groups are considered
in the best pop performance by a duo/group w/ vocal category, and that
groups performing gesualdo are evaluated in terms of their repertoire
and sound, not just the fact that they do it sans sacbut. et cetera.
but i agree with you, in principle, that the grammys are a bit of a
farce. except that blue man group got to perform and they rule. so i'm
up in the air.
-becky
Joshua Stuart Diamant
newsgroups like rec.music.rock-bands-with-horn-sections.
-JSD
becky k.
>
> But a cappella is its own subgenre with its own culture. You don't see
> newsgroups like rec.music.rock-bands-with-horn-sections.
i'm dumb, so what do you mean by that? a cappella is a subgenre of
what? it still doesn't say anything about what the style of the music
is.
and a "band with a horn section" is just an instrumentation, the same as
a cappella. but you qualified it with "rock," which means something.
the reason there is no rec.music.rock.a-cappella is only because there's
not that many a cappella groups, not that the distinction between styles
doesn't exist. and i certainly don't think there's any pressing urgency
to divide up our already tiny niche market into tinier pieces.
i mean, i'm sure there are lots of people who read this newsgroup who
don't like rock music at all. they probably also don't like
spiralmouth. which is fine. the fact that we're all friends here and
and are supportive doesn't mean we need a grammy category. not that i'd
turn one down, i just don't think it makes sense to have one.
becky k.
>
> Seriously, though, if I may go off topic, I was pretty happy with the
> results of the Grammys this year. Steely Dan won album of the year, U2
> won song of the year, Macy Gray beat out Christina Aguilera (unlike in
> last year's best new artist category) for some award...it seems like
> they really were more concerned about quality than about
> sales...thoughts?
thoughts?
ok:
blue man group is cool
shelby lynne is not a new artist
madonna is hot and maybe i'll cut my hair like her
take 6 wasn't loud enough
elton john is great but dido is better on 'stan'
christina aguilera needs to eat more food
probably not the thoughts you were looking for...:-)
becky
RPELLA4EVR
Acappella and the like, tonight.
It was a suprise to me to see "Take 6" on the grammys. As I was watching, I
honestly said to myself, someday I'm going to see "Rockapella" up there! (HUGE
fan here btw and underlined)
NOT just RP to be put on the list either or on the stage, there are LOTS of
other groups to be noticed. Maybe collage groups?
I just sincerely hope that someone took notice of "Take 6" and realized what
KIND of music they were singing! Alas, they probably didn't, but I'm hopefull.
Anyhow, just my pennies worth for my thoughts that someone probably has said
already, but I had to get it out of my system.
Sincerely,
Kathy :)
Vocal Universe
World Acappella Association, Vocal Universe, and others) that have
consistently strived for the Recording Academy to initiate an A Cappella
Category for the Grammy Awards. But, the continuing response, from them,
seems to be that a cappella is a form of music and not a particular style.
A cappella lends its face to so many different styles of music, that it
would be hard to pin it down to one category. From Rockapella to SoVoSo,
Take 6 to Acoustix, Nylons to spiralmouth, each and every one has its own
style; and no two share the same sound. What seems more likely to occur, is
not an individual a cappella category, but multiple ones, in the areas of
Contemporary A Cappella; Jazz A Cappella; World/Folk A Cappella; etc.
Of course, there have been moments when a cappella music has risen above the
blinded eyes of the Recording Academy and shown itself to be pure creative
genius. These moments were true recognition for nominees and winners alike:
The Bobs, Take 6, Bobby McFerrin, and many, many more. I guess it just
remains that award ceremonies tend to reflect the season of its patrons, and
that those seasons are often driven by the money they create. Thus, the
more money...the more recognition...the more nominations...the more awards.
Sad, but true. Therefore, don't be deluded that the Grammy Awards are the
ultimate in recognition. Any organization that would take time-tested and
proven musical talent, i.e. Elton John, Tony Bennett, etc. and place them
onstage, as show pieces, to draw attention, is truly sad. True recognition
comes from those who admire and appreciate a cappella most - fans, groups
and peers.
