Deke Sharon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Deke Sharon (born December 12, 1967) is an American singer, arranger, composer, director, producer and teacher of a cappella music, and is one of the leaders of the contemporary a cappella community and a pioneer of the contemporary a cappella style [1][2][3].
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[edit] Early life
He was born and raised in San Francisco, attending Town school and San Francisco University High School as well as singing in the San Francisco Boys Chorus.
He spent his college years in Boston, graduating cum laude from Tufts University and the New England Conservatory of Music. In college, he directed the collegiate a cappella group the Tufts Beelzebubs[4][5], transforming the group's sound to reflect modern rock, complete with vocal percussion.
In his dorm room, he founded The Contemporary A Cappella Society[6][7][8] [9]and The Ultimate A Cappella Arranging Service (which became TotalVocal), as well as brought the Harmony Sweepstakes to the East Coast, producing the first Boston regional with the Beelzebubs [10] It was in college that he decided to make a career of contemporary a cappella.[11]
[edit] Career
Upon graduation in 1991 he moved back to San Francisco, bringing with him a handful of other collegiate a cappella singers to form the The House Jacks [12], the first a cappella group with a designated vocal percussionist [13]: Andrew Chaikin, aka Kid Beyond, who was replaced in 1998 by Wes Carroll.
He is a prolific vocal music arranger, having arranged for some of vocal music's best known groups [14]
In addition, he co-founded The Best of College A Cappella (BOCA)[15], the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), the West and East Coast A Cappella Summits, and a number of other a cappella-related projects, programs and events[16]. He also founded and directed a cappella groups at Disneyworld/Epcot (American Vybe) and Disneyland (Groove 66)[17], who currently perform in Southern California as Vybration. In addition he has worked on a cappella musical theater projects including "Street" and "Our World." [18]
He is also known for his ability to replicate a variety of instruments with his voice, and has taught "Singing Instruments" seminars around the world: "For guys who have ever wanted to sing like a trumpet, a guitar, a drum set -- this is the class" [19]
In 2007 he formed the Contemporary A Cappella League [20], a network of adult a cappella groups comprised of 12-20 members, similar to the collegiate a cappella community.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ A Cappella Originals from CASA.org
- ^ TruMix - A Cappella Originals from CASA.org Podcast
- ^ RARB Review of The House Jacks - Drive
- ^ Tufts E-News - A Cappella With An Edge
- ^ http://repository01.lib.tufts.edu:8080/fedora/get/tufts:UP029.012.018.00063/bdef:TuftsPDF/getPDF#page=9
- ^ Find Articles 404 File not found
- ^ A Cappella News: Old style, new sounds
- ^ Boy bands over bach | American Music Teacher | Find Articles at BNET.com
- ^ http://repository01.lib.tufts.edu:8080/fedora/get/tufts:UP029.019.030.00091/bdef:TuftsPDF/getPDF#page=2
- ^ http://repository01.lib.tufts.edu:8080/fedora/get/tufts:UP029.012.018.00025/bdef:TuftsPDF/getPDF#page=5
- ^ http://repository01.lib.tufts.edu:8080/fedora/get/tufts:UP029.012.018.00063/bdef:TuftsPDF/getPDF#page=17
- ^ http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SB&p_theme=sb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB0DA4F5882102E&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
- ^ A Century of A Cappella
- ^ Music history tribute aims to leave viewers feelin' good
- ^ Colorado Springs Independent : Culture : Seven Days : Sound effects
- ^ 'Doo-Wop-a-Doo' Will No Longer Do - New York Times
- ^ News - Local news - Irvine - The Orange County Register
- ^ `Medea' To Reopen Stage Door
- ^ Commercial Appeal : Memphis News, Business, Homes, Jobs, Cars, & Information
- ^ NY Times article about post-collegiate singing
[edit] References
- Marine, Craig. (June 24, 1992) San Francisco Examiner Home of some very brave singers at the coliseum, A's anthem contest brings out talented and otherwise. Section: News; Page A5.
