Under the Influence: Volume 2, Issue 1

SNCQN UTI Special Edition by SNC Quarter Notes

Purchase a print copy or download a digital copy here:

SNC Quarter Notes: SNCQN 2.1 -- Special Edition: Under the Influence

SNC Quarter Notes, Volume 2, Issue 1

1

 

*Photo credits Sara N., Julie F., Shaina E., Jessica T. and Angie W. Graphic by Sara D.

SNC News 4/28/13 - 5/4/13

By Sara Dowling

We did it! We made it through the entire alphabet and successfully completed the A-Z Challenge! Thank you to everyone who stopped by to read and comment, and thank you to the Quarter Notes team and Chaser photographers and videographers for sharing their talents with us!

A: About
B: Dear #blameCarla
C: Meet the Flat Chasers
D: Deviate
E: SNC at ESPN
F: Fun Facts (Geography edition)
G: Guest Artists
H: Chaser Dictionary #hashtags
I: Inside A Cappella
J: Jerome, Mike, Ryan and Joel
K: A Cappella Karaoke
L: Letters from Lieve
M: Metro
N: National Anthem
O: SNC Off-Mic
P: Pentatonix
Q: Quickfire Q&A
R: IN A WORLD Where Charlie Goes Rappelling...
S: Skydiving
T: Tour
U: Under the Influence
V: Sarah's A Cappella Voice Crush
W: Walt's Top 5 A Cappella Recordings of All Time
X: 10
Y: Young Life
Z: Straight No Chaser helps out with Z!

Photo credits SJ F., Shaina E., Julie F., Dottie K., Tara K., Megan D. Graphic by Sara D.

I hope you've also been able to join us as we count down to the official Under the Influence release day on Tuesday! Those lucky Chasers who pre-ordered the album have been listening to their very own album stream since last Tuesday. If you didn't pre-order, Entertainment Weekly also has a sneak peek here. Word on the street? *leans in closer* IT SOUNDS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


On August 19th, 2012, Ryan did a Twitter Q&A session specifically for questions about the at the time unnamed album with an unknown to us track list and Dottie compiled it on SNCmusic.com. It's so much fun to go back and see what he said now that we know all. Of course, it's full of teasers. Kudos to mama2josh23 for her sharp eye and figuring out that he DID actually give us one of the track names! lol Oh, Ryan...


SNC will be on Bravo TV's "Watch What Happens Live" tonight (Sunday)! Chasers haven't been able to find a listing for the show that mentions them, BUT the guys have confirmed that they will be on. Check your local listings and set those DVRs!

SNC Tweet of the Week

Who's buying #UnderTheInfluence on Tuesday? @sncmusic
— Tyler Trepp (@therealsnctyler) May 5, 2013

Did I forget anything important that happened this week? Let us know in the comments!

2

*Photo credits SJ F., Shaina E., Julie F., Dottie K., Tara K., Megan D. Graphic by Sara D.

3

*Photo credits SJ F., Dottie K. and Jessica T. Graphic by Sara D.
Hi-De-Ho. Or, more accurately, Hi. De. Ho. *thud*

4

The quartet of Ryan, Tyler, Walt and Dave taking on the Jersey Boys Medley. Tyler does an incredible Frankie Valli!
*Photo credit Julie F. Graphic by Sara D.

5

Scenes from SNC's 50s Medley, Harrah's Atlantic City 2011. According to Walt, the B stands for "Boardwalk."
*Photo credits: Shaina E. and Julie F. Graphic by Sara D.

6

Tyler at the boards for Under the Influence.
*Photo credit: Shaina E. Graphic by Sara D.

Straight No Chaser helps out with Z!

I am very proud of this picture. :o)
l to r: Mike, Seggie, Z-Charlie, Tyler, Hiding Don, Randy, Z-Ryan, Jerome, Dave and Walt.

And there you have it, the absolutely perfect way to end the challenge! Aren't they just the best? :o) THANK YOU, SNC! I appreciate it more than you know.

THANK YOU also to everyone who has contributed their amazing talents to the project this month, to the readers for stopping by and commenting their encouragement, and to Arlee Bird and his crackerjack team of co-hosts for starting this whole A to Z idea in the first place! *Kermit flail*


And, just FYI...

*Photo credit: Shaina E. Graphic by Sara D.

Y: Young Life

Logo courtesy of
https://www.facebook.com/YoungLife

If you haven't heard, Straight No Chaser member Ryan Ahlwardt left the group in December. You can read his goodbye letter here: Thank You!  I also highly recommend downloading his SNC FanChat so you can listen to him talk about making this important decision.

