\u201cA Cappella Arranging\u201d is finally here!<\/p>\n
[Dylan tells the story of how the book came about]<\/p>\n
The \u201cdefinitive work\u201d on a cappella arranging had yet to be written. So, Deke and I wrote it. How\u2019s how it all happened.<\/p>\n
A couple of years ago, I had the bright (or possibly crazy) idea to write a book on a cappella arranging. To my knowledge, there wasn\u2019t yet a complete, \u201cdefinitive work\u201d on the subject. (Anna Callahan wrote a great book a number of years ago, but it was written primarily for collegiate a cappella ensembles, and was written when collegiate acap was in its infancy.) So, before putting pen to paper, I put a call out to the a cappella community. Essentially, I asked:<\/p>\n
\u201cIs there an \u2018a cappella arranger\u2019s Bible\u2019 already out there? If not, how come none of the masters have written one?\u201d<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t help myself, and added the following:<\/p>\n
\u201c[Mr. Sharon, I\u2019m looking in your direction]\u201d.<\/p>\n
Well, it elicited plenty of responses out there, all saying the same things: \u201cNo, there isn\u2019t a book like that. Yes, please write it. And I\u2019ll be the first to buy it\u201d.<\/p>\n
Good sign so far. Then Deke chimed in:<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you serious about this? I\u2019ve been planning to write a book for years. What would you say about joining forces?\u201d<\/p>\n
Deke and Dylan, writing the Ulimate Acap Arranging book. I could dig that.<\/p>\n
So, we talked. Turns out we have a lot in common, in our approaches to the art, our writing styles, and even our working personalities. Looking good. Deke had even started collecting and organizing his many posts over the years. And thanks to Deke\u2019s existing relationship with Hal Leonard Publishing, the world\u2019s foremost music publisher, we managed to secure a publishing deal. No ring-bound, published-at-Staples home-job: we decided to go big, or go home.<\/p>\n
And go big we did. It\u2019s 98,000 words long. 330 pages. A half-century of our collective wisdom (such as it is), now available to everyone.<\/p>\n
What did we say in our 98,000 words? In essence, whatever you told us you needed to know. In our research phase (and over years of answering forums, individual questions, and teaching workshops on the subject) we collected questions from the a cappella community to find out what tricks, tips and techniques you need, what problems you\u2019ve come across, and even genre-specific questions like \u201cHow could I do a barbershop arrangement of a Metallica song?\u201d<\/p>\n
The book breaks down as follows:<\/p>\n
\u201cQuick Start\u201d: The Ten Steps Approach. For those who just want to jump right in.<\/p>\n
Principles of Arranging. Everything from how to transcribe, to thoughts on the creative process\u2026 plus some important myth-busting to break down the barriers and help you get started.<\/p>\n
The Ten Steps Expanded. We really dig into the details here, and take you through the process using two of our own arrangements.<\/p>\n
Detailed Analyses: for the hardcore arranging fans, we dissect three of our own charts, explaining the thought processes and reasons behind every note.<\/p>\n
Specific Topics in Arranging. A mixed bag of detailed topics, including tricks and tips to spice up your arrangement, techniques for writing for different types of vocal ensembles, writing in specific musical styles (from Gregorian chant, to jazz, to gospel), and how to write medleys.<\/p>\n
In short, everything and anything we could think of telling you. It\u2019s finally on the (virtual) shelves: click here<\/a>\u00a0to see where you can get it.<\/p>\n This book as truly been a labor (or in Canuck-speak, \u201clabour\u201d) of love, and we hope you enjoy learning from it as much as we enjoyed writing it for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cA Cappella Arranging\u201d is finally here! [Dylan tells the story of how the book came about] The \u201cdefinitive work\u201d on a cappella arranging had yet to be written. So, Deke and I wrote it. How\u2019s how it all happened. A … Continue reading