John Legend famously did it. So did Sara Bareilles. And a number of well-known, well-regarded singers and actors. What's their shared experience? Performing in an a cappella group, which is no small feat. See -- or rather hear -- for yourself at the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival on January 31.
Singing a cappella must be, truly, one of the most daunting, daring things to do in the performing arts world. Think of it as a highwire act without the net. It's just you, your voice and the ear that's hearing it. (We have to pause for a moment here and thank music -- as in, notes played by pianos, guitars, and other instruments -- for helping mask our own voice when we sing, a warbling that others might kindly call one of the worst voices in the history of throats.) There are many reasons a cappella remains such a popular form, especially on college campuses, but probably this simple, uncluttered delivery system -- voice-meets-ear -- is one reason it rocks on.
The festival fetes those brave and extremely talented performers that can smoothly scale octaves without breaking a sweat (or note). There are plenty of events on the sked made just for the a cappella crowd -- think classes on songwriting and solos -- but the Saturday night concert is for performers and just-want-to-listen enthusiasts alike. The House Jacks will be headlining (we dig the act's tagline: "the original rock band without instruments") as well as Vybration.
LA A Cappella Festival
Saturday, January 31
Concert: 8PM (see site for other events)
Ackerman Grand Ballroom, UCLA Campus, Westwood
