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Newsgroups: rec.music.a-cappella,alt.music.a-cappella,rec.music.info,rec.answers,alt.answers,news.answers Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!spool.mu.edu!caen!batcomputer!munnari.oz.au!bruce.cs.monash.edu.au!monu6!yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au!svlad From: svlad@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (Brendan Quinn) Subject: FAQ: rec.music.a-cappella Frequently Asked Questions Message-ID: <acappella-faq.1Nov93@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au> Followup-To: rec.music.a-cappella Summary: This posting lists frequently asked questions, with answers, about a cappella music, its performers, and its fans. Please read this before posting to the rec.music.a-cappella newsgroup. Keywords: frequently asked questions faq a cappella a-cappella music Sender: news@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au (Usenet system) Supersedes: <acappella-faq.1Oct93@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au> Organization: Monash University, Melb., Australia. Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1993 23:23:54 GMT Approved: trusted-submitter@cp.tn.tudelft.nl,news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Expires: Thu, 2 Dec 1993 00:00:00 GMT Lines: 1531 Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.music.a-cappella:1147 alt.music.a-cappella:1019 rec.music.info:2472 rec.answers:2786 alt.answers:1123 news.answers:14077 Archive-name: music/acappella-faq Last-modified: 28 Oct 1993 Version: 1.4 Welcome to the rec.music.a-cappella Frequently Asked Questions list! -------------------------------------------------------------------- Since the inception of the alt.music.a-cappella newsgroup in early April 1993, a cappella singers and fans the world over have been discussing all manner of topics on both that and the new rec.music.a-cappella newsgroup, and, as people come and go, the same questions will no doubt be asked several times. To make the newsgroup a better place for us all, please read this file before asking a question that might have been asked before. Of course, if your topic is not covered within to your satisfaction, feel free to discuss it on the net. The topics are arranged in Q/A form. I was going to list the names and email addresses of people who asked the questions and responded to them, but this would have made the list too difficult to read and too hard to organize, so I decided to simply list the facts and only include names where the opinions of specific people are shown. The names of everyone whose posts I have used are listed in the "Contributors" section. If you want to find out who posted about a specific topic, either look in the archive, or ask me via email. The questions have been arranged into three sections: General Questions, Specific A Cappella Groups and Recordings, and Internet Stuff. The first part will definitely be broken up into several sections after a few more topics are included, but for now I thought it would be a bit stupid to have several sections, each with only one question. Part Two may be put into a separate file, especially now that we have an FTP site. Part Three was kept separate so that the first two parts would be relevant to everyone, not just network users, so you can print out that part and distribute it to your friends if you want. (By the way, you can do anything you want with this file - it's fully in the public domain) I have kept reviews of, and advertisements for, albums separate from this file. Although some may say it isn't fair to include discographies and such for professional groups and not for collegiate groups (for example), I have included these because people asked about them. Posted reviews are well received all round, but including them in this file would make it much larger than it is. Hopefully, a separate list of discographies and of reviews will be created in the near future. Any takers? Todd Biske (biske@cs.uiuc.edu) has volunteered to keep a file of advertisements for collegiate albums posted on the net, which he posts periodically to the newsgroup and which is stored on the archive at Princeton. If you have anything to add to the list, please email him. The topics covered in this file are: Part One: General Questions --------------------------- What is a cappella? Is there a standard definition of "a cappella music", and what makes an "a cappella group"? How do I learn to sing in an a cappella group? Can just anyone do it? What is the range of the various vocal parts? Are there any organizations of a cappella singers and/or fans? Do any mail order catalogues exist for a cappella music and/or recordings? Can anyone give some tips on transcribing music from a recording? Can anyone give some tips on translating an SATB score for use by my TTBB/SSAA group? Can anyone recommend any books on arranging popular a cappella music? What is the best microphone technique for a four part a-cappella group? Does one mike work well or should everyone have a mike? What types of microphone are best for a quartet? What should we do about members missing or being late for rehearsals? Questions about Copyright & Legal Issues: 1) The Berne Convention 2) Public Domain material 3) Registering a Copyright 4) Derivative Works - the Legality of an Arrangement 5) Legalities of Performance, Distribution, etc. 6) Fair use Does anyone give a cappella workshops? Part Two - Specific A Cappella Groups and Recordings ---------------------------------------------------- Are there any compilation-type albums of modern a cappella music? Everything you Never Wanted to Know About... - The Blenders - The Flying Pickets - King's Singers - Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Mint Juleps - Rockapella - Take 6 - Zap Mama Part Three - Internet Stuff --------------------------- Is there a rec.music.a-cappella FTP site? Can we store arrangements at the FTP site? Does anyone have the <lyrics|chords> to <song>? Do any CD directories exist over the Internet? Do any music tutorials exist for FTP access? Are there any music typesetting programs I can use? Are there any electronic mailing lists for fans of <group>? What's the story with the rec.music.a-cappella newsgroup? If you have any ideas for questions to add to the list or information to add to the answers, then please contact me! I can be emailed by replying to this post, or mail direct to svlad@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au if for some reason you can't reply using your news software. You can also ask me questions concerning the list, a cappella music, or life in general; I will endeavour to answer them or at least refer you to someone who can. DISCLAIMER: Most of the information contained in this file I have gathered from the Internet. I cannot vouch for its accuracy, but I have interests in keeping it accurate (eg the money I sent off to the CASA address). If any of it is wrong, it is not my fault! Please tell me about it if there are any errors or serious omissions in the text, and I will fix it straight away. So happy a cappella-ing, and remember to keep the questions pouring in! Brendan Quinn. