There are few places in the world to study music arranging, and even fewer that offer any instruction on arranging a cappella. This seminar will offer ideas and discussion topics to further develop the skills of intermediate and advanced a cappella arrangers, as well as Q & A. Lead by Dylan Bell and Deke Sharon, authors of A Cappella Arranging and A Cappella Arranging 2.0: The Next Level. All levels of musicians and arrangers are welcome.
Clinician Bios:
Deke Sharon, www.dekesharon.com Heralded “The Father of Contemporary A Cappella” (Entertainment Weekly), Deke Sharon is a producer (NBC’s The Sing Off), music director (Pitch Perfect), arranger (Broadway’s In Transit), community leader (founding CASA, BOCA,CARAs, ICCA, Camp A Cappella), author of 7 books, and performer since the age of 8, sharing the stage with the likes of Pavarotti, Ray Charles, and James Brown while pioneering and popularizing the sound of modern a cappella.
Dylan Bell: In a word… multifaceted. Since he first discovered his parents’ eclectic Beethoven-to-Bob Dylan record collection, Juno-nominated Dylan Bell’s musical curiosity has kept him effortlessly crossing and blurring musical boundaries. Dylan is a mainstay on the Canadian music scene, having sung with many of Canada’s premiere vocal ensembles such as Cadence, Hampton Avenue, the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, The Watch, the eclectic FreePlay, and the 1980s-era vocal pop group Retrocity. When he’s not singing, he freelances as a keyboard player and bassist.Behind the mixing board, Dylan has produced or engineered several award-winning albums, including a Juno co-nomination as Best Engineer with Cadence (Twenty For One), the Swingles (Ferris Wheels) and the final Juno-nominated album by The Nylons (Skin Tight).Dylan’s compositions and arrangements have garnered international recognition, and have been performed around the world from Adelaide to Zurich. When it comes to vocal arranging, Dylan wrote the book… literally. His major work “A Cappella Arranging” (co-written with Deke Sharon) was published by Hal Leonard Music in 2013 to international acclaim, with a followup book to be released in July, 2024. Dylan is also in demand worldwide as an instrumental teacher and vocal/choral clinician. Visit Dylan at www.dylanbell.ca.