So, where does that leave this never-ending debate? Well, it has always
been in the hands of those who love it most - us. Here are a few comments
from some of the artists that make our vocal world sound a little bit
better:
"Grammy? To be honest, I never give it a thought. Milli Vanilli, Living
Color, and MC Hammer all have Grammies, and where are they?" - Paul,
DaVinci's Notebook
"I think it's unfair that people put us in a separate category from other
bands, simply because we don't use instruments. I don't think it's unfair
that a cappella doesn't have a grammy. That's like saying that
guitar/drum/bass bands should have a grammy." - Scott, Ball in the House
"Whatever is selling the most becomes the dominant force in popular music
for better or for worse. It's always so hard to predict what trend popular
music is going to take next. The good news is the music scene has been so
vapid in the past 5 years (no offence to the "bubble gum pop" crew)it only
means we are prime for a revolution." - Brian, The ExBoyfriends
"I think the Grammys are divided by musical styles. Rock, country,
soul...etc. A cappella is the way we choose to perform these different
styles but is not necessarily a style itself." - Rene', Toxic Audio
"We (acappella people) have the same chance of winning grammy's as any other
band out there. Look at Take 6. If your album or song is good enough to win
a grammy or N'SYNC or Britney or whoever, then you deserve it. I don't think
we need to separate acappella from the other artists. Acappella to me is a
technique for doing music, it's not a STYLE (i.e. pop/rock, jazz, funk,
gospel). We cover every genre." - Graham, Vocal Tonic
"The Grammys are a self-congratulatory moment for the recording industry,
and since a cappella is not industry-driven, it's not surprising that an
award wouldn't acknowledge us. Frankly, I like the fact that a cappella is a
little more grassroots that other musical genres, even if that means no
Grammy." - Courtney, Realia
But, if after this, you really want to know who to contact at the Recording
Academy, then here you go:
The Recording Academy
3402 Pico Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 392-3777
www.grammy.com
Thanks for your attention, now I've got to get back to promoting vocal
music!
Mark Montgomery
Vocal Universe
www.vocaluniverse.com
Kathleen Stacey
but really, what good would it do anyone? There are currently 99 Grammy
categories - who's going to pay attention to one more? Will the winners of
the best Native American Album, best Polka Album, or Best Comedy Spoken Word
Album really see a big increase in sales/prestige/bookings? Maybe, but I
would guess only among the fans who are already buying these kinds of
music/comedy. Plus, there are already so many categories that an a cappella
group would fit into perfectly, such as the many "Best Vocal Performance"
categories.
If fans of a cappella want to promote our favorite kind of music, lobbying
for
a Grammy is not the way to go, IMO. If an a cappella group won in one of
the
already established categories, beating out instrumented bands by their
sheer
vocal talent, THAT would be more of an honor, and more prestigious, than
beating only a few other a cappella groups. Rockapella beats U2, Steely
Dan,
The Dixie Chicks, and Matchbox Twenty - there's a news story and something
people will notice. Rockapella beats FOCS, Spiralmouth, the Housejacks, and
M-Pact - who will care or notice other than the fans of those groups and the
readers of RMAC? I would imagine that when Chanticleer won its best
Classical
Choral (or whatever it was) Grammy, more potential listeners became aware of
them than if they had won a "Best A Cappella Album" Grammy.
My $.02
Kathleen
>===== Original Message From "becky k." <asylum...@mediaone.net> =====
Hug0731
last night, as usual. On a side note, it always amazes me how little Take 6 is
praised or mentioned on this newsgroup. IMHO, a cappella has come so far with
technology and made GREAT advances. For instance, wonderful CD's by Spiral
Mouth and FOCS, to name a few, have really raised the bar in the pop/rock
"genre". But I couldn't help feeling last night while watching Take 6 that,
despite all the great artistic and technical advances, they are still the best!
( i know that being "the best" is an opinion thing, but man, this group has
REALLY set a standard that I don't think anyone has come close to reaching...:
)
...Just my opinion, folks. take it or leave it. : )
Erik
Deke Sharon
cappella category in the Grammies. At not least in the forseeable future.
Those were the words used by a member of the category committee.
The Grammies are a promotional tool for the main stream music industry, with
a couple of historical (polka) and technical categories (engineering) for
flavor.
Unless a cappella busts into the mainstream and stays there for a while,
there's just no chance. (I don't think they got around to a Rap category
until 1992 or so, although that has racial issues tied up in it as well).
BTW - I agree that a cappella isn't a clear enough category: Gas House Gang
vs. Toby Twining? Doesn't make sense, except that they're both singing.
Nonetheless, if there were enough a cappella record sales on major lables,
the academy would probably find a way to make it work.
--
D A Cappella Arranging Service http://www.totalvocal.com
E Contemporary A Cappella Society http://www.casa.org
K American Vybe http://www.americanvybe.com
E The House Jacks http://www.housejacks.com
Alex Galang
too......
