<p>
</p>
<p>Exactly. That kid was like the little boy who acts out and makes faces during the elementary school Christmas concert.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I was amazed by that, too. </p>
<p>I agree with your analysis in #60.</p>
<p>I am really enjoying this show. Can’t wait for the next one.</p>
<p>Wish the music teachers had left last night instead of the Whiffenpoofs. I thought Ben Folds dropped a hint about the likelihood that Jerry Lawson’s group will not be going the distance when he commented that they were somewhat one dimensional (my interpretation of his words). He said it would be interesting to see if they were going to compete with the kids or just stay in their rut. They are certainly talented, but not exciting to me in the way the younger groups are. As a Vandy parent who loves Nashville, I do have a soft spot for Street Corner Symphony.</p>
<p>I don’t think the Whiffs do beatbox, in fact. At least, last year’s didn’t when we saw them at a concert.</p>
<p>By the way, JHS, one of the current Whiffs is the son of a friend of mine from college as well. I wonder if it’s the same one? His dad was an excellent trombone player.</p>
<p>I didn’t meet the dad of the one I know until he got engaged to my college friend. So probably not the same person, unless you went to Wesleyan.</p>
<p>Why do people hate on the music teachers? I think they are sensationally good. And they, too, are pros – they have been together for over a decade, recorded albums, won prizes. They have their niche, but then so do all the the groups who will be left by 10:00 pm next Monday.</p>
<p>The music teacher’s group is all about jazz styling. They are fabulous at it, but I suppose it’s just not everyone’s cup of tea. In some ways they do remind me of the Manhattan Transfer</p>
<p>
No, not the one I know–both the mom and dad are Yale grads, and I know both from the band.</p>
<p>Dang those legacies!</p>
<p>Well, in this case the kid has done pretty well. I always say to my kid (who is a legacy, too) that if anybody ever says anything about it, he should say, “I’ll have to work hard and prove that I deserve to be here.”</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I agree with your analysis completely.</p>
<p>Who writes the arrangements for the songs? Do the groups do it themselves?</p>
<p>Generally, the groups will write their own arrangements, although I’m sure some of them have help from coaches or other consultants. I doubt the high school kids wrote all of their own arrangements. The collegiate groups traditionally do their own arrangements, but they pass them down from one class to the next, so that each class may only do a few new songs. I know when the Whiffs pick their successors one of the things they have to think about is making certain they have a couple people who know how to do the arranging. And groups like the Persuasions, or Sweet Honey In The Rock, do their own arranging. The best arrangements are always very tied to the particular composition of a group, its strengths and weaknesses.</p>
<p>I’m sure there are canned arrangements for a cappella groups for sale out in the world, though, and people who come in and work up arrangements for them on a freelance basis.</p>
<p>JHS, I agree with your analysis. I don’t think that the Whiffs have a marketable SONY sound. Interesting that they, along with the Berklee group, were “set up” in their promos to sound very arrogant. Committed and Street Corner Symphony are terrific small groups and are marketable.</p>
<p>JHS is right about the arrangements, at least on the collegiate level. My D was in a coed college a capella group all four years of college. They competed and won many awards and as I wrote upthread, were finalists for last year’s Sing Off, but were not on the show. My D was the musical director and wrote many (but not all) of her group’s arrangements. She has won a number of awards for her arrangements. In collegiate a capella competitions, they actually not only give awards to groups and to soloists, but also to the arrangers and these arrangers are members of the group. And yes, the songs get passed down. My D graduated but the group is still utilizing several songs she arranged. After she graduated, someone with a lead in a current Broadway show contacted her after hearing her arrangements on YouTube and asked if she would give him this arrangement (in exchange for Broadway tix to his show, though she’s seen it before) but she declined as she felt the arrangement belonged to her old group and they are still using it. </p>
<p>While I haven’t watched this year’s Sing Off yet (just watched it last year), I thought I read that the high school group from Cherry Hill are not current high school students but rather recent alums. I read about them because for one thing, I grew up in Cherry Hill and for another, I’ve seen them in competition and so read the new bio and I don’t think those competing are currently still in high school. Even when my D’s group entered last year, her group was using recent alums rather than current students as it was too difficult for current students to miss so many weeks of school. This was true last year as well for the SoCal VoCals.</p>