In the letter, Ryan explains why:

Through much prayer, counsel, and careful consideration, I am heeding a spiritual calling to serve high-schoolers in my home community (Fishers, IN) as part of a Christian outreach ministry called Young Life.

The call to embark upon this new journey was as unexpected for me as I presume it may be for you to read these words now.

Young Life has held a special place in my heart since my time spent volunteering with the organization in Fishers in 2006-08. To be called to serve young people through a ministry I care deeply about (in my former school district back home, nonetheless) is something I am compelled to pursue.

If you would like to learn more about Young Life, you can check out their website at http://www.younglife.org/us.

From the website:

Young Life is a Christian ministry that reaches out to middle school, high school and college-aged kids in all 50 of the United States as well as more than 70 countries around the world.

I can't think of a better organization to support with a donation of your time or money - whether it's in honor of Ryan and the hard work and love he gave so readily during his time in SNC (there is an option to mention that if you make the donation through the site), or as a way for you to reach out to the youth in your community.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YoungLife

Twitter: https://twitter.com/YoungLife

#RAFunFact Ryan's solo album, Live From Malibu, was recorded during his 2007 summer tour at the Malibu Young Life Camp in British Columbia, Canada.

**********

Just one day left in the A to Z Blogging Challenge! Come back tomorrow as I reveal the smashing end to our aca-alphabet!  Oh, and by the way, there are only...

 

*Photo credit: Shaina E. Graphic by Sara D.

SNC News 4/21/13 - 4/27/13

By Sara Dowling

Thanks to everyone who has stopped by during this FOURTH week of the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge!*waves* We're almost at the end!

So far, we've covered A-X:

A: About
B: Dear #blameCarla
C: Meet the Flat Chasers
D: Deviate
E: SNC at ESPN
F: Fun Facts (Geography edition)
G: Guest Artists
H: Chaser Dictionary #hashtags
I: Inside A Cappella
J: Jerome, Mike, Ryan and Joel
K: A Cappella Karaoke
L: Letters from Lieve
M: Metro
N: National Anthem
O: SNC Off-Mic
P: Pentatonix
Q: Quickfire Q&A
R: IN A WORLD Where Charlie Goes Rappelling...
S: Skydiving
T: Tour
U: Under the Influence
V: Sarah's A Cappella Voice Crush
W: Walt's Top 5 A Cappella Recordings of All Time
X: 10

Sundays are days off from the challenge, so please come back tomorrow to pick up again with Y!

And now for our regularly scheduled SNC News...

1. Mike Luginbill  2. No, he never takes a bad photo. 3. Yes, he is also incredibly nice.
4. Yes, he is spoken for. 5. Try Tyler "The Single Guy" Trepp 6. His cell number is... 7. Just kidding!
8. About Tyler's cell number, I mean. 9. Mike is really spoken for. 10. Buy the album May 7th!

*Photo credit Sara N. Graphic by Sara D.


You still have 3 days left to enter Delilah's Straight No Chaser Flyaway Sweepstakes!

Details were released this week about the Las Vegas Chaser Summit! Also, some additional info on a VERY limited number of available add ons if you don't want to buy the whole hotel/concerts package.

We also got to hear THREE song premieres this week! *whew!* Busy week!

Thursday April 25th

Happy Birthday, Jerome!

Premiere release of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" featuring Sir Elton John



Wednesday April 24th 

Premiere release of "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" featuring Stevie Wonder



Tuesday April 23rd 

Premiere release of "I Won't Give Up" featuring Jason Mraz




Also, in spite of his busy day, Walt did end it with a quick late night Tell-All Tuesday session.  Thanks, Walt!


Monday April 22nd

Ticket presales started for the Under The Influence Tour! Unfortunately, there were a number of technical glitches that prevented the purchases from going smoothly. :o/ A BIG HUGE "THANK YOU!" goes out to the SNC behind the scenes team members who were working so hard to answer questions and panicked calls for help! They were on FB, Twitter and the main site responding as quickly as they could get the needed fixes and information, which was certainly appreciated.


SNC Tweet of the Week

So cute! Did anyone see Steve and Walt on their local PBS station Thursday night?

Great night! Thank you to everyone @kcpt. @sncwalt and I had a great time and I hope to see you at the Midland 11/3! twitter.com/sncsteve/statu…
— Steve Morgan (@sncsteve) April 26, 2013

Did I forget anything important that happened this week? Let us know in the comments!