After hearing Take 6 last night with Neena Freelon I was like what the hell
was that? lol So I went to Napster downloaded Straighten Up and Fly Right,
and am buying the cd today cause it just sounds cool.........
Alex
Check out my site by the way if you're looking for charts and some
"unavailable acappella Mp3's".
ftp://216.122.46.103
Hug0731 <hug...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20010222103102...@ng-co1.aol.com...
AJ
awards for that" doesn't hold up. I'm sitting here with the Boston Globe
listing of all the Grammy winners, and I see...
Orchestral Performance Award, Choral Performance, Instrumental Composition,
Instrumental Arrangement, Pop Instrumental Album, Jazz Instrumental Album, Rock
Instrumental Performance, Country Instrumental Performance, Gospel Choir or
Chorus Album... et cetera...
Now, I agree that the single category "Best A Cappella Album" doesn't hold up,
but if they can have an award for Best Rock Instrumental, why not best Rock
All-Vocal? There -is- a Best Pop Vocal Album category, which Steely Dan won
this year, and while I have nothing against Steely Dan, "Vocal" is not the best
way to describe them. If you can have "Instrumental" awards, you can have
"Vocal" awards, that go to a group that really is a -vocal- group. It reminds
me of watching the VH1 special, whose title I forget, which included a
competition between Five O'Clock Shadow and two groups singing on top of canned
music, all of whom were labeled "Vocal." There's a difference there, but the
industry refuses to recognize it. If recordings with -no- vocals are singled
out, recordings with vocals alone should be as well, not lumped in with 'NSYNC
and Destiny's Child.
~~~AJ
Trajan McGill
: am i alone in thinking that an a cappella grammy doesn't make much
: sense?
No, you're not. The world has heard a cappella occasionally- Boyz 2 Men
or other "mainstream" artists venture into it sometimes. Shania Twain has
an (unaccompanied) a cappella track on one of her best selling albums. A
cappella is quite common in the folk world, since folk music tends to
concentrate on the sound of the human voice already, so throwing a few
voices together in harmony and dropping out the instruments is not a
distant leap.
I feel like an a cappella category would do more damage than good. It
would raise awareness of its existence, a little. But it would also stick
it in a little box off to the side, and be a public statement that a
cappella belongs in its own world and doesn't fit into categories like
jazz and rock. I don't want to see an a cappella grammy or an "a cappella
station" on the radio. That would be going down the same mistaken road
that "Christian Rock" went down long ago and is only recently recovering
from- secluding yourself off in some arena where only people who already
know about you are going to listen, and everyone else will skip that part
of the radio dial. I want to hear the Real Group being played on the
_mainstream_ jazz stations, and other groups put in categories which are
appropriate to them.
Because then people will start to recognize a cappella for what it is- not
a style of music, but a valid means of interpreting a styles of music.
Just like you can take a big rock band and come up with a really
interesting musical interpretation of their songs with just a single voice
and a guitar, but it is still rock music (or something close). It
wouldn't make sense to have a radio station that played all
guitar-plus-vocal music, in exactly the same way.
Trajan
Trajan McGill
: But a cappella is its own subgenre with its own culture.
Yes, in the same way that appreciation for the piano is something shared
by pianists worldwide, whether they play jazz, new age, classical, or
something else altogether. But there are 400 gazillion pianists, and they
can easily be divided into subgroups that share even more interest in
common, about the genre they deal with. In a cappella, we don't have that
wide a base.
Trajan
David Fogerson
Kathleen Stacey wrote:
> Rockapella beats U2, Steely Dan, The Dixie Chicks, and Matchbox Twenty > there's a news story and something people will notice.
It's all about the money, as the song goes.
Since all genres of music can be performed A Cappella, then it will take
something like Rockappella beating an established act, as noted above,
to finally awaken the collective conciousness to the thrills of great A
Cappella.
That won't happen, however, until a few of the major labels sign and
promote some A Cappella acts, which in turn will not happen until they
think they are going to make some money from them. That will not happen
until the A Cappella acts hoist themselves into the mainstream by their
own bootstraps.
Being a relative newcomer to A Cappella fandom, I think I see that
happening. Rockapella has gotten some limited airplay, and pushed the
envelope a little. So much of their recent stuff sounds very radio
friendly. Maybe the trick is not to promote the fact that it's A
Cappella at first (it might make it seem "gimmicky" to the unwashed
masses). Let the hooks and melodies sell it, then promote the A
Cappella angle.