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part One: General Questions --------------------------- Q. What is a cappella? Is there a standard definition of "a cappella music", and what makes an "a cappella group"? The phrase "a cappella" is Italian in origin, as are most musical terms. Literally it translates to "in the style of the chapel", which does *not* mean "unaccompanied". It refers to choral music witghout *separate* instrumental accompaniment. Instruments may be used to double the vocal parts, eg using an electric bass to strengthen the vocal bass line, and the piece is still a cappella. In light of this, an "a cappella group" is one that sings a cappella music, with or without instrumental doubling. But does a group such as the Nylons, who often use synthesized bass, or Boyz II Men, who perform some a cappella but mostly accompanied, qualify as an a cappella group? This question is left to individual discretion and opinion. The spelling of "a cappella" can also get on some people's nerves if not done properly: a letter to the editor in the CAN (see below) commented: ... in truth, "a capella" means "in your hair", "a cappello" means "in your hat", and "A Capella" is an astronomical reference to the first planet circling the star Capella in the constellation Auriga. Q. How do I learn to sing in an a cappella group? Can just anyone do it? Like most things in life, it takes practice. Some people are better at it than others, but with hard work you can learn how to do it. A good sense of pitch is important, as is a good singing voice (particularly one that can blend with others). What you might do is try to find a vocal teacher in your area who specializes in a cappella music. Q. What is the range of the various vocal parts? The range, or compass, of the traditional parts is as follows: (with C4 = middle C, C3 = C below middle C, etc) Soprano: C4 - A5 (Also known as treble) Alto: G3 - D5 (Also known as contralto) Tenor: C3 - G4 Bass: F2 - D4 You should arrange (or transpose) your music so that your vocalists can stay roughly within these boundaries, unless you know that a specific vocalist can sing outside them comfortably. Q. Are there any organizations of a cappella singers and/or fans? * CASA - The Contemporary A Cappella Society of America Based in San Francisco (with chapters in Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Texas), the CASA was started by ex-collegiate a cappella singer Deke Sharon, who now runs the Ultimate A Cappella Arranging Service and sings with his own group, the House Jacks. The organization was formed three years ago with the intention of advancing a cappella music in all shapes and forms. CASA offers the following services: o CASA Hotline: Information, News, Concert Calendar, etc. o CASA Arrangement Library Members can request up to five arrangements per four months from their library of over one thousand songs. They ask that you donate one arrangement to the library for each one that you receive. o Contemporary A Cappella Newsletter ("the CAN") Published bi-monthly, the CAN is "filled with current news, reviews of a cappella concerts and albums, interviews with famous and influential individuals, and articles on a wide range of related topics, from arranging tips to the mathematical superiority of a cappella tuning... advertisements... a classifieds section, and an upcoming concerts calendar." o A Cappella Recording Archives They are currently collecting recordings, with a view to distributing them to interested people when and if they can find a legal way of doing so. o Ultimate A Cappella Arranging Service A service run by Deke Sharon which arranges songs personally for your group, for a fee. o International A Cappella Directories Lists of professional groups, collegiate groups and other contacts the world over. Annual subscriptions are $20 for groups and $15 for individuals (international add $5). They can be contacted at: 1850 Union St. Suite 1441 San Francisco, CA 94123 Phone:(+1) (415) 563-5224 Fax: (+1) (415) 921-2834 email: casa@netcom.com * SPEBSQSA Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (don't ask me, I didn't name it), I think you can guess what they do. In addition to sponsoring educational workshops and competitions from local to international levels, SPEBSQSA also assists high school music programs through its "Harmony Explosion" program, and also support a charity called Heartspring, which helps children with speech defects. They have over 35,000 members. They have a number of useful pamphlets on singing and arranging, as well as an arranger's manual, available for about US$30. Note that this manual only deals with barbershop-style arranging, which deals almost solely with major, minor, and dominant seventh chords. If this is your thing, then go for it, but if you're a bit more adventurous, well, it can still be used as an introduction to arranging for voices, and you can supplement it with information on other techniques (from, say, the Jazz Primer mentioned below). SPEBSQSA run a week-long training camp in the first week of August in St. Joseph, Missouri called Harmony College, and run comptetitions extensively. You can contact them at: S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A. 6315 Third Avenue Kenosha, Wisconsin 53140-5199 Phone: 1-800 876-SING or (414) 653-8440 There are affiliated (but independent) organizations in several countries, including: Australian Association of Men Barbershop Singers (AAMBS) Mell McMichael, President, 16 Booral Street Buderim, Queensland 4556, Australia Barbershop in Germany (BinG!) Hans-Jurgen Wieneke, President Muhlgasse 8-12, 6000 Frankfurt am Main 90, Germany [mit umlauts over the u's in Jurgen and Muhlgasse] British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS) Bob Walker, Chairman "St. Catherines", Highfield Road, East Grinstead, Sussex RH19 2DX, England Dutch Association of Barbershop Singers (DABS) Herman Feitsma, President, Klavermeen #1 Harderwyk 3844 BR, The Netherlands New Zealand Association of Barbershop Singers (NZABS) Ross Gainsford, President 25 Gordon Street Avalon, Lower Hutt, New Zealand Society of Nordic Barbershop Singers (SNOBS) Kjell Lindberg, President Norrangsvagen 54 (two dots over both a's) S-141 43 Huddinge, Sweden Southern Part of Africa Tonsorial Singers (SPATS) Chris Molyneux, President P.O. Box 242, Rondebosch 7700 Cape Province, South Africa * Sweet Adelines International The Sweet Adelines are the female counterpart to SPEBSQSA, with around 29,000 members around the world. Although they also emphasize the barbershop style of harmonizing, they don't make as much of an effort to "preserve the style" as SPEBSQSA. Sweet Adelines International PO Box 470168 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74147 Phone: 1-800 992-SING * Harmony Inc. Another women's barbershop singing organization. We're not sure of the permanent address, but here's the address of the editor of their publication, "Keynote": Joanne Rohrer, RFD-1 Box 142, East Calais, VT, 05650. * Sydney Acappella Association (Australia) Run a newsletter ("Oral Majority"), support local & touring groups, promote and sponsor workshops, singing classes and performances. Too bad they can't spell a cappella properly... They may be contacted through: Sydney Acappella Association PO Box 40 Broadway NSW 2007 AUSTRALIA Phone: +61 2 692-0969 (Ann Babinard, Secretary) * Harmony Sweepstakes An annual a cappella competition throughout the US. Heats are held in various parts of the country. They also join forces with CASA to present the A Cappella Summit (first one in San Francisco 2-3 October, so if you're reading this, you probably missed it!) For information contact: John Neal PO Box D San Anselmo, CA, 94979 Phone: (415) 459-3955 * A Cappella's (An all-a cappella club) 1336 E 17th Ave. Denver, CO 80218 (303) 832-1479 * Associated Male Choruses of America 1204 South First St. Stillwater, MN 55082 * Chorus America 2111 Sansom Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 563-2430 * 4-Part Harmony Newsletter (first issue at the end of September) c/o Becky McDuffee PO Box 11432 Champaign, IL 61826-1432 (217) 356-0531 email: mcduffbe@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu * Michigan Vocal Jazz Society 63360 Dequindre