Our NACC Showcase Concert features 4 of the top groups in a cappella today:
AcoUstiKats (Lexington, KY), as seen on The Sing Off
Pulse (Rochester, NY), new super-group
WHAT THE NACC FEATURES / performances, masterclasses, interest sessions, workshops, reading sessions, exhibits
Performing Ensembles / top groups from around the country
Briarcrest OneVoice
Host Group
Under the direction of J.D. Frizzell, SONY Recording Artist OneVoice has
Highland Voices
HS Competition Finalists
The reigning ICHSA National Champion Highlands Voices are from Northern Highlands
Volunteer Voices
HS Competition Finalists
Volunteer Voices from Bowie High School is highly select, auditioned group of
Convention Schedule / pick classes from any combination of tracks
Exhibit Hall Open During Registration
Whether for competition or concert, choosing the right songs to highlight your group’s abilities is no easy task. This class will focus on the many factors that go into
Two of the most successful a cappella directors in the country will share their most successful techniques and approaches to common rehearsal issues.
Read through some of the best new arrangements from top publishers and arrangers in the business. All session attendees get a FREE packet of music.
Discuss problems, issues, concerns, frustrations, successes, and more with fellow high school a cappella directors from around the country.
Get the most out of your group by using Aca-Jedi mind tricks! This very interactive workshop includes warm-ups and other exercises from the psychological point of view of sensation
Join Deke Sharon, the godfather of contemporary a cappella, as he leads a workshop and masterclass with convention host and SONY Recording Artist Briarcrest OneVoice.
Learn How To Pick Out, Purchase, Set Up, and Run a sound system for your a cappella group.
What is there to listen to, how might we listen to it, and why? In this interactive workshop, we develop our critical listening skills so as to deepen our
Using the Highlands Voices as an example group, Katherine will lead a hands-on seminar on how to use simple choreography and dance steps to make a large group of
You know how to 'leave it all on the stage' in live performance: now learn how to apply those on-stage performance techniques in the studio, resulting
Think there is a single "correct" technique for singing? Think again. This course will teach you the fundamental techniques of how to become a marketable singer across styles, from
Let’s talk about staging! TeKay guides you through what to do on stage and why using basic movement and pictures to engage your audience. Using the 4S theory, he
While exhibits will be accessible throughout the day, we will be encouraging attendees to visit during the following times:
8:00 AM- 9:00 AM
11:50 AM- 1:00 PM
4:00 PM- 7:00 PM
Have you started tons of songs but never finished any? Learn some strategies for writing lyrics, melodies, chords and how to fit them together to write more, and better,
What are those sounds that you make when you're not singing jens and bahs and dohs? Yay, lyrics! They make you feel the feels and they're how you connect
The voice can be used as a paintbrush to create visual textures that elicit a visual and emotional experience for the listener. This class is designed to help each
Using group improvisation techniques created by Bobby McFerrin, Rhiannon, Roger Treece, and others, participants will learn how to organically arrange a cappella and improvise as a group.
This workshop familiarizes participants with the history behind a cappella, with particular emphasis on collegiate a cappella. Were the Yale Whiffenpoofs really the first college singing group? Did "Glee"
The landscape of online fundraising is vast with new options appearing all the time. Learn to navigate this popular form of fundraising and do it effectively.
A venue through which producers can discuss the current state of the industry, common themes and struggles, new paths of innovation, trends, and more.
Discuss current trends, problems, questions and experiences with other collegiate a cappella music directors.
A venue through which arrangers can discuss the current state of the industry, common themes and struggles, new paths of innovation, trends, and more.
Come to this session to prove a point-- everything’s better when you have an audience. With current technology it is easier than ever to record top level content and
Covering pop tunes is common practice in the contemporary a cappella world, but what makes one cover stand above the rest? Join this arranging workshop & discussion on how
Yearly meeting of AEA State Representatives to discuss goals, programs, and the future of the A Cappella Education Association.
How can we as vocal percussionists better fulfill our role in the ensemble? How deep is our pocket? What can we add that the arranger missed? How much control
Beatboxing is such an odd skill that it can be seen as a gift. Something one is born with. Either you can do it, or it seems like a
Discuss experiences, problems, trends, and other specific issues relating to all-female a cappella groups with some of the top leaders today.