X: 10

Last year I was struggling with the letter X, so I was grateful when it was pointed out to me that X is the Roman numeral for 10. 10 is an important number for SNC - 10 guys, their 10-year reunion was the reason Randy uploaded the 12 Days video, etc.

Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, this year it is my GREAT pleasure to announce that as of today it is only...

Tyler can't believe it, either!
l to r: Mr. Mark Kibble (Producer and Take 6 founding member)
with Tyler and Ryan at the boards for Under The Influence.

*Photo credit: Shaina E. Graphic by Sara D.

W: Walt's Top 5 A Cappella Recordings of All Time

Why make a list of my favorite a cappella recordings?

Why not?

I made some guidelines for my list before starting:

• Only one song per group. (Someday I'll do a list of just my top twenty Take 6 songs.)
• Don't limit myself to the best known songs. (These are my favs, not the top downloads.)
• No SNC songs. (Nothing worse than someone listing one of their own as the greatest, you know?)

Here they are, feel free to play along at home. I highly recommend downloading these immediately and listening to them until they play themselves...

1) "Get Away Jordan," Take 6 This song is the beginning and the end of what I know in a cappella. Literally it was the beginning, as it was the first song I was introduced to by Take 6 way back in high school. I learned to sing screaming falsetto by playing this song to and from school, blasting in my car, trying to be Claude McKnight and wailing the top part. Heck, Boyz II Men even quote the chorus on their debut album, Cooleyhighharmony, a true tip of the hat from the top selling vocal group of all time to their lesser acclaimed, but worshiply adored, counterparts.

2) "I Found a New Baby," The Real Group Could have gone with any of a dozen recordings by The Real Group, but this one's special. Randy Stine first introduced all of the original SNC guys to their sound, and we even got to meet them at Butler University back in the late 90s. "Perfection" is the word to describe them and this track is the pinnacle of that. Anders counter-tenor lead is not only pitch perfect, but his feel for the melody and the jazz in his Swedish style is unreal.

3) "I Walk With You," Rockapella There are many more popular Rockapella tunes than this single, but to me this is the Rockapella I love. Some of their tracks are too percussion based, some are too corny for my palate. When Rockapella is at its best in my mind is when they just SING. "Don't Tell Me You Do" is a close 2nd, but this song brings the house down for me. The gospel bridge. The inverted last chorus. This song was on Sean Altman's last album with the group, and I equate this track as his "Let It Be" before leaving. Loved it so much, I had SNC and Ladies First sing it together at my wedding.

4) "Mother Nature's Son," The King's Singers I borrowed a lot of CDs from Don Nottingham in college, usually without returning them for a long time, if ever at all. The King's Singers' Beatles album was a staple in Don's car for a stretch of a month or so, and he could never drop me off from a Delusions of Grandeur rehearsal without him playing me this track. It's everything an a cappella arrangement should be: Sung effortlessly, arranged without awkward syllables, and powerful without forcing the issue. Play and repeat, play and repeat.

5) "Gone," The House Jacks A game changer for me. This wasn't choir boys singing, this was a legit rock ballad with heart and power. I first met Deke Sharon and the guys backstage at the National Collegiate A Cappella Invitational (now ICCA) at Carnegie Hall in 1998. Straight No Chaser was competing in the finals, and the Jacks were the host group that would sing while the judges tallied scores. Hearing them perform this song live at Carnegie Hall was mind-bending. Again, Don introduced me to this song about a year prior to that meeting. IUSNC would record it in 2000, with Ryan Ahlwardt and Don (of course) wailing away on the solos.

Five songs that shaped my life and love for a cappella.

-Walter Chase

In the studio for Under The Influence
Photo credit: SNCmusic

So... do YOU have a Top 5? Let us know in the comments!

ICYMI: Check out Walt's article in our second issue, "So, You Wanna Be in an A Cappella Group..." 

V: Sarah's A Cappella Voice Crush

By Sarah Twilley

I love great voices. Listening to a cappella, I come across a ton of great voices. But every so often, a voice hits me deeply. I have to hear it again and again. And again. I start searching YouTube and other various Internet sources to get more of that voice. And that, Dear Readers, is what makes a voice crush!





Voice Crush: Peter Jones of Groove For Thought

From the moment Peter opened his mouth to sing during season two of The Sing-Off, my ears have been in love. If you're a newer a cappella fan and never caught season two, Groove For Thought is one of the must-listen groups from that season. And Peter is a main reason why. We all thought they were fabulous when they came out singing Stevie Wonder's “I Wish” with Peter rocking his Stevie on the lead. I remember thinking “Whoa... not only is this group jazzy, but this dude's voice is so smooth. Like buttah.”