Rd. Washington, MI 48095 * Southern California Doo Wop Society 1077 Pacific Coast Highway #153 Seal Beach, CA 90740 (818) 331-4399 * United Group Harmony Association (An East Coast doo-wop club) PO Box 185 Clifton, NJ 07011 Q. Do any mail order catalogues exist for a cappella music and/or recordings? The major source for a cappella recordings is the Primarily A Cappella Catalog, which was once run by United Singers International in New Jersey. Now the Harmony Sweepstakes people have taken over, so they're address is: Primarily A Cappella PO Box D San Anselmo, CA 94979 Phone: (415) 455 8602 Here is the old address for United Singers International. Do they still do anything, or was the catalogue their only function? United Singers International PO Box 583, Dept S-2 Princeton, NJ 08540 USA Phone: (609) 730-1200 Other sources for recordings include: DJ Records Doug Anderson PO Box 95 McMinnville, OR 97128 Phone: (503) 472-6971 Official King's Singers album distributors in the US, who also specialize in scholastic choral recordings, and Hall of Records Dan Jordan PO Box 11244 Glendale, CA 91206-7244 Phone: (818) 240-4868 Will send out a catalogue for $5 ($7.50 for Canada and Europe). Apparently they have a large range of music, including hard-to-find selections. As far as sheet music goes, you can contact the CASA, SPEBSQSA etc to obtain arrangements, or to obtain sheet music for sale, try contacting a large distributor such as Hal Leonard: Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation 7777 West Bluemound Road PO Box 13819 Milwaukee WI 53213 Phone: (414) 774-3630 Paul Bartholomew (pdb059@ipl.jpl.nasa.gov) has typed out a list of all the titles listed as a cappella in their catalogue, which is posted to the group at irregular intervals and is kept at the princeton.edu archive (see Part Three) as pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/Hal.Leonard.list * Here's one hint on a book of King's Singers Arrangements: The King's Singers 25th Anniversary Jubilee! Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation HL08602135 ISBN 0-7935-2135-1 US $12.95 Contents: I'm a Train, You Are the New Day, Can't Buy Me Love, Short People, Le Baylere. Musik der Nacht (Schlummerlied), Greensleeves, Loch Lommond, Eriskay Love Lilt, That Lonesome Road, And So It Goes, Shenandoah The songs have been (re-)arranged for SATB. * Tammy Heinsohn (szheinsn@hamlet.ucdavis.edu) posted about an a cappella arrangement service called "Voices Music Publishing": Voices PO Box 8178 Tyler, TX 75711-8178 Phone: (903) 597-3622 Their brochure claims "our library of simple SATB arrangements is written for your group's performance during worship, devotionals, special events or weddings." According to Tammy, they have a variety of contemporary Christian and pop music in their catalogue. * From Tammy again, another religious-service type catalogue is: A Cappella Junction PO Box 48464 Fort Worth, TX 76148 This catalog provides praise, worship and ministry oriented items. The catalog is billed as "your one-stop A Cappella Shoppe" with Cassettes, Compact Discs, Choral Octavos, Videos, Song Books, T-Shirts, Tote Bags, Research Reports, Children's Music, Caps and more. A new version of the catalog will be published in early 1994. * Ken Purchase, k-purchase@uiuc.edu, of the University of Illinois Xtension Chords, can email or regular mail a list of arrangements to anyone interested. He has men's, women's and mixed music, and sends it out for either a small copying fee or a trade: Ken Purchase 705 E Colorado #207 Urbana, IL 61801-6372 * Paul Sabourin (paslll@next02wor.wam.umd.edu) kindly posted information about arrangements by Derric Johnson for Voices of Liberty, a great mixed a cappella group who perform many times a day at EPCOT centre in Orlando, Florida and who cause many an a cappella visitor to drool on the spot at their arrangements (so I'm told :-) Paul's friend Kevin, in VoL, "mentioned this to Derric, and he responded that he would be more than willing to make his arrangements available to any interested parties. If you are interested, write to him at the following address: Derric Johnson P.O. Box 22605 Orlando, FL 32830 "Now, he made no mention of $$$, but can only assume that there would be some sort of fee involved, although I would not begin to guess at the amount. It seems (from what Kevin said) that he would deal with this individually. "These arrangements are SATB (and more complicated iterations of that, like SAATBB, etc.), but I know from experience that they can translate pretty well to other voicings when done right (my old group did his National Anthem TTTBBB, and it still kicked butt). You might wish to discuss this with him; he might be willing to revoice a chart himself, or at least make suggestions." Paul Bartholomew informs me that he wrote to the above address over two months ago and still hasn't received a reply. Has anyone else had more luck? * Max Ziff (ziff@cs.uchicago.edu) posts "Basic Collections for A Cappella Singing" to the rec.music.early, rec.music.classical.performing and rec.music.a-cappella newsgroups periodically - this lists sources for madrigals, motets, chansons, etc. around the world. * Ruth Cross posted information about a book published by Hampton Institute Press called "Religious Folk-Songs of the Negro", edited by R. Nathaniel Dett. It is available from: University Store Hampton University Hampton, Virginia 23668 "The book is a hymnal-size hard-cover, containing over 200 spirituals collected in the late 1800's at the Hampton Institute, one of the first colleges for former slaves. The songs were transcribed as sung by the students, with some harmonies added, and are meant to be sung a cappella. Almost all are 4-part, often with solo parts; some are solo/tutti. The current book is a reprint of the 1927 edition, edited by Nathaniel Dett, and includes a new introduction with a history of the music, and copies of prefaces from the previous editions. "The last time we ordered copies, less than a year ago, the price was $10, including postage. I have heard they may have other books of black music available." Q. Can anyone give some tips on transcribing music from a recording? [ These tips were posted by Shawn Pearce ] When transcribing a song, listen for the bassline first, then the lead, then the harmony parts. Write these in the same order. It is to my experience that with even the most difficult songs, if you have a bassline and a melody, you can usually figure out the rest. Know the ability level of the group you're writing for. This will help you make certain decisions in the arranging, i.e. range of parts, difficulty level etc. Listen for basic chord progressions from one song to the next (eg I-vi-IV- V-I) 50's and 60's music are notorius for beating this progression to death... If you know what that progression sounds like, it will save time with the arrangement, trust me :) Q. Can anyone give some tips on translating an SATB score for use by my TTBB/SSAA group? Noam Elkies (elkies@zariski.harvard.edu) posted some tips: For women, have the first sopranos read S, and the seconds read T up an octave (not A); the first altos sing A as written, and the seconds sing B up an octave. Same idea, mutatis mutandis, for a men's group: Basses read B, Baritones read A down the octave, second tenors read T, firsts read S down the octave. Schematically, then: Men Mixed Women T1 (-8ve) S S1 B1 (-8ve) A A1 T2 T S2 (+8ve) B2 B A2 (+8ve) The point is that this preserves the relation between the outer voices and automatically transforms many common open voicings into standard closed voicings with the four parts in the natural order; e.g. the open D-major chord D-A-F#-D becomes D-F#-A-D. Q. Can anyone recommend any books