The Marion Concert Band & Midwest Entertainment Etude have partnered with a host of area businesses and organizations to present a revival of the 2010 vocal music concert event Midwest Vocalfest. The concert is planned for Sunday, October 20, 2013 at 3:30 p.m. in Morrill Hall Auditorium on the Marion Campus, 1465 Mount Vernon Avenue, Marion.
Five contemporary a cappella/vocal jazz ensembles will perform at this unique musical event including: Tiffin University’s Up in the Air, Case Western Reserve University’s Dhamakapella, Ridgedale High School’s new contemporary a cappella ensemble Audio Freakuency, New Riegel High School’s Jacket Company, and Upper Sandusky High School’s select vocal jazz ensemble Upper Class.
The goal of Midwest Vocalfest is to raise not only funds for area school music programs, but to increase the awareness of the importance of music programs in our schools.
According to Thom Richards, director of choral music at Ridgedale Schools and the driving force behind reviving the concert, Midwest Vocalfest is more than a fundraiser. The concert is about awareness, education, and paying homage to a cappella music and the importance of music education in our schools.
“First and foremost, the purpose of this event is to bring a cappella ensembles together for a unique and powerful musical experience and to help expose aspiring young vocalists and the community to the art form of a cappella,” Richards said.
“There is a pattern of success with music programs on the East Coast implementing contemporary a cappella music offerings into their school’s curriculum and extra-curricular activities. Arranging workshops, festivals, and core music theory principles can be taught through a cappella,” explained Richards.
“Suddenly the musical genres of pop, rock, and hip-hip are the foundation of a learning laboratory for young people to grasp some of the intricacies of music theory,” he added.
In addition to the young talent that will be on display at from area high school music programs, organizers are excited to feature two of the most unique and seasoned collegiate ensembles in the Midwest in Up in the Air and Dhamakapella.
Leading the way in contemporary a cappella for nearly two decades, Up in the Air’s complex arrangements and exciting performances have entertained audiences around the Midwest and around the world since 1995. Up in the Air was among the first vocal groups of its kind in the Midwest, performing high-energy commercial music one-on-a-part and one-on-a-mic with vocal bass and beatbox — a generation before it was the norm for collegiate a cappella groups. Up in the Air has inspired the founding of dozens of collegiate and high school ensembles, and boasts a number of successful professional singers, producers and songwriters as alums.
Dhamakapella is Case Western Reserve University’s premiere international music group. Performing a fusion of pop music hits and popular Bollywood numbers, Dhamakapella is a unique meld of East meets West. The group has been featured at competitions, cultural shows, and concerts in the Cleveland area, the Midwest, and across the United States.
Tickets for Midwest Vocalfest are available at the door, $10 general admission, $9 (60 and older). All seating is general admission. Doors to Morrill Hall Auditorium will open at 3 p.m.
Midwest Vocalfest is made possible through the support of these community minded businesses and organizations: Marion Concert Band, Marion Technical College, Primrose Retirement Community, The Ohio State University at Marion, and United Federal Credit Union.
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