One week later, Groove For Thought had a lock on my heart when they took on Mike Posner's “Cooler Than Me.” And Peter. Oh, Peter. I mean, you know something is good when Shawn Stockman says his head hurts with delight. His voice is so super smooth with just a slight rasp – perfect jazzy voice.

I had the luck to see Groove For Thought live in Seattle not long after their Sing-Off experience. They aren't strictly a cappella, but I don't care. And Peter, well, TV did not do his voice justice. It was even sexier in person! Sadly, Peter has left Groove For Thought, moving on to other endeavors. Is it selfish to hope that “other endeavors” means “going solo?” :)


Have your own aca voice crush? I would love to hear about it on Facebook or Twitter!

U: Under the Influence

Straight No Chasers' brand new album!

Release day is May 7th.  The SNCmusic store has several different bundles of merchandise that you can buy along with the album, but it's also on iTunes. Personally, I really want the Tour Journal and I won't settle for anything less than the Fan Edition/Deluxe Edition CD. All of the songs on the regular album, including those with the featured guest artists, plus SIX extra songs - including an original! - are you kidding me?!

What? I'm a little excited. I'm a Chaser. ;o)

T: Tour

Straight No Chasers' largest tour ever, including the first Chaser Summit in Las Vegas!

61 shows. 52 cities. Under The Influence Tour 2013.



If you can't see the video, you can also find the list of cities on the tour in this blog post on the official site.

Ticket presales start Monday! Also, this press release mentions some TV appearances and other exciting release week activities.

S: Skydiving

Randy's Skydive:




Seggie's Skydive:



Check out Seggie's excellent blog post about the experience, including the answer to "Why????" lol  So... I fell again.

SNC News 4/14/13 - 4/20/13

By Sara Dowling

Thanks to everyone who has stopped by during this third week of the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge!*waves*

So far, we've covered A-R:

A: About
B: Dear #blameCarla
C: Meet the Flat Chasers
D: Deviate
E: SNC at ESPN
F: Fun Facts (Geography edition)
G: Guest Artists
H: Chaser Dictionary #hashtags
I: Inside A Cappella
J: Jerome, Mike, Ryan and Joel
K: A Cappella Karaoke
L: Letters from Lieve
M: Metro
N: National Anthem
O: SNC Off-Mic
P: Pentatonix
Q: Quickfire Q&A
R: IN A WORLD Where Charlie Goes Rappelling...

Sundays are days off from the challenge, so please come back tomorrow to pick up again with S!

And now for our regularly scheduled SNC News...

I'm not sure exactly what's going on with the karaoke challenge. I understand there were some technical difficulties, but from reading the original rules, I thought we would have known who the winner was already. I'm sure something will be announced soon, and in the meantime you should definitely check out the 6 Featured Submissions!


Wednesday April 17th

SNC announced the dates for their Under the Influence Tour - their largest tour ever! - including the September Chaser Summit in Las Vegas!

61 shows. 52 cities. Under The Influence Tour 2013. We couldn't be more excited. youtu.be/8WYNiC09Zxs #UnderTheInfluence
— Straight No Chaser (@SNCmusic) April 17, 2013

#dudewherewegoing

If you can't see the video, you can also find the list of cities on the tour in this blog post. Fan Club Pre-sales will start tomorrow (April 22) at 4pm EST. Tickets go on-sale to the general public on Tuesday, April 30 at 10am local time.

More information about the Summit, aka "the SNC Cruise on land," will be coming soon.

Also, this press release mentions some TV appearances and other exciting release week activities.


Tuesday April 16th

A brand new look for SNCmusic.com was revealed! Thanks for your hard work, WebCrew!

Out of respect for the bombings at the Boston Marathon, there was no SNC Tell-All Tuesday this week. #prayforBoston



SNC Tweet of the Week

Made it official yesterday: My status changed from cancer patient to SURVIVOR.
— Sara (@snemtuda) April 20, 2013

Congratulations, Sara!!!!


Did I forget anything exciting that happened this week? Let us know in the comments!

R: IN A WORLD Where Charlie Goes Rappelling...

On March 23, Charlie rappelled down the 29 stories of the Four Seasons Hotel Houston to raise money for the Tellepsen Family Downtown YMCA in Houston! Then he put together this very creative way of sharing the day with us.

On March 29th he released the Official Trailer:




And then, thankfully not in the Summer of 2018, but just three days later, we got to enjoy the premiere of the Chazzmatik Films Production, Over the Edge:




Charlie passed his goal of $1250, raising $1310. We're all so proud of you, Charlie! Thanks for taking us along on your adventure! 