on arranging popular a cappella music? [ This is basically a straight copy of a post by Chris Hebert: ] There is a large manual available from the SPEBSQSA on barbershop arranging (Arrangers Manual). It is very thorough, with lots of examples, and details three different methodologies for approaching an arrangement. It goes into such things as song forms, harmonic progressions, chord vocabulary, chord voicings, etc. There is also a smaller manual called The Theory of Barbershop Harmony, which you should know first before starting to arrange. A very good text on SATB arranging is: Choral Arranging by Hawley Ades Shawnee Press, Inc. 1966 It is loaded with examples, both classical and popular in nature. Tables of contents includes: principles of part writing for voices, 4-, 3-, 2-, and multi-part writing, contrapuntal techniques, special effects, treble voices, male choruses (includes glee and barbershop, but not much detail), key and tempo changes, intros and endings, planing arrangements, scoring arrangements, chorus with intruments, etc. Hawley Ades was the arranger for the Fred Waring's Pensylvanians, and in the 60's he did all their radio show music (five 30 minute shows a week plus a one hour evening show over 7 years, so he has done a lot of arranging). Mr. Ades believes that the techiniques in part writing apply to all styles, voices, etc., and a firm foundation in music and harmony is necessary as well. This has been the only book I have gotten my hands on that discusses choral arranging (and was published within the last 30 years). In the bibliography section he mentions the normal books on harmony and counterpoint that most music students use in their undergraduate work, and some more books that I have never found: Delamont, Gordon. Modern Arranging Techniques - Kendor Music, NY 1965 Wilson, Harry. Choral Arranging - Robbins Music, NY 1949 You also might try to find books on vocal jazz arranging. I believe you might have better luck, as this style is currently more popular than standard choral stuff. If arranging is new to you, I would definitely recommend this book! Q. What is the best microphone technique for a four part a-cappella group? Does one mike work well or should everyone have a mike? Four directional mikes are great *if* you have a competent sound person, who understands that a properly-balanced quartet does *not* mean that all four parts are of equal volume. Next best is one omni-directional mike. Here, though, you need to work very carefully to keep the singers at equal distances from the mike. Some places provide two directional mikes, which is awful. With this set- up, try pointing the two at the center of the quartet and cluster your group very close together. An important consideration is that low voices need to be closer to mikes than high voices. Each singer needs to take responsibility of getting closer to his/her own mike at bottom of his/her range. It's safer to have individual mikes, practise your technique and be sure to have an alert sound tech. Or consider the intermediate approach - two singers on each of two mics. If the heights are close enough, this works pretty well. Q. What types of microphone are best for a quartet? [ From David Boyes ] For one mike, you must have strong vocalists, and a *very* good omnidirectional. Sennheisers work acceptably well, but it's a lot easier to get good sound levels and balances for recording with individual mikes. One or two PZM-style surface mikes with extension stands work well for larger groups; for individuals and studio work, the Sennheisers are absolutely a better choice. They don't travel well, and they're expensive, but they're worth it in response and sound. The SM58s are a good touring mike, but tend to have somewhat uneven spectral response as the elements age. SM58s tend also to become more directional with age, but that can be both a blessing and a problem if your soundman isn't aware of it. Q. What should we do about members missing or being late for rehearsals? [ from Dave Damouth...] The first thing that is needed is an objective measure of the impact of lateness or absence on the rest of the group. It's important to get it out of the realm of emotion and personal opinion, and establish something that is measurable independent of personalities. The second key thing is to separate the actual impact of the absence from the reason for the absence, and deal with the two separately. If someone is absent a lot, for the best of reasons (car wrecks, command performances at the White House, having a baby, whatever), it damages the preparedness and quality of the performance just as much as if the excuses were bad. The nature of the excuses is very important too, of course, but this is a very different kind of discussion. When someone is missing frequently, the discussion is, first, "how much have you damaged the group by not being here?" and, second, quite separately, "is this behavior likely to continue in the future and does the group value you enough to be willing to tolerate this damage?" The attendance policy for Madrigalia, Dave's 16-voice madrigal group, is stored at the Princeton archive as pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/Rehearsal-Attendance-Policy Q. Questions about Copyright & Legal Issues [ Much of the following was learned from the Copyright FAQ, maintained by Terry Carroll (tjc50@ccc.amdahl.com), posted to the misc.legal newsgroup (and others) monthly and available for ftp from rtfm.mit.edu under Copyright-FAQ/part[1-6]. Other info came from postings, especially those from Jed Hartman. There are many detailed facts to be understood about copyright, especially in a field such as ours where (for example) arrangements of other people's (already copyrighted) works are used frequently. This section will not attempt to address all possible factors relevant to us, but rather an overview of the laws governing copyright. Perhaps this will evolve into a more detailed section, or even a separate FAQ. ] 1) The Berne Convention Created by a group of countries in 1886 and joined by the US on March 1, 1988, the most recent document specifying the law in the Paris, 1971 text. The main parts of the Berne Convention are as follows: * National treatment: An author's rights are respected in another country as though the author were a citizen of that country. Eg for me, in Australia, to use material copyrighted in the US, I must adhere to Australian copyright law, not Amercian. This is only true if both countries are signatories to the Convention. (Most Western countries seem to be signatories; check out the list in the Copyright FAQ if you're not sure) * Preclusion of formalities: The copyright cannot depend upon formalities (such as copyright notices or registration) for a copyright to hold; this is why all material since 1988 is implicitly copyright, even without a copyright message. * Minimum terms of protection: The minimum duration for copyright protection is the life of the author plus 50 years, but signatory nations may choose to provide longer durations. * Minimum exclusive rights: A nation must provide for protection of six rights: translation, reproduction, public performance, adaptation, attribution (paternity) and integrity. Apparently US law differs from this by removing translation and adding display and distribution, but these points are covered by other laws (trademark, patent etc) 2) Public Domain material A work in the public domain is one that can be freely used by anyone for any purpose. A work is public domain if: * the copyright has expired * the work is a work of the US Government * the work can't be copyrighted (short names, slogans etc. - however, these can be trademarked) * the copyright has been forfeited. This includes publishing without copyright notice prior to March 1, 1988 (in the US) * the copyright has been abandoned, ie the copyright holder has made an unambiguous statement of his or her intent to dedicate the work to the public domain. 