- Carnes, Jim. (May 21, 1993) The Sacramento Bee Jacks of all vocal trades. Section: Ticket; Page 15.
- Scott, Jane. (October 19, 1993) Cleveland Plain Dealer Jacking up music with edgy a cappella. Section: Arts & Living; Page C14.
- Birmingham News (October 7, 1994) Crime reports. Section: News; Page 2.
- Winn, Steven. (March 6, 1996) San Francisco Chronicle "Media" to reopen stage door. Section: Daily Datebook; Page E1.
- Eichenwald, Kurt. (June 22, 1997) New York Times Pop/jazz; 'Doo-Wop-a-Doo' will no longer do. Section 2; Page 232.
- Eichenwald, Kurt. (July 17, 1997) Albany Times Union A cappella groups push vocal limits. Section: Preview; Page 6.
- Associated Press (December 8, 1997) A Cappella Renaissance. Section: Entertainment.
- Roberts, Alison. (February 4, 1999) The Sacramento Bee Mouthin' to it: Boyz nite out takes the a cappella approach to rock 'n' roll. Section: Scene; Page F1.
- Muther, Christopher. (February 21, 1999) Boston Globe Different sounds of music group aims to make its mark in a cappella. Section: City Weekly; Page 9.
- Sharon, Deke. (August 2, 2000) San Francisco Examiner Letters to the editor Section: News.
- PR Newswire (October 10, 2000) Internet Radio Is Home for the Adventurous, May Force Traditional Radio to Change Its Tune Says Expert.
- Alexander, Sandy. (February 25, 2001) Baltimore Sun Campuses in tune with singers Music: The voices-only sound of a cappella groups catches on at colleges in Maryland and across the nation. Section: Special Tab; Page 1S.
- Alarik, Scott. (April 22, 2001) Boston Globe "B-doom doom doom" they're not your father's a cappella. Section: Northwest weekly; Page 11.
- Burrell, Jackie. (March 4, 2006) Contra Costa Times Old style, new sounds. Section: Local; Page F4.
- Gomeztagle, Frances. (December 14, 2006) Colorado Springs Independent Sound effects. Volume 14; Issue 50; Page 28.
- McCandish, Laura. (May 19, 2007) Baltimore Sun "Harmonizing the Melting Pot" Section: Local; Page B1
- Terauds, John. (January 27, 2008) Toronto Star "Acappellooza Shows A Cappella Singing on the RIse" Section: Entertainment.
- Rapkin, Mickey. (March 23, 2008) New York Times "Perfect Tone, in a Key That's Mostly Minor" Section: Style
[edit] External links
- CASA
- TotalVocal
- House Jacks
- The Tufts Beelzebubs
- Elkhart Truth "Master of A Cappella Shares Talent"
- CNN "A Cappella Summit Joins Voices in Harmony" archive of text
- Edmonton Journal "Northern Harmony"
- Taipei Contemporary A Cappella Association "第一屆大專盃台灣阿卡貝拉比賽"
- B.U. Bridge "A Cappella at B.U."
- Duke Magazine "Shoo-Bee-Doo-Bee-Duke"
- USC Thesis "Social Dynamics and Musical Sensibilities"
- UVA Thesis "Room Zero"
- Daily Princetonian article
- Tufts Daily "Going Live to the Past"
- Pulse Magazine "Following Pop's Lead, A Cappella Redefines Itself Again"
- Stanford Daily "A Cappella Up For Awards"
- General-Anzieger "Alltag raus, Spaß rein, Tür zu"
- Waiblinger Stadtanzeiger "Wanna Funk?"
- German articles "Mund-Trommler und Lippen-Gitarristen", "Mineralwasser, Mikrofone und Viel Stimme" and "Smarte Stimmkunstler..."
- "A Cappella U" podcast
- casa.org "Jacks Bring Down The House, None Survive"
- barbershop.org article on Contemporary A Cappella
- Tufts e-news "A Cappella With An Edge"
- Tufts Beelzebubs "Official Website"