Q: Quickfire Q&A

Where we get to know all about YOU!
By Carla Rodriguez

Question #1: If you could be any character in fiction, who would it be?

Kathleen B. - Scarlett O'Hara! She was rich and popular, went through and survived hard times...and made a really cool dress out of drapes!!!

Sarah T. - Elizabeth Bennett from Pride & Prejudice (& Zombies!)

Victoria D. - My first thought was Captain America. But then again, I don't really want to BE Captain American...I want to be WITH him. So I would have to say Hulk. Why?...well, SMASH! 'Nuff said.

Sara D. - A Doctor Who Companion

Robert S. - Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic

Sonja - Amita on Numb3rs or Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Ariel because she's obviously the coolest Disney Princess. She can sing in tune, she's a terrific swimmer and she gets to marry a hunky prince with a cute dog. Amita because she's brilliant, humble, highly respected, is a consultant for the FBI (does it get any cooler than that?), kind, understanding and she's married to Charlie Eppes and lives in a gorgeous Craftsman home.


Question 2: If you were written about in a newspaper, on the front page, what would the headline say?

Sarah T. - Lakewood singer makes Carnegie Hall debut

Robert S. - "Most Boring Man in the World Found!"

Sonja - This would only be a headline in my own life, but hopefully: SEquations Seminar Motivates Local Woman To Overcome PTSD

Victoria D. - "Captain Canada joins the Avengers" - Yes, if we can have a female Governor General, then we can have a female Captain. ;)

Sara D. - "Multi-Billionaire Author Ends World Hunger, Throws Gigantic A Cappella Party!"

Kathleen B. - "Indianapolis Substitute Teacher Spends A Million Dollars on Tic-Tacs!!"


Question 3: What is your favorite beverage?

Sara D. - A good, bold hazelnut coffee. Also, Tazo's "Awake" hot tea.

Victoria D. - Bubble tea!!!...specifically, matcha frappe with pudding jelly

Sarah T. - chocolate wine

Robert S. - Adult = margarita, normal = coffee

Sonja - Mt. Dew

Kathleen B. - Hot Lipton tea with apple cider vinegar and honey...yeah, it's an acquired taste!


Question 4: If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

Robert S. - The ability to get others to think beyond themselves. (Editor's comment: Good luck with that...)

Sarah T. - I would want to be able to fly and have super strength... and maybe ESP

Kathleen B. - Dave White...cause he's just a SUPER guy!! (Don't know if he's got a *super* car though.....)

Sonja - I've always wanted to be able to fly. Teleportation would also be extremely convenient.

Victoria D. - To heal people. And for fun, I'd want to be able to morph into someone else at will - so kind of like Mystique, but without the creepy blue scaly skin.

Sara D. - Super intelligence, time travel and flying.


Question 5: What was the best thing BEFORE sliced bread?

Sonja - Live, acoustic music

Victoria D. - WHOLE bread? ;)

Kathleen B. - The phonograph record... which led to cd's...which led to SNC being recorded...which led to Facebook...which led to a lot of Chaser friends!!!!

Sara D. - The wheel

Sarah T. - four-part harmony!

Robert S. - Fire.


Thanks for playing!

If you would like to submit answers to future Quickfire Q&As, be sure to check back here on the blog as well as on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Answers should be sent via email to blamecarla @ gmail.com, or via Facebook message to #blameCarla. We can't wait to read your responses!

P: Pentatonix

New wave in a cappella concerts
By Carla Rodriguez

Photo credit: Tara K.

 
After I saw Pentatonix for the first time in Ann Arbor at a small bar called the Blind Pig, I had learned a couple of things: it's a general admission, standing-all-show kinda thing so bring comfortable footware, and they were going to knock my socks off!

For this second show at the Royal Oak Music Hall in Michigan, I decided that I was going to go with the VIP tickets and meet and greet option, which would also give me a first pick of good standing spots at the show. The meet and greet was handled very nicely - I got some goodies, a VIP ticket, a lanyard and a poster signed as I went through the line. It never seemed rushed or inefficient.  The group was fun and I ended up making jokes more than asking questions or anything else (apparently Scott is not good with geography). It was over all too soon and we stood in a line inside the theater for the early admission. I was grateful, it was COLD outside. Our wait was made more interesting by a serenade from a Central Michigan University a cappella group! Then we were ushered into the theater.