3) Registering a Copyright First of all, you don't *need* to register your work for it to be copyrighted; since the Berne Convention, all works are copyright from the moment of their creation. In fact, you don't even need a copyright notice (as mentioned above), but it is a good idea: you should include a c-in-a-circle, "Copyright", or "Copr.", the year, and your name on the work to make an official copyright notice. There have been rulings in the past that (c) is *not* an official copyright symbol, so watch out! If you *do* want to formalize your copyright by registering it, which helps in court, you do it by filing the appropriate form with the US Copyright Office, with payment of $20. If you call the Copyright Office Information Hotline, and leave your name, address and form number on the voicemail, they will send you an information package on copyrighting a particular type of work. The number is 202-707-9100, and the packages most readers of this group will be interested in are: Music (sheet or lyrics): Form PA, Package 105 and Music (sound recording): Form SR, Package 121 You can also write to them at: Copyright Office LM 455 Library of Congress Washington, DC 20559 [ From here on, the info starts to come less from the Copyright FAQ and more from varied sources and, shock horror, *opinion* :-) But don't worry, wherever an opinion creeps in, I'll warn you... ] 4) Derivative Works - the Legality of an Arrangement Apparently an a cappella arrangement is legally a derivative work of the original song. The definition of a copyright infringement is for the work itself to have actually been copied from (either whoilly or to create a derivative work), (etc.) so [from what I can gather,] as far as the law is concerned, an arrangement is the same as the original song. 5) Legalities of Performance, Distribution, etc. Andy Isbell, isbell@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu, says about transcribing a song: If you can all learn your parts just from listening to the album, that is legal. If you start writing it down, you are in violation of the composer's copyright. You are allowed to make one archival copy of any performance without paying any fee. An interesting quirk to this rule is that if you have several people with tape recorders record you singing a song, all of those tapes are legal. If you make one recording and copy it for all the people, you have to pay the licensing fee. Dan Wilson, ATDYW@ASUACAD.BITNET, from the Phoenix chapter of the SPEBSQSA, says: Serious Barbershop arrangers (not the backroom ones) get written permission from the copyright holder to arrange a song. Our International Office in Kenosha, WI handles the paperwork and gets clearnaces for us. The fee is $10, and this allows you to arrange the song and make 4 copies - typically for a quartet. More copies may be made up to 200 at $.20 per copy. If you want more than 200, you need to get extended permission. We went to this formality years ago as the result of a number not-for-profit groups (churches, schools, etc.) being sued for copyright infringement. The law allows a fine of $50,000 per TITLE, as I recall. I'd rather spend the ten bucks and avoid the hassle. Performace rights are handled by the performing rights groups such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, etc. These groups usually work out licenses with clubs, theaters, auditoriums, radio stations, etc., and the revenue from the license fees is divided among the members of the performing rights groups. Mechanical license is required to make copies of audio tapes/records, and Synchronization Rights license is required for making videos and movies. The Harry Fox Agency handles the audio tapes and records, I'm not sure about the videos. You send FOX a letter telling them the titles and the number of copies you expect to make (not sell), and they'll send you a bill. Deke Sharon, casa@netcom.com, says "the rate is 6.25 cents per title per recording for a song up to 5 minutes long (the price has gone up in 1993) & 1.2 cents for each additional minute (I feel like a long distance operator!)" Dan again: PERFORMANCE FOR FEE OR FOR FREE is irrelevant when it comes to copyright infringement. Money is not the primary issue - control of intellectual property is. Irving Berlin was always very careful about allowing people to perform, or arrange his music - whether or not it was for profit. He felt some groups just didn't do his music justice and refused permission to them. It is a common misconception that songs performed or arranged without compensation do not need permission from the copyright holder. The misconception is a result of assuming MONEY is the issue rather than CONTROL. After speaking to a knowledgable copyright attorney, Deke posted the following: Yes, it's legal to transcribe a song off an album for your own use. No you don't need permission to arrange a song, perform an arrangement, or record an arrangement (that doesn't have altered lyrics or melody), though you will need to pay mechanicals on recordings - 6.25 cents/song. Yes, you can arrange for money, but you're selling a service & not music. You can make copies of an arrangement for fair use - study purposes within your group. CASA can give out a few arrangements for rehearsal & performance purposes, but they can't be published in any way - that right belongs to the composer. 6) Fair use This is a very tricky matter. Fair use governs the extent to which the copyright rules may be "bent" if their purpose includes "criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research." (from Section 107 of the Copyright Act, as quoted in the Copyright FAQ). Four factors are used in determining whether something counts as fair use: 1. Purpose of the use - commercial or nonprofit and educational. 2. Nature of the work being copied. 3. How much of the work is copied. 4. The effect of copying on the potential market for the work. Things that have been considered fair use in the past by courts include: quotations of brief excerpts of works in reviews and criticism; use in a parody; summary with brief quotations; a teacher copying part of a work to use in class; and so on. Our interest in this area is mainly to see whether we can establish an a cappella arrangement archive at the FTP site. This is still being looked into. Q. Does anyone give a cappella workshops? Yes, several people (and groups) do. * Phil Mattson (of the Phil Mattson Singers) and Steve Zegree (who arranges vocal jazz music for Hal Leonard and other publishers), who give week-long summer workshops on vocal jazz singing and education. This information was posted by Richard Hsu, and is apparently a couple of years old: Phil Mattson Southwestern Community College 1501 West Townline Road Creston, IA 50801 Phone: (515) 782-7081 Steve Zegree School of Music Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Mich 49008 Phone: (616) 387-4689 School: (616) 387-4667 * [ from Dave Damouth: ] Western Wind, an a cappella group based in New York City, runs workshops several times a year. You can enroll as a group. You get coaching for your group by real experts, and a chance to prepare and perform several works (with the rest of the attendees as audience). The summer workshops are typically a week, and perhaps they've done some that are just a long weekend during the school year. It is also (or at least was) possible to arrange a private coaching session with them, but this starts to get expensive - they are busy