--
David Fogerson,
caught somewhere between
the Baby Boomers and Generation X.
“You can’t fight City Hall, but you can sure as hell blow it up!”
-- George Carlin
Nic Widhalm
>
> Orchestral Performance Award, Choral Performance, Instrumental Composition,
> Instrumental Arrangement, Pop Instrumental Album, Jazz Instrumental Album, Rock
> Instrumental Performance, Country Instrumental Performance, Gospel Choir or
> Chorus Album... et cetera...
I agree whole heartedly with AJ. In addition, I also discovered that they are
giving awards for best Recording Package, and Best Album Notes. What's going on??
A cappella is *definitely* more than just a type of instrumentalism. A cappella
music (no matter if it's Barborshop, Jazz, Contemporary, or Folk) has it's own
style. Maybe it's not a *huge* style difference, but it's definitely not the same
as rock or pop.
Also, yes, the Grammies are dominated by the recording industry. Yes, they want to
pay attention to the stuff that makes them the big bucks. Yes, not that many
people would care if Rockapella beat out M-Pact for Best A Cappella Album. But,
come on people, when they have an award for Best Tejano Album you have to wonder?
How many Tejano fans can *possibly* exist in the US?? I dont' even know what
Tejano is! Just because we *know* the Grammies are corrupt doesn't mean we should
except it.
~Nic Widhalm
VP for 'Tangent
http://listen.to/tangentonline
becky
pop instrumental = pop
jazz instrumental = jazz
rock instrumental = rock
country instrumental = country
gospel = gospel
etc
i agree that orchestral performance and choral performance are more vague, but
because of the nature of larger choral groups, and orchestral playing, the music
has a distinctly recognizable style. i don't think you can say the same when
comparing a barbershop group to a jazz group.
and while steely dan won the best pop vocal cateogry, it's not because they are a
"vocal" group, it's because they're a "pop" group.
Trajan McGill
: A cappella is *definitely* more than just a type of instrumentalism. A
: Folk) has it's own style. Maybe it's not a *huge* style difference, but
: it's definitely not the same as rock or pop.
I'm not sure I agree. Can one say that there is a style difference
between a singing acoustic guitarist and a pianist with a harmonica, or a
hard-edged electric bass and distorted electic guitar sound? Certainly.
Do they all fit in "rock"? Yes. So does all-vocal music, if it has the
tempo, rhythm, scale, chord progressions, and other elements that
characterize music as "rock". For a specific example, about half of the
Eagles' "Seven Bridges Road" is a cappella, at least in the recording I
know. But it's definitely rock music.
Some fits are better than others- I personally think that a cappella is an
extremely natural format for jazz, whereas to call an all-vocal group
"symphonic music" would usually involve quite a stretch. Some genres,
such as Barbershop, are at the other extreme and normally _only_ could be
done a cappella. "Best Barbershop Album" would be a perfectly legitimate
Grammy category. And if somone could come up with some kind of
instrumental music that evoked the same kind of sound as a barbershop
quartet, well, I'd be surprised, but that would fit in the same category.
"Best A Cappella Album," though, would be a completely different kind of
category than now exists, and so it doesn't really make sense.
Trajan
Rene Ruiz
>come on people, when they have an award for Best Tejano Album you have to
>wonder?
>How many Tejano fans can *possibly* exist in the US?? I dont' even know what
>Tejano is!
Ah...now you're speaking of the music of my people. A Tejano is someone born in
Texas who is of Mexican descent. Tejano music has a very large fan base and had
Selina not been struck down so early in her ascent she might have brought about
another crossover. But she will have followed Ritchie Valens, Los Lobos,
Freddie Fender and Linda Ronstadt. The fact that Linda Ronstadt has had such
great success with her Tejano albums shows its crossover appeal. The fact that
you or anyone might have a desire to promote the music or groups that you love
and wish for them a larger audience speaks well for you. However, singling out
other categories for their lack of a following will only show us what a small
star we are in the galaxy. My grandmothers record collection speaks for itself.
There are a lot more of them then there are of us.
Remember the Alamo!
Rene' Ruiz (Disn...@aol.com)
TOXIC AUDIO
www.toxicaudio.com
"Exploring the boundaries of the human voice"
259 titles in my DVD collection...and counting!
jse...@rarb.org
>
>blue man group is cool
I totally agree!
>take 6 wasn't loud enough
>elton john is great but dido is better on 'stan'
I agree with both of these as well!