While I'm not a fan of standing in one spot for hours, the crowd energy was really fun.  Young & hip and older a cappella enthusiasts were standing side by side.  Or in some cases, finding convenient railings to lean or sit on. Early entrance paid off.  :-)   My previous concert at the Blind Pig was amazing, but this new higher energy set, lighting and overall more professional show was nothing short of fantastic!  I got to see them do "Thrift Shop," a mix of Sing-Off songs (which is now back WOOHOO!) and other songs I enjoyed from their albums.

In the middle, Avi and Kevin took center stage and led the crowd in a singalong. What fun!  Then came one of my favorite parts of their show, Kevin's cello-boxing. Yeah, you heard me, he's beatboxing and playing the cello. It's astounding!  I can't help but wonder WHY people think music in schools doesn't need to happen! Right after that was another highlight as the group came in to sing "Radioactive" - a great segue into more songs. Avi did some amazing overtone singing and also sang the dwarf song from The Hobbit. Kirstie, Scott and Mitch are amazing talents whose voices blend seamlessly. 

As usual, all too soon, it was over.  It was a young, hip, exciting, crowd-pleasing performance that made me want to see more. hmm... I am in Kalamazoo in a couple weeks... http://www.ptxofficial.com/tour



Aha




Radioactive




We Are Young

Collage by Tara K.

www.PTXofficial.com
Twitter: @PTXofficial
Facebook: Pentatonix
YouTube: PTXofficial

Evolution of Music

O: SNC Off-Mic

Straight No Chaser sometimes does an off-mic encore to show us what it would have been like if we walked in on a rehearsal back in their days at IU.

Please adjust the volume between videos as they are not all the same level!

O Holy Night
Video credit: sports4eva77
I've seen this song live. It is unbelievably beautiful!
 

 
Up on the Roof
Video credit: MrsTankerjj
hahaha #heartstop



In the Still of the Night
Video credit: Tina Crouch
A gorgeous rendition of a gorgeous song. So much #basslove. And Jerome is flawless, particularly that note at 2:32. *swoon*


 

Till There Was You
Video credit: sallyboo8892
Beautifully done. The first time I watched this particular video, Ryan's first few notes made me teary. He's a featured soloist because his parents are at this pre-show dinner. If you'd like to skip over the introductions, the song starts at 3:24.



Back Home Again in Indiana
Video credit: sallyboo8892
Yes, you can hear them, even off-mic, clear up in the balcony. My favorite video of this song because of the IU jerseys! #Hoosiers



 
And then there was the time they serenaded the customers at Gibsons Steakhouse...
Video credit: Mark McEachran

Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)
soloist: Jerome Collins



And the encore, Some Nights/We Are Young and IU song
soloist: Tyler Trepp

N: National Anthem

Straight No Chaser founder, Dan Ponce, his brother, Anthony, and their dad, Phil, sang the national anthem together as the "Three Baritones" for the White Sox Opening Day (April 1st, 2013).  A cappella, of course! Arrangement by Dan (Remember when he arranged it for SNC?).

Phil blogged about their experience before and afterwards at his Unphiltered blog.

Video credit: WTTW / Charles Haynie, cameraman




This is how the anthem should always be sung - respectfully and beautifully! Very well done, Ponces!

M: Metro

By Victoria Dong

Photo courtesy of Metro

When Deke Sharon posted the link to the first episode of The Sing-Off China, I was ecstatic, hoping that it would help to ease my “Sing-Off withdrawal.” The show was very entertaining overall, but one performance stood out above the rest. I was already mesmerized by Metro’s soulful voices and beautiful harmonies; however, my jaw hit the floor when these four Caucasian men started singing fluently in Chinese (Cantonese, to be exact). I was expecting an English song, but in retrospect, it only made sense that they performed a Chinese song. It was The Sing-Off China, after all.

I immediately searched online for more information about them! Metro is a four‑man a cappella group that originated in the Midwest and has been performing in Hong Kong for the past seven years. The group – Eric Monson, Sean Oliver, Michael Lance and Kevin Thornton – celebrated its 14th anniversary this past July. Metro has a wide musical repertoire, including covers of “Stand By Me,” “The William Tell Overture,” George Michael’s “Faith” and Rob Thomas’ “Lonely No More.”

Eric founded the group in 1998. He was producing choir festivals at Disney World at the time when one of the artists approached him and asked if he would like to put together a group to sing on the Celebrity Cruise Lines. Eric took the opportunity and Metro was born. For many years the group performed aboard cruise ships, travelling to over fifty countries and five continents. In 2002, Metro went on to perform at Tokyo Disney Resorts and later at Hong Kong Disneyland. The group has also performed internationally for over 80 high profile corporations such as Audi, UPS and Swatch. Metro is currently touring as well as performing on cruise ships and at private functions throughout Asia.