professionals trying to make a living. Several of my friends have attended the summer workshops, and gone back year after year, sometimes individually and sometimes as a quartet. Madrigalia arranged a private workshop with them a few years ago. We got a lot of benefit, individually and as a group. Their performing repertoire spans just about everything - rennaissance, folk, jazz, ... They announce their concerts, recordings, workshops, etc, in a sporadic but free newsletter. call 1-800-788-2187. (disclaimer - I've no connection with Western Wind other than as a satisfied customer) * [From Tammy Heinsohn] Keith Lancaster, Acappella and AVB host the annual Acappella Christian Music Seminar (ACMS) in July in Murray Ky on the campus of the state university. It is a week long (Sunday through Friday night) series of workshops and concerts capped by Acappella's and AVB's annual homecoming concert on Friday night. (Murray Ky, is about 30 miles from their homebase in Paris, TN.) There is choir, men's voice and women's voice training. The choir this past summer got to open the Friday night concert as well as sing for a convelescent hospital earlier in the day. Classes cover topics including music theory, sound engineering, incorporating multimedia, and life on the road. Different members of Acappella and AVB also lead discussions of various topics including using music in the worship service and sharing memorable experiences they've had on the road. Groups attending the seminar are given a chance to sing during the mini-concerts. In addition, each evening there is a concert of different singing groups that are invited to perform for us. For more information and schedules, contact: Acappella Music Group PO Box 15 Paris TN 38242 Phone: (901) 644 1771 or (800) 233-2031 * There are also several workshops, performances and talks given at the A Cappella Summit in San Francisco, organized by CASA. Present at the first, in October 1993, were Gene Puerling (genius arranger with the Singers Unlimited), Sean Altman (Rockapella), Jimmy Hayes (Persuasions), Todd Rundgren, and Gerard Brown (Do It A Cappella co-producer). * The Melbourne A Cappella Festival (in Australia) is held annually, and the first was during October 1993 as well. It included many workshops, on topics from doo wop singing to Bulgarian choral harmonies to sea shanties. Part Two - Specific A Cappella Groups and Recordings ---------------------------------------------------- Q. Are there any compilation-type albums of modern a cappella music? "Modern A Cappella", out on Rhino records. Available from the Primarily A Cappella catalog, or phone Rhino direct on 1-800-432-0020. Tracks, in order: National Anthem En Vogue I Feel Good Bobby McFerrin Only You The Flying Pickets Zombie Jamboree Rockapella Higher and Higher The Mint Juleps Caravan of Love The Housemartins Spread Love Take 6 Unomathemba Ladysmith Black Mambazo Heaven Longhouse Silhouettes The Nylons My Husband Was A Weatherman The Bobs Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow The Persuasions Mighty Love Todd Rundgren Leave It Yes Walk Like An Egyptian The Bangles The Hallelujah Chorus The Roches "Spike & Co. Do It A Cappella", Elektra ELE60953 Also avalibale from Primarily A Cappella. Tracks: I Need You True Image Don't Let Your Heart The Mint Juleps Zombie Jamboree Rockapella Looking for an Echo The Persuasions "Down in the Mines" Ladysmith Black Mambazo I Want to Live Easy The Mint Juleps Under the Boardwalk Rockapella & True Image Up on the Roof The Persuasions Higher and Higher The Mint Juleps Get Away Jordan Take 6 "God Bless Africa" Ladysmith Black Mambazo Pass on the Love The Persuasions The Lion Sleeps Tonight Ladysmith Black Mambazo & The Mint Juleps This was originally a documentary produced by Gerard Brown and Spike Lee for PBS in 1990. A 90-minute video cassette is available for $19.95 + about $3.50 postage and handling, within the US. Call: 1-800-336-1917 Q. Everything you Never Wanted to Know About... [ Well, maybe not *everything*, but a lot. Okay, maybe not a *lot*... ] - The Blenders A four part, Nylons-esque group with tight harmonies and great style. They are currently touring the college circuit (schedule available from the Princeton FTP site), and their album is called "Totally Whipped". Ordering information: "Totally Whipped" CD - $15.00 Tape - $10.00 8-Track - Sorry, out of stock since the mid 70's T-shirts - $15.00 Posters - $5.00 Add $2.00 per ORDER for shipping/handling/postage/etc. Mail orders to: The Blenders P.O. Box 26037 Minneapolis, MN 55426 - The Flying Pickets The original members of the group were: Rick Lloyd, Ken Gregson, Kareth Williams, David Brett, Brian Hibbard, and Red Stripe (no joke - that's his name). The group was formed in 1980, and their first single, 'Only You', was Number 1 in the UK for six weeks in 1983. After a few years Brian and Stripe returned to acting, after which the group disbanded. Rex Solomon, of the CASA Texas chapter, has compiled a tape of 22 different cover versions of 'Only You', mostly by college groups. So if you're thinking of covering it, think again to save our sanity. Deke found this address, current in 1990: The Flying Pickets c/o Judy Totten 28 Alexander St. London W2 5NU, ENGLAND Apparently the group reformed with a couple of the original members, and since then has undergone changes after which none of the original members are still in the group. However they are putting out albums from a label in Austria, albeit with a somewhat different style to what we are used to. DISCOGRAPHY (sort of): "The Best of The Flying Pickets", Virgin Records VVIPD 111 [ Apparently only available in the UK ] "Flying Pickets Live", recorded 1984-5 "Waiting for Trains" "Lost Boys", Moving Target MTD 021 [ The only album directly available in the US ] [ This the "new Flying Pickets" ] "Blue Money", 1992. From PMF records, 90 637-2 "The Warning", 1993. If you can't get the albums from a local import shop, try writing to the following CD mail order company in London: HMV UK Limited Mail Order Department 150 Oxford Street London, W1N 0DJ England - King's Singers A group started by ex-students at King's College, Cambridge 25 years ago, now one of the most respected a cappella groups in history. They sing mostly madrigal and classical style music, including a cappella arrangements of famous classical pieces, and have recently branched out into the contemporary scene, making a successful album of Beatles covers and, this year, "Good Vibrations" which is full of contemporary tunes. Anne Raugh (raugh@astro.umd.edu) posted a list of sources for King's Singers arrangements, which is available for FTP from princeton.edu (see Part Three below). - Ladysmith Black Mambazo Music Archives, "ftp.uwp.edu (131.210.1.4)", discography: /pub/music/artists/l/ladysmith.black.mambazo/discog Ladysmith Black Mambazo Fan Club Roger Dean, President 104 Worral Drive Newark, Delaware 19711 U.S.A. - Mint Juleps They've made only one CD, and it's only been released in Japan: "One Time", Stiff CECC-00396 The only way I know how to get this CD is by paying US$35 to have it imported (Sound City 2000 - call (503) 654-2196). A live album was recorded in Germany in 1990 at the Women In (e)Motion festival, and four tracks in a London studio this year. The tracks are: baby baby/round our way/i heard it through the grapevine/jesus gave me water/stay gone/i want to live easy/set me free/dont let your heart/higher and higher/shout/mumblin boy/who knows/the snake/loves me like a rock/aint he got nerve/hey girl Klaus Birken tells us this album's number is T&M 104, and may (or may not) be available from: Tradition & Moderne Musikproduktion Fehrfeld 28 28203 Bremen Germany If you want to get in touch