Acaville Podcast Network Feed

The Beauties and the Beat have been around a while, but recently competed in their first ICCA - we talk about making that decision and committing that level of time and effort, and whether it was as they'd hoped, and touched on the other areas of group work: recording, touring, and more. Plus, they sang some of their current rep for us. Recorded in 2017.

Mind the Gap is the all-gendered group at the University of Oregon, and is the newest of the earliest three groups on campus. We checked in with them in this episode about where they are in their recording process and cycle, their music choices, and competition schedules. We also hear them sing us some tunes. Recorded in 2017.

In 2017, we sat down with the University of California at Los Angeles Signature, a female-identified group on campus there, to talk about their history, what they've been working on this school year, and what's ahead for them. They also sang us some of their current music.

The University of Oregon Divisi has been impressive in a cappella for a long time, and continue to put out great recordings and strong live performances. We talk about how they maintain the quality over time, figure out how their sound is changing, and keep the momentum up. Plus, they sing some of their current songs for us. Recorded in 2017.

While in the Bay Area, we invited Prime Time to join us in the mobile studio to sing some tunes and catch up. It had been a little while since we last spoke with them, so we wanted to find out how the group is evolving, what is ahead, and how things are going. Recorded in 2017.

The UCLA Bruin Harmony have performed in all kinds of fun and interesting settings, taking advantage of their location near Hollywood. We talk about their gigs, their recording plans, and what else is ahead for them. We also recorded them singing some of their music in the mobile studio. Recorded in 2017.

What are the responsibilities that come with founding a group? How do the original members craft a sustainable and healthy group culture?

While at the 2017 Bend A Cappella festival, we invited the Barlow Sound from Sam Barlow High School in Portland, Oregon to join us in the mobile studio. They talked about the different challenges in performing contemporary a cappella music vs. other styles, and sang us some tunes.

The Scattertones are one of those groups that you just know will sound good. They've steadily built a reputation over the years for talent and ability, and they demonstrated it when they sang in our mobile studio. We also talked with them about continuous growth, and where they're headed from here. Recorded in 2017.

BOSS? SingStrong? Bend? Acaville founder Aaron Director gives John the full scoop on the major a cappella festivals and competitions groups should be aware of today.

GIRL BAND member Laura Larson discuss the unique nature of her group and how her collegiate a cappella experiences framed her post-collegiate endeavors.

Merging hip-hop and a cappella can often come off as contrived, or with its edges smoothed off and homogenized. That's why it was so refreshing to sit with ReMiX from the University of Virginia and hear them keep the energy raw while ensuring their harmonies and rhythms were on point. Hear our conversation and their tunes as they performed for us live. Recorded in 2017.

In 2017, we brought a big group into the mobile studio: the Big Chicken Chorus, a barbershop group from the Atlanta, Georgia area. In addition to singing some tunes for us, they talked about how they are planning and working toward growth, bringing in a new director with some fresh perspectives.

In 2017, we welcomed the women of Shir Harmony into our mobile studio to talk about their experiences in the post-collegiate Jewish a cappella group. We talked about the origins of the ensemble, as well as where they are today and where they might be going next.

While in the area for SoJam, we invited The Graduates into the mobile studio to talk about how they balance their adult lives with the responsibilities of the post-collegiate group, and also about their experiences in the Atlanta area vis-a-vis a cappella. They also sang us some of their music. Recorded in 2017.

Octave is a post-collegiate group in the Atlanta, Georgia area that has amassed an impressive history. We talk with the members about how they keep it going so effectively, and how they manage to balance Octave with the rest of their lives. We talk performance opportunities, music selection, and more. And hear them sing for us! Recorded in 2017.

With such a full a cappella scene at the University of Virginia, we talked with the members of CHoosE about why they selected this particular group, and also about how they narrow the universe of religious a cappella down to what is in their repertoire. They share their plans for the future of the group as well, and sing us some of their current songs. Recorded in 2017.

University of Oregon Mind the Gap member Jake Buhlmann stops by to talk to listeners about his experience preparing for the ICCA Quarterfinals with his group.

While in the Atlanta area, we were joined in the mobile studio by Infinite Harmony, who (in addition to singing some of their current music for us) talked with us about the a cappella scene at Georgia Tech, their performance opportunities, and the role of recording in the group. Recorded in 2017.

In the midst of their 25th-anniversary year, the women of Lady Blue from Duke University took some time to join us and talk about the group's evolution over all that time, as well as the current sound and vibe of the group. We also heard them sing some of their current repertoire. Recorded in 2017.

The University of North Carolina campus features many great a cappella groups - so when we get a chance to sit down with one, we always like to talk about where they feel they fit into the broader community. We talked with the Walk-Ons about that, as well as what they've been up to recently, and what's ahead. We also heard them sing us some songs in our mobile studio. Recorded in 2017.

When Emory University's Dooley Noted joined us in the mobile studio, we heard about their background, and explored a bit about what it means to be a "service-oriented" group on the Emory campus. We also talked with them about the role of the ICCA in their experiences, and what's ahead. Recorded in 2017.

For episode 29, Greg and John discuss their arranging techniques and collaborations.

Since Aural Pleasure has been around over 20 years, we wanted to talk about what role that history plays in the group's current decisions and trajectories. We also talk about how they make decisions about music and repertoire, and hear them sing us some tunes. Recorded in 2017.

Second Shift has been a successful post-collegiate a cappella group for about a decade, all while members balance many other commitments. We dive into how they do that a bit, as well as how the group structures rehearsals and scheduling to make it possible. We discuss recording and when it's time to do it, and hear the group sing us some tunes. Recorded in 2017.