To date, Metro has recorded two albums.  Music for a Metropolis (2009) has mainly English songs with one Cantonese song, while No Borders (2012) has both classic and contemporary Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) songs. Both albums are available on their official website (www.metrovocalgroup.com) and on CDBaby.  No Borders is also available on iTunes. 
 
The first song I listened to on their YouTube channel was “My Pride." The arrangement of the song beautifully complements the words of hope, courage and love in the lyrics. Eric has a couple of incredible solos in the song. There is something special about his beautiful baritone voice that always warms my heart. You can truly feel his passion for music in his voice, along with such sincerity and contentment.

“Lights” and “A Quiet Place” are my two favourites off of Music for a Metropolis. Their voices convey such incredible emotions, yet are so soothing and peaceful that they would take anyone’s troubles away. I also love their take on “Faith.” The song is completely stripped down to the fundamentals, making it simple and organic – music in its purest form. Similarly, their cover of “Lonely No More” is also beautifully raw and organic, with a hint of dance-mix in the harmonies.

Another fun song to check out is “The William Tell Overture.” The arrangement and lyrics were written by Jay Giallombardo in the 1970s for his Barbershop quartet, The Grandma's Boys. It was made popular again in the 1980s by the Gas House Gang, and later revived by Metro when they performed it at Tokyo Disney Sea. The lyrics are hilarious and the arrangement is beautifully crafted, fun and upbeat. It’s a song that will surely put a smile on your face even on a cloudy day.

One of my favourite songs from their second album is “Meteor Shower,” the theme song from a popular Taiwanese TV drama from the 1990s. Each member has a couple of solos in this song – yes, even the bass gets to sing words! Sean, who sings lead during the chorus, has a smooth, silky voice that blends perfectly with the harmony from the rest of the group.

Make sure to check out Mike’s killer bass line, ridiculous vocal percussion and awesome rap solo in “Love is Suspected.” Don’t get me wrong, I love tenors and baritones, but I have a weakness for basses and I absolutely adore Mike’s rich, deep voice. As Metro’s main vocal percussionist, he focuses on creating the sounds of an actual drum set and doesn’t mix it with beatboxing. It’s incredible to watch him do vocal percussion while laying down the bass line at the same time, simply incredible!

“Change Myself” is a very fun song to listen to, with a lot of special vocal effects. I loved the original song, but I must admit that I love Metro’s cover even more. It’s a very positive and uplifting song and you can’t help but dance along. This time Kevin takes on the vocal percussion as Mike lays down an elaborate bass line. Kevin is a vocal percussion beast with funky beats and sounds, while at the same time singing backup for Sean. I have watched the video of them performing this song many times and it always makes me smile. They seemed like they were having so much fun performing! See for yourself! 

Currently, all four members are on the faculty at the American Vocal Studio in Hong Kong. Eric founded the studio to provide workshops and seminars in different styles of singing, training artists in pop, jazz, rock and musical theatre, as well as a cappella. It’s wonderful to see the group giving back to the community and passing on their musical expertise to the next generation of artists!

Special thanks to Eric Monson, Audrey Tang and Yuki Lai for your correspondence and valuable information!

Group Members:
Eric Monson (baritone)
Sean Oliver (tenor 1)
Michael Lance (bass, vocal percussion)
Kevin Thornton (tenor 2, vocal percussion)

L to R: Michael, Sean, Kevin and Eric
Photo courtesy of Metro

Links:
Official site: www.metrovocalgroup.com  
YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/MetroVocalGroup  
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Metrovocalgroup
Twitter: @metrovocalgroup  
MySpace: www.myspace.com/metrovocalgroup/
 

**********

Note from Sara: Great article, Tori! :o) I just couldn't resist throwing in SNC's fantastic Movie Medley under M! Today is also the 101st anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. #shipissinking
Video credit: VickyVictoriaG

SNC News 4/7/13 - 4/13/13

By Sara Dowling

Thanks to everyone who has stopped by during this second week of the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge!*waves*

So far, we've covered A-L:

A: About
B: Dear #blameCarla
C: Meet the Flat Chasers
D: Deviate
E: SNC at ESPN
F: Fun Facts (Geography edition)
G: Guest Artists
H: Chaser Dictionary #hashtags
I: Inside A Cappella
J: Jerome, Mike, Ryan and Joel
K: A Cappella Karaoke
L: Letters from Lieve

Sundays are days off from the challenge, so please come back tomorrow to pick up again with M!

And now for our regularly scheduled SNC News...