with the group, try contacting: Rita Ray at Flash Choice Management 46 Broomwood Rd. London, SW11 6HT England Phone: +44 71 228-1161 - Rockapella Rockapella has, so far, recorded three albums on their own, "To N.Y.", "From N.Y.", and "Bash!" which were released in Japan only. You can only get these on import, so be prepared to pay a lot more than usual. One address which was posted to the group is: Beastone Records 24-15-405 Atsubetsu-chuo 4-2 Sapporo 004 Japan They apparently want US$36 for each CD including shipping, and you must pay by cash or international money order. All albums can be obtained from Sound City 2000 at (503) 654-2196 for more than US$40. The soundtrack to the childrens' game show "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" features Rockapella and the Persuasions, and is available from the Primarily A Cappella catalog. [ Much more detailed information is included in the (regular?) posting by Steven Coyle (sc4520@csc.albany.edu) and the Rockapella FAQlet by Sharon Fenick (fenick1@husc.harvard.edu). The two files are stored at the Princeton archive site. ] - Take 6 A six-voice male a cappella "Contemporary Christian" (gospel) group, with large jazz influences. They started in the late eighties at school in Hunstville, Alabama and have gone on to receive critical acclaim, including several awards from the Gospel Music Association and I believe some Grammies in the Jazz category. The following address was posted to the newsgroup by a person named Quito from Chile, thanks Quito! Club TAKE 6 c/o Holley ink P.O. box 78009 Nashville,TN 37207 The good news is that the rumours of a new Take 6 album are true. It is apparently coming out around March next year. The bad news is that it's accompanied, ie not a cappella. Apparently they have decided to try out the waters with accompanied harmony singing, and if that doesn't work, they'll go back to a cappella. So let's all hope that this album is really unsuccessful ;-) - Zap Mama Their album "Adventures in Afropea" was released in March of this year on CD - Warner Brothers WAR45183. Part Three - Internet Stuff --------------------------- Q. Is there a rec.music.a-cappella FTP site? Yes! Greg Weiss (grweiss@phoenix.princeton.edu) has kindly volunteered to maintain an FTP site at princeton.edu. It currently holds the following information: pub/rec.music.a-cappella/FAQ This text file. pub/rec.music.a-cappella/README Information on the contents of the directories pub/rec.music.a-cappella/archive/alt.music.a-cappella pub/rec.music.a-cappella/archive/alt.music.a-cappella.Z Uncompressed and compressed versions of all postings to the alt.music.a-cappella newsgroup. pub/rec.music.a-cappella/archive/rec.music.a-cappella pub/rec.music.a-cappella/archive/rec.music.a-cappella.Z As above, for the rec.music.a-cappella newsgroup. pub/rec.music.a-cappella/archive/Apr93 pub/rec.music.a-cappella/archive/Apr93.Z etc, through to the current month - archives of each months's postings to both newsgroups. pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/README Information on the contents of the info directory. pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/Hal.Leonard.list A list of all songs listed as a cappella in the Hal Leonard catalogue. pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/Kings.Singers.arrangements How to get Kings Singers' arrangements. pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/Rehearsal.Attendance.Policy Madrigalia's attendance contract. pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/Rockapella.FAQlet pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/Rockapella.history pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/Rockapella.mini-FAQ Various information on the group Rockapella. pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/TeX.ftp.loc Information on how to get MusicTeX. pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/a_cappella.definition Anne Raugh's musings on the meaning of "a cappella" pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/blenders.info Background information on the Blenders. pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/bobs.concerts Concert schedule for the Bobs. pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/casa.arrangements pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/casa.recordings A (nearly) current list of the CASA arrangement and recording archives. pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/choral.conductors Information on a mailing list for choral music. pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/college.cds The latest edition of Todd Biske's college CD information and ordering list. pub/rec.music.a-cappella/info/early.ac.collections.list Max Ziff's list of madrigal/motet/chanson sources. These files are available for anonymous FTP at: princeton.edu (128.112.128.1) To do this from UNIX, type "ftp princeton.edu", login as "anonymous", and use your email address as the password. Typing "HELP" at a prompt will describe the available commands. The normal files can be downloaded using the standard "get" command, but the compressed files (those which end with .Z) must be downloaded using binary mode, and either viewed using the "zcat" command, or decompressed by simply typing "decompress <filename>.Z" at your UNIX prompt. Thanks to Greg for providing this service, which will ensure that the worldwide network a cappella community continues to grow. If you don't know about FTP (File Transfer Protocol), ask someone at your site to find out if you have access to the service. It is possible to FTP via email, and I had some info on how to do it, but I lost it! Watch out for the next issue. Q. Can we store arrangements at the FTP site? This has been a topic of much discussion, nearly since the inception of the newsgroup. Most people have said that they would love to see an electronic collection of a cappella arrangements on the Internet, but a few have raised doubts concerning the legality of such a venture. Until such problems are resolved, we can't store arrangements on the network. However, this doesn't stop us storing arrangements of *original* songs (ie written by the contributor) on the princeton site, and of course we can store lists, reviews and other information as well. Q. Does anyone have the <lyrics|chords> to <song>? Before you post a request for lyrics to the newsgroup, please check out the archive at: ftp.uwp.edu (131.210.1.4) in the directory pub/music/lyrics A caveat: the lyrics on this site were submitted by people in good faith, but do not take their words as gospel. If you are recording or performing on a large scale, it would probably be worth checking out the lyrics against some sheet music or the lyric sheet from the album, if possible. The chords to songs can sometimes be gleaned from the entries in the guitar tablature archive at: nevada.edu The songs submitted here are organized according to group name, and a comprehensive index can be downloaded. Many songs are written in tab, which is harder to work out but will give you individual notes; but other songs have the chords written out with the song lyrics, which are sometimes all an arranger needs (you can usually work out the melody on your own if you have a recording). Q. Do any CD directories exist over the Internet? Recently, a service was started under the Holonet information services heirarchy, called the Compact Disc Connection. It is actually a commercial venture (you can order the CDs in their catalogue), but it can also be used to look up albums by a particular group or artist and obtain track listings of most albums. To use the service, telnet to: holonet.net and login as "cdc" (lower case). Menus will take you through the directory. The