>christina aguilera needs to eat more food
maybe...but she's still hot! =o)
Jonathan
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Nic Widhalm
> other categories for their lack of a following will only show us what a small
> star we are in the galaxy. My grandmothers record collection speaks for itself.
> There are a lot more of them then there are of us.
My apologies if I offended anyone with that stupid comment. I guess I was just
trying to show that even though the Grammies are influenced by money, politics, and
umm....favors, there *are* catagories that speak out to a smaller denomination of
people. We shouldn't give up on the prospect of an a cappella Grammy just because
we believe that the Grammies are corrupt. Maybe I'm too much of an optomist, but I
would like to believe in a world where music is judged on it's merit, and not how
well it sells.
Julie
Mainstream radio play. Of course most commercial radio is pre programmed and
as you may or may not know, DJs mainly point and click on pre formatted
programs and have NO input as to what gets on the air. Most djs aren't even
live when you hear them. They go into a station and do what is called
"cutting voice tracks". Meaning they insert their commercials etc to a pre
recorded program. So even though you are listening to them on your radio,
they are most likely not evn near the studio.. Without that exposure there
are no sales. So if we are going to be pro active we must bombard the owners
of the airwaves. They must be persuaded to include all genres. If the public
is not exposed, whether it's to music, art, theatre, poetry, literature etc,
how will they ever be able to know what tickles their fancy???
If The gentlemen who started it all and opened the doors for all others who
follow, the Kings of A Cappella, The Persuasions, have not been properly
acknowledged............. And only then when radio play and VH1 videos are
there for the general public to choose from, will sales soar and then a
cappella groups will be on an even playing field. The sales will speak for
themselves, they won't need their own grammy category, they'll be judged by
mainstream popularity within the industry. But until the world is given the
opportunity to decide for themselves....... So if someone wants to do the
homework of finding out who the few CEOs are that own the airwaves, then we
can campaign, going directly to the source. By the way I personally
experimented with this theory back in the early eighties. I got a cappella
on mainstream radio in the LOS ANGELES Market!!! For one entire week they
aired a cut about once an hour from a new Persuasions album!! The stations
phones were ringing off the hook. Can you guess what ruined it all?? Lack of
Distribution. That's right, the record company ,(Rounder Records) a major
rip the artist off company, basically used The Persuasions as a tax write
off and never properly distributed the product. So hundreds of listeners
that week went to buy the album and it was nowhere to be found. The station
had to withdraw it from the play list.........And that's the truth. Let me
know if you get anything going. I'll certainly try to help.
Harmoniously Yours
Julie
Rene Ruiz wrote in message <20010222173412...@ng-cg1.aol.com>...
Deke Sharon
> on mainstream radio in the LOS ANGELES Market!!! For one entire week they
> aired a cut about once an hour from a new Persuasions album!! The stations
> phones were ringing off the hook. Can you guess what ruined it all?? Lack of
> Distribution.
It was also:
* lack of airplay on other stations (major radio stations now don't want to
play a song unless it's on other stations, because studies prove that people
change stations when they hear music they don't know, and that means less
advertising revenue)
* lack of a national ad campaign (audiences are interested in things they
hear/know about, and that means in-store displays, music videos, articles in
newspapers, and local gigs).
* lack of payola (yes, payola is not only alive and well, it's the
cornerstone of the commercial music radio market. The money is paid by the
station, on behalf of the artist (which the artist has to pay back), to an
"independent record promoter." This system protects the record company enough
to be able to say "gee - we didn't know there was any payola changing hands,"
and no major law suits have surfaced since long ago (when Alan Freed got
roasted, and Dick Clark walked away unscathed). Major record labels love it -
it's expensive, but it keeps out all but the biggest players.
* lack of an appropriate image (they're not young, they're not models, and
they're not singing music in one of the major radio format).
* lack of instruments (sure there have been a cappella songs on the radio,
but rarely, and all have been "one hit wonders" unless they have other
instrumental tracks - like Boyz II men).
There are now 5 major media conglomerates who control most of America's
record labels, radio stations, newspapers, movie studios, television
stations, etc.
I don't mean to sound bitter, although I'm sure I do. The "glass ceiling" is
real, and it effects more than just a cappella groups (although a cappella
groups have an additional hurdles to jump: convincing a label, and then radio
and record stores that they're sufficiently marketable).
Considering all that, it's formidable (to say the least) that you got them on
the radio for a week. Of course the audience loved them. Alas, despite what
the music industry likes people to believe, that's just not enough.
