Journalists like to joke that all you need to write a trend story is three examples. Well, if that's truly the case, a cappella is the new hot trend!Evidence:
1. Two weeks ago, indie rock god Ben Folds announced a unique a cappella contest. He's putting together a compilation album of collegiate a cappella covers of his own music. You submit your video via YouTube. If he likes what he hears, he’ll send his producer to work with your group. The album is due out this spring. Enter here.
2. Atlantic Records signed IU's Straight No Chaser to a five-album deal. Read that story here.
3. Mark Burnett of Survivor fame is working on an a cappella reality show called “A CAPPELLA NATION,” tied to the Universal deal. (That story here.)
4. Mosaic won MTV's Next Top Pop Group contest. Here.
5. A cappella is the latest pop culture go-to joke! There have been repeated a cappella references on NBC's The Office, including three minutes on the season premiere this year. A cappella has also been joked about twice on Saturday Night Live and also in last summer's Step Brothers. SNL clip here.
6. I'd lump my book Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory in there. It was optioned by Universal Pictures and the lovely actress Elizabeth Banks for a feature film—a trend-worthy mention.
7. The Yale Whiffenpoofs will celebrate their centennial in 2009. Look at it this way: It only took 100 years for a cappella to become an overnight hit.
Spread the word! Forward this to college newspapers, a cappella groups, and anyone who (proudly or not so proudly) appreciates a cappella.
1 comment:
...and there was a newsweek.com feature on "Real World A Cappella" a few months ago featuring two post-college groups in New York City :)
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