ftp.uwp.edu archive also stores discographies for many groups, and welcomes additions! Q. Do any music tutorials exist for FTP access? * The Jazz Primer was written by Marc Sabatella for the rec.music.bluenote newsgroup (jazz and blues music). It was written specifically for those who want to learn more about jazz and blues theory, to improve their performing, improvising, or listening ability. It assumes a basic knowledge of music and notation, and recommends that you have access to a piano and the ability to play simple examples on it. The general contents of the primer, as relevant to a cappella musicians, is: - Structure, form - The Creative Process, Improvisation - Chord/Scale Relationships: Intervals, Scales, Chords, Major/Melodic Minor scale Harmony (in all jazz modes), Symmetric, Whole Tone, Diminished, Pentatonic, Blues, Minor, Bebop and Synthetic scales, chord/scale chart - Improvising over chord progressions - Accompanying a melody, chord voicings, bass and rhythm - Breaking the rules - Bibliography of jazz music, books on harmony and improvisation This text file (4064 lines, 29 sheets when printed using a2ps) can be read at several levels, depending on your previous knowledge and experience. It can be used as a harmony tutorial, improvisation guide, or technical discussion of chord/scale relationships. Although instrumental jazz music is discussed throughout, the techniques can obviously be applied to arranging and composing a cappella music. I can recommend this file as an introduction to harmony and chord/scale relationships, but if you prefer verbose texts which continually emphasize the topics, this isn't for you. It packs a lot of information into a small space. The file may be obtained via FTP from: ftp.njit.edu and is called: /pub/jazz-primer/primer.asc * The GEMS series of articles on music composition were written by Matthew Fields, fields@eecs.umich.edu for readers of the newsgroup rec.music.compose. It consists of five parts, each dealing with a different aspect of music theory and/or composition. The files may be obtained via FTP from ftp.hyperion.com, or via gopher at gopher.cic.net. Matthew tells me: "Gems 5 may have a notice trimmed off. If so, please splice it in on the bottom. The missing notice is as follows: ORCHESTERSTUECK Op.16 No.1 (Arnold Schoenberg) Copr. 1952 by Henmar Music Corp. Permission for use granted by C.F. Peters Corp." Q. Are there any music typesetting programs I can use? A program called MuTeX exists which enables users on most operating systems to typeset single-staff music and lyrics, but a better option for a cappella arrangers/composers is MusicTeX, a polyphonic system written by Daniel Taupin (taupin@frups51.bitnet). The latest version is available via anonymous FTP from: rsovax.ups.circe.fr (130.84.128.100) [.musictex] and probably other sites too. If you know of a site in the US which stores MusicTeX, please let me know, as the above site runs at 9600 baud and so is very slow, and shouldn't be over-used. A TeX-and-music mailing list also exists: to join, send a request to mutex-request@stolaf.edu. Be warned! The MusicTeX output looks nice, but is by no means easy to get! You have to type in everything as text, using sometimes convoluted commands, and many of these commands are in French. For those with MIDI keyboards, a MIDI-to-MusicTeX program can be obtained somewhere, but I can't remember where! Try archie if you're interested, and let me know what you find! Q. Are there any electronic mailing lists for fans of <group>? Only one at present (as far as I know): Friends of the Bobs. Write to fobs-request@netcom.com to subscribe. There is also a mailing list for fans and performers of barbershop music, which you can subscribe to by emailing barbershop-request@bigd.cray.com Q. What's the story with the rec.music.a-cappella newsgroup? Originally, the a cappella newsgroup was called alt.music.a-cappella. Recently, a vote was put forward to create a newsgroup rec.music.a-cappella which, aside from having better USENET status, (supposedly) reaches more network sites than an alt. group. The vote was an overwhelming success (342:34 in favour), so the group was created. Thanks to Steve Simmons for suggesting the rec group and controlling the voting process. The charter of the group is as follows: rec.music.a-cappella: For a-cappella music of all styles. For friends, fans, and singers of all flavors of pure vocal music. Barbershop, madrigals, chorales, rockers and folkies are all welcome provided the instruments are left home (or mostly home). Problems have arisen with the newsgroup, the cause of which was probably the erroneous newgroup message - the group was originally created as rec.music.a-capella, which is *incorrect*. If your site uses this name, please *get it changed*, because it hinders the distribution of the group to other sites around the world (like mine :-). Contributors ------------ Many thanks to the following 'netters who contributed, directly or indirectly, to this FAQ list. Everybody's name and email address is provided, so they can get at least a little gratification for their efforts. If you want to know who contributed to a specific section, either ask me or look at the archive at princeton.edu. Tom Arneberg toma@cray.com Paul Bartholomew pdb059@ipl.jpl.nasa.gov Joel Baxter jbaxter@getalife.stanford.edu Klaus Birken zrcb0100@servus06.rus.uni-stuttgart.de Gary Bolles garyb@bbsqtet.EBay.Sun.COM David Boyes dboyes@is.rice.edu William Bradley wbradley@thor.ece.uc.EDU Joachim Charzinski charzinski@ind.uni-stuttgart.d400.de Dave Clouser clouser@lf.hp.com Ruth Cross norhcr@usht10.hou130.chevron.com Dave Damouth damouth@wrc.xerox.com Nicole Discenza ndiscenz@bach.helios.nd.edu Robert Dover dover@crchh583.bnr.ca Hans Dulimarta dulimart@ahmeek.cps.msu.edu Bruce Edelstein brucee@mothra.rose.hp.com Noam D. Elkies elkies@zariski.harvard.edu Mark Engelberg mle@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov Sharon Fenick fenick1@husc10.harvard.edu Matthew Fields fields@eecs.umich.edu Ross Fletcher srgcraf@newshost.grace.cri.nz Randy Goldberg guest@nntpxfer.psi.com Greg Halbe ghalbe@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Jed Hartman logos@cathay.esd.sgi.com Chris Hebert chebert@mondavi.sanramon.sgi.com Tammy Heinsohn szheinsn@hamlet.ucdavis.edu Frank Henderson hendefd@mail.auburn.edu Doug Henkle henkle@vaxa.cis.uwosh.edu Jesper Holck holck@dat.ruc.dk Richard Hsu m22769@mwunix.mitre.org Ping Huang pshuang@athena.mit.edu Will Johnson adric@access.digex.net Ari Kahan akahan@netcom.com Ron Knight rck@med.unc.edu Jon Krivitzky jhk1@cec2.wustl.edu Mark Maimone mwm+@cs.cmu.edu Russ Paden russ@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu Shawn Pearce orpheus@nebula.lib.vt.edu Jane Peppler jpeppler@acpub.duke.edu Andrew Poe sixycd@umich.edu Adam Porter porter@acapella.rutgers.edu George Poynor poynor@david.wheaton.edu Ken Purchase k-purchase@uiuc.edu Anne Raugh raugh@astro.umd.edu Paul Sabourin paslll@next02wor.wam.umd.edu Deke Sharon casa@netcom.com Chris Short int177c@lindblat.cc.monash.edu.au Steve Simmons scs@lokkur.dexter.mi.us Greg Skinner gds@york.cs.ucla.edu David Tamkin dattier@genesis.mcs.com Dina Torok dinushka@ravel.udel.edu Dave Wegman ST000488@brownvm.brown.edu Greg Weiss grweiss@phoenix.Princeton.EDU Dan Wilson ATDYW@ASUACAD.BITNET Max Ziff ziff@cs.uchicago.edu Quito ??? IIC1131@ing.puc.cl --------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of rec.music.a-cappella Frequently Asked Questions list Please send comments, corrections and information to Brendan Quinn: svlad@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au NOT int127y@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au - that will expire soon!