The good news is that the Persuasions are now signed with the William Morris
Agency and getting more money and respect than they did back in the 80's and
even 90's. 35 years, and they "still ain't got no band!" :)
kleb111NBP
That's great exposure!
AJ
>Distribution. That's right, the record company ,(Rounder Records) a major
>rip the artist off company, basically used The Persuasions as a tax write
>off and never properly distributed the product.
I would like to take this moment to point out the comic strip "The Boondocks"
from some time in the last week that dealt with record labels and the Napster
case...
www.ucomics.com/boondocks/viewbo.htm
~~~AJ
Trajan McGill
: Distribution. That's right, the record company ,(Rounder Records) a major
: rip the artist off company, basically used The Persuasions as a tax write
: off and never properly distributed the product.
One might add here, to be fair, that Rounder is a small record company
which deals mainly in folk music, and almost entirely in music that has
fairly limited distribution, so it very well may be that they simply did
not have the resources or the industry power and connections to distribute
the Persuasions widely enough to a major mainstream national audience.
Trajan
lo...@src.uchicago.nospamedu
University of Chicago. It's been a while since I posted here. We are
going on tour to Maryland, DC, Philly, and New York City from March
16-25. Over time, we have assembled a pretty nice sound system. The last
piece in our audio puzzle is a set of speakers.
I'd like to know what other groups similar to our size (3 men, 3
women) have found to work for them in terms of speakers. Is it a good
idea always to buy new speakers, or are there safe opportunities to get a
better price used? As might be expected, money is somewhat of an
issue. Meaning, we're not that stressed over it, but we also are broke.
Any advice or tips would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Loren
Joel Foner
speakers or using separate amps?
Joel
Naomi Feldman
already included there, right?
Naomi (also part of Shircago)
In article <PS6q6.1716$G76.2...@typhoon.ne.mediaone.net>, Joel Foner
Joel Foner
site - looks like you are doing mostly ensemble a-cappella stuff "classic
style" as opposed to the vocal rock group approach. For this type of work,
the EV sx300's work pretty well. They have a bit of high end boost, which
tends to help with clarity and articulation - so that the words can be more
easily understood with "typical" mic's and amps. As with many of the
speakers in the mid-tier price range they're pretty light, and plastic cased
so that you don't have to worry excessively about transport in rainy days.
I don't know if these fit into your price range, but something like the
300's are far better than the "cheapie" speakers the next click down.
I would strongly recommend arranging an audition at your local music store
(Guitar Center, MARS?). Tell them you're looking to choose speakers, and
arrange a time when you can have about an hour in the demo room. Bring your
amp and a couple mic's, and try the 300's and a couple of other alternatives
with your music. You won't be able to crank them as high as in a show
without feedback, but you ought to be able to get a good idea of the
differences. (If you can bring a few folks, so that you can listen
critically while not singing it would be best.) Remember - spec's don't
matter - it's what they sound like, so don't get intimidated by all the
marketing. Look for something that sounds good, has clear articulation,
doesn't sound harsh even when turned up, and doesn't make your voices sound
thin, pinched, boomy or any other "odd" descriptive word.
Often in this price range it's a question of which oddities you prefer,
since it won't be perfect, but I think you'll be surprised at how different
live speakers sound, and how much better one or another will sound for the
type of work you're doing.
Hope this helps,
Joel
P.S. By the way - I couldn't find any working links on your clips page,
otherwise I could guess much better on speakers for you!
"Naomi Feldman" <nhfe...@uchicago.edu> wrote in message
news:090320011117066993%nhfe...@uchicago.edu...
sm
(folds) and 300's (FOH). They're also widely used, so getting a few more on
hire if you need to fill a bigger hall is a cinch. If you can afford it, buy
new. You can always sell them - 'cos you're not abusing them , it's easier
on the sale should the time come.
The EV sx series sounded very sweet to us, ideal for sound reinforcement. I
have to agree, if you're doing power vocal rock, then maybe they're not the
thing. If you have a sound engineer your working with, get them to accompany
you and guide you to what they feel is good - they hear you most, and I
expect are pretty objective - and they probably know what is required to
fill a hall properly, especially when it's (hopefully) full of paying
public. After speakers, look at your amp - Our powered mixer is a good
compromise, but we often add in more grunt when needed.
best,
Dave.
To audiotion them - we were lucky enough to take them
"Joel Foner" <joel....@fonerassoc.com> wrote in message
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