Based on research done by Randy Buescher and Dr. Steven Sims, Mr. Buescher will present their findings and demonstrate and work with students to achieve the "high brassy belt"
What is there to listen to, how might we listen to it, and why? In this interactive workshop, we develop our critical listening skills so as to deepen our
Four groups will compete to earn the title of AEA National High School Champions. This year's finalists are:
11th Hour – (Kettering, OH)
Featured twice at National ACDA, performed on
Founded in 2011, Musae has already gained acclaim performing at various a cappella festivals and placing at Boston Harmony Sweepstakes. As a powerhouse all-female vocal band,
Deke Sharon / Master of Ceremonies and Head Clinician
Having just wrapped up his work on set as music director of Pitch Perfect 2, our master of ceremonies and head clinician is the godfather of a cappella himself, Deke Sharon. Born in San Francisco, California, Deke Sharon has been performing professionally since the age of 8, and as a child toured North America and shared the stage in operas with the likes of Pavarotti. Heralded as “The Father of Contemporary A Cappella,” he is responsible for the current sound of modern a cappella, having created the dense vocal-instrumental sound in college, subsequently spreading it around the world.
As the founder, director and arranger for the HOUSE JACKS, the original “Rock Band Without Instruments,” Deke has shared the stage with countless music legends, including Ray Charles, James Brown, Crosby Stills and Nash, Run DMC, The Temptations, LL Cool J and the Four Tops. Deke produces “THE SING-OFF” worldwide (USA, Netherlands, China), which had the highest ratings of any new, unscripted television show in the US in 2009, and was the third highest rated show on NBC in 2010. In addition, Deke served as arranger, on-site music director and vocal producer for Universal’s “Pitch Perfect” and “Pitch Perfect 2″. He is the founder of the Contemporary A Cappella Society.
Convention Passes / the best deal in a cappella
ADULT ALL ACCESS
$69
Includes Access To:
All Performances
All Classes
Exhibit Hall
Masterclass If You Bring Your Group
Reading Session With Free Sheet Music
STUDENT ALL ACCESS
$49
Includes Access To:
All Performances
Register now / Passes are selling quickly!
Event FAQS / find your answers
Yes, you can! Simply click "Ask Us A Question" to e-mail our executive producer Meg Alexander, and let her know the name of your school or group, the names of your attendees, and how many tickets you need (student and adult). We will then send an invoice to you so you can have a purchase order or check processed. It's that easy.
If you are a full time student in a secondary school or college, you qualify for the student pass. Anyone else must purchase the adult pass.
Yes, food will be offered for meals on Saturday only. Lunch and dinner will be available to attendees at the event location. Lunch will be $5 per person and dinner will be $10 per person. Each includes a drink of your choice, entree, sides, and dessert.
You will need to provide your own dinner on Friday night, breakfast on Saturday morning, and meals any other days you will be in Memphis.
Every full group that attends NACC will receive:
A 50 minute masterclass with a top a cappella pro
Access to over 40 classes and workshops
Access to watch over 15 a cappella groups perform
Admission to our exhibit hall
A chance to perform in our exhibition performances (Must Apply)
Much More!
Convention Location
Briarcrest Christian School
76 S. Houston Levee Rd.
Eads, TN 38028
Get Directions
Eads, TN 38028
Memphis is home to amazing barbeque, timeless music, perfect spring weather, and lots of entertainment.
We are offering three great hotel options for our attendees:
Local Options
For the most convenient location, these are your best bets. Includes free wi-fi and parking.
Courtyard by Marriott Collierville- $99 per night (Official Hotel Sponsor)
Hilton Memphis East- $109 per night (Use Group Code AC0423)
Downtown Option
For the full Memphis experience, go with the downtown option. Each night, enjoy barbecue, blues, Beale Street, and other exciting nightlife. Turn the weekend into a mini-vacation and check out Graceland, Sun Studios, The Civil Rights Museum, Zoo, and much more.
Crowne Plaza- $99 per night.
National A Cappella Convention / leadership team
Produced by Meg Alexander for Be Relevent
Event Founder: J.D. Frizzell
Director of Events: Matthew Velker
Marketing Director: Amy Malkoff
Local Sponsorship Coordinator: Judi Gray
Director of Outreach and Recruitment: John DeFerraro
Competition Coordinator: Lindsay Howerton-Hastings
Performance Coordinator: TeKay
Master of Ceremonies, Head Clinician: Deke Sharon
Host Group: Briarcrest OneVoice
Organizing Entity: A Cappella Education Association
Produced in cooperation with The American Choral Directors Association
Presenting Sponsor: The Vocal Company
Official Hotel Sponsor: Courtyard by Marriott Collierville