<p>The Whiffs were this year’s Whiffs, but (as often happens) many of them are actually on leave this semester. It is hard to meet all the practice, performance, and drinking demands of being a Whiffenpoof and to carry a full academic load at the same time.</p>
<p>I don’t know about the Oregon group, or last year’s Beezelbubs.</p>
<p>They were pretty clear on the show that the Cherry Hill boys had graduated from high school, although they were still being coached by their high school music teacher. The other high school group, however, claimed actually to be in high school. Their lead singer was an 11th grader, and she was terrific – probably the most star quality of anyone on the show. And not ingenue star-quality, either – she came across as full-on genued.</p>
<p>Our family loved the show last year and enjoyed last night. We cannot however understand WHY Nicole is a judge. We keep expecting Shawn and Ben to whack her up side the head (please do not take me literally). We always laugh when she has to comment first because she has so little to say. We do think Ben and Shawn are very credible.</p>
<p>I like the Whiffenpoofs much better on YouTube - I guess song choice may have been my issue with them. </p>
<p>After looking on YouTube, I think Yale sent the wrong group, although there is obviously some guys who are in both. Take a look at the Spizzwinks(?) - they have a couple of phenomenal lead singers. Look up “If Ever I Should Call You” and “She Will be Loved.” They do “Grace Kelly” too - with the same lead singer.</p>
<p>edited to add - I figured out that the Spizzwinks are juniors and the Whiffenpoofs are seniors so that accounted for the crossover.</p>
<p>Last year, the Beezelbubs were still in college. I recall this distinctly as I was following it pretty closely due to my own kids’ “involvement” with the show and also the fact that I am a Tufts alum. In fact, it was an issue for the Beezelbubs because when they reached the finalist level in the selection process, like my D’s group did, they were not sure if they could actually do it because it meant missing a few weeks of classes and finals if they were in many episodes (which they were to the end). They were “negotiating” this with Tufts. I can now see why the producers had extra “finalists” like my D’s group because they couldn’t be sure everyone who had the offer would be able to take it. I read a bunch that it was touch and go for the 'Bubs but Tufts allowed them to do it in the end. My D’s group and also SoCal VoCals (against whom they had competed at the highest levels in the past), used recent graduates for this reason of not missing school. </p>
<p>On a side note, I was surprised last year that the producers made an exception for the Beezelbubs in that all their rules, regulations, contracts, auditions, etc. said that the groups could not exceed ten members and they made an exception for the 'Bubs who claimed they couldn’t do their thing with that few. Well, my D’s group was normally about 16 members and they had to create a group of 10 for it and so did SoCal VoCals which was normally larger too. I didn’t understand why one group was allowed more singers than the contract had stipulated. </p>
<p>While I haven’t watched yet this year, based on what you guys are saying, it sounds like some are professional with record contracts? I also recall the very very extensive contract my D had to sign last year for Sing Off and I thought you could not already have a professional recording contract. Maybe I’m wrong on my recollection.</p>
<p>I am also having a lot of fun watching this show.</p>
<p>I’m wondering about rights to the groups’ names, if a high school or college group wins the recording contract. It’s moot now, but would Yale have allowed the Whiffenpoof name to be commercialized?</p>
<p>While youtubing around listening to this stuff, I came across another ex-college group called “Straight No Chaser” that started at Indiana and has now gone pro (recording contract and everything). You can listen to all their stuff for free on their web site ([Straight</a> No Chaser Official Website: Photos, Blog, Videos, Interactive, Chat and more. - SNCMusic.com](<a href=“http://www.sncmusic.com%5DStraight”>http://www.sncmusic.com)).</p>
<p>I can’t stop playing Africa, it is awesome. And “I’m Yours” (Six Pack EP) gives me chills.</p>
<p>I sound like a friggin commercial.</p>
<p>notrichenough,
Straight No Chaser still exists at Indiana University with current students. We saw them perform in the midwest a few weeks ago. Then there is the Straight No Chaser “professional” group which did start at IU over a decade ago. Even the current student group is phenomenal. That’s why I :rolleyes: when the host of the Sing Off refers to the groups on the show as the “best” in the country.</p>
<p>As to the question above about who does the arranging, my experience is the same as soozievt’s. The collegiate a cappella groups my kids have been involved with do their own arranging. Even my boys’ high school group did their own arranging.</p>