On selected Thursdays, ACB Production Manager Mike Scalise makes his recommendations on a cappella performance in a DO and DON’T format.

DO: Take constructive criticism.
DON’T: Take your friends’ opinions as gospel.

When I ask friends or colleagues for their opinion, I have an expectation that they will be completely honest with me. I encourage their honesty because I legitimately care what they have to say and
rarely take criticism personally. Likewise, a cappella groups should seek out people who will not only offer them praise, but also help identify their weaknesses.

Having been to many a cappella competitions, I can say that the groups that continually advance are the ones that are known to seek out criticism–from technical musicians to fans to average people. There is no such thing as bad feedback. If you listen to what others say, in the best case scenario, you will be able to put the objective views of an outsider into play. Even you don’t end up agreeing with an outside voice, though, it could open you up to an entirely new thought that you otherwise never would have come up with.

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Trying to find a group? Search or sort The ACB Group Directory–the most comprehensive and up to date directory of collegiate a cappella groups anywhere on the Internet!

On selected Thursdays, ACB Production Manager Mike Scalise makes his recommendations on a cappella performance in a DO and DON’T format.

DO: Promote your group at every opportunity.
DON’T: Confine yourselves to your local area or college.

In my years of following collegiate a cappella, I have come to draw two conclusions:

1) There are well over 1,000 collegiate a cappella groups in existence.
2) Most don’t put enough effort into promoting their group or events.

One of the biggest advantages that college students have today is the number of marketing opportunities available to them. They should leverage every opportunity to gain publicity. For example,
collaborating with another group on campus or at a different college will surely boost attendance at an event. Hanging flyers, not just at the college, but around your local community is another simple and effective way to draw attention. To take it a step further, spreading the word through an event or even a paid ad on Facebook is a great way to reach everyone at your school as well as your group members’ friends and families, and a cappella fans you don’t even know yet, who otherwise would not be aware of the event.

Any exposure you can give your group will only help to build interest and attract new fans to a cappella. When given the opportunity, do everything you can to make your a cappella group known.

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On selected Thursdays, ACB Production Manager Mike Scalise makes his recommendations on a cappella performance in a DO and DON’T format.

DON’T: Become so involved with a cappella to the point where other life commitments suffer.
DO: Strike a balance between your commitment to a cappella, school work, social life, family and other obligations.

It can be difficult to voluntarily pull yourself away from your passion, but this may be necessary if doing that you love comes at the expense of other life commitments. A cappella is a passion for many of us. It can be addictive, and many of us (myself included), find that we need to shift our attention at times. Be sure to prioritize, and make sure that you’re taking care of all of the essential pieces of your life. At the same time, don’t be afraid to just take a little time off for the occasional mental breather.

If you’re able to maintain a healthy level of moderation, you will not only achieve success in many parts of your life, but also extend the long-term appeal of a cappella, and have the chance to enhance the lives of those around you.

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On selected Thursdays, ACB Production Manager Mike Scalise makes his recommendations on a cappella performance in a DO and DON’T format.

DO: Maintain connections with your group’s alumni.
DON’T: Allow your network to shrink.

Being involved in a cappella is a great way to build a network. As an a cappella group member, you will inevitably form relationships with your peers. While that is important, it’s equally, if not more important to continue these relationships as your peers become alumni of the group.

Alumni can offer suggestions on song selections, continue to arrange music, give general tips based on their experience, and potentially even book your group for shows if they find themselves in a position to do soare in the type of position that would allow for that.

With the increasing popularity of websites like Facebook and Twitter, staying connected with alumni is easier than ever. Another good way to maintain your network is to see how your college works to connect its alumni base, and apply those same techniques to your individual group, perhaps even going so far as to establish a more formal alumni association. These efforts will be beneficial to you now and far into the future, when you yourself have left college behind.

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Trying to find the next ICCA show in your area? Check out our Events page!

On selected Thursdays, ACB Production Manager Mike Scalise makes his recommendations on a cappella performance in a DO and DON’T format.

DO: Pick a unique name that is fun and will distinguish you as an a cappella group.
DON’T: Pick a generic name or copy another group’s name.

When I was compiling The A Cappella Blog Group Directory, I noticed that there were over 120 groups that share their name with at least one other group. In fact, the most common name used is “Sirens” by 10 different collegiate groups. This begs the question of why a cappella groups, which are creative by nature, use such simple names. Your name should say something about who you are as a group. Before you jump into just any name, give it some thought.

Here’s a list of some interesting names that groups have chosen in the past that effectively play off musical puns, illustrate the identity of the group members, celebrate the school or region, or otherwise communicate a distinct message from that ensemble:

What’s Yer Pleasure (Appalachian State University)
Brothas from Otha Mothas (University of California at Santa Barbara)
Lounge Lizards (University of California at Davis)
Touchtones (Cornell University)
Heightsmen (Boston College)
Blue Cheese (Brigham Young University)

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