The "I Want You Back" Karaoke Challenge ends Tuesday! Get those videos in!

Friday April 12th

Happy Birthday, Shaina!

Happy Birthday, Charlie!


Thursday April 11th 

One of the special things Straight No Chaser does is to stay after every single show to meet and greet with the audience in the lobby. Yes, really! Today SNC asked on their Facebook page if you have a favorite meet and greet memory, photo or story to share. You should pop over and read some of the absolutely wonderful comments that have been left already.


Wednesday April 10th

Today SNC asked on their Facebook page for set list suggestions!


Tuesday April 9th 

Another fun session of @SNCTellAllTues with @SNCWalt! Lots of great answers, but the response that made me LOL was Walt and Don helping out with some algebra homework. Last week it was a geometry question. Seriously, what other a cappella group would do that?

Did you know that Walt has another sports only Twitter @SportsWalt and that he blogged during March Madness over at 63games.com? Check out his wrap-up post "What I Would Change: March Madness."


SNC Tweet of the Week

Thanks 4 all the b'day wishes, they really do mean the world to me. Glad 2 share the day w/ @shainae12 , John Armstrong, and @belgianchaser!
— Charlie Mechling (@charliemechling) April 13, 2013

Did I miss anything exciting that happened this week? Let us know in the comments!

L: Letters from Lieve

Editor's Note: This is the premiere of Lieve's new regular feature!


Dear Straight No Chaser,

As a huge fan, I think it would be cool if you would come to Belgium one day. I know it is a little European country, but don’t let the size fool you!!! It has a lot to offer.

First of all, we Belgians are real food lovers. We produce about 187,000 tons of chocolate a year and there are about 2,300 chocolate shops, which you‘ll find in every city. Did you know that the praline was invented by Neuhauss in 1912??? (This one is for you, Ryan. Hope you have your highlighter ready because there is more to follow.)

Photo credit: BrusselsPictures.com

We have the most delicious waffles over here; the Brussels waffle that is rectangular in shape, and the Liege waffle, made with chunks of sugar which caramelize and form a crispy, crunchy coating. We also serve the best fries in the world! I don’t want to brag, but the French fries were also invented over here (Got that, Ryan???).



We have REAL Belgian beer, not "Belgian style" beers. Over 650 different ones, in fact, all served in their personalized glass in which only that beer may be served. (Yes, Walter, some of those are big.) We serve great dishes, too. My favorite is Belgian stew with fries and fresh applesauce. You guys should really come over and try it. ;)

It rains often over here, but that can’t be a problem for all of you because almost every city has its own cinema. (When you decide to come here make sure Seggie pays his ticket, will you???) When the sun shines, you can go to the Belgian coast, or go hiking or biking in Walonië.

There are also a lot of museums over here. We've got a cool scientific museum called Technopolis. (I can assure you that you won't be thrown out. If you all behave, of course.) In Brussels, you have the Belgian Comic Strip Center, and at Jubelpark, the Autoworld car museum.

Le château fort de Bouillon
Photos courtesy Syndicate d'Initiative de Bouillon

We've got REAL castles and landhouses and citadels - some of them have remains from the Middle Ages. I really love the Citadel in Dinant and the fort in Bouillon.

A must-see is Brugge in West Flanders. It is a great city with lots of old buildings.

Now that you know all of this, I hope you will consider Belgium as one of your European tour destinations!

Sincerely,
Lieve De Geyter
aka: @BelgianChaser






We'll be seeing more from Lieve soon! But in the meantime, would you like to plead your case and let your favorite a cappella group know why they should make a tour stop in YOUR hometown? Send us an email at SNCQuarterNotes @ gmail.com!  

K: A Cappella Karaoke

A cappella karaoke? Whaaaaat?! Yep, you read that right! Sometimes an a cappella singer or group releases a version of a song without their lead vocals, and voilà! A cappella karaoke!

For example, Peter Hollens has a karaoke version of his Bruno Mars cover, "It Will Rain" available for purchase. So basically you can sing with Peter Hollens. I'll just let that sink in... ;o)
If you use it for fun or bring it along to wow the crowd on your regular karaoke night, I know Peter would love to see it/hear it! Tweet it @PeterHollens with hashtag #HollensFamily.

Video credit: PeterHollens





Straight No Chaser is currently running a Karaoke Challenge, inviting YOU to sing lead on their new single, "I Want You Back"! So now you get to channel your inner Sara Bareilles/Michael Jackson/Mike Luginbill/Jerome Collins and belt out a solo worthy of a Grammy nod with the men of SNC as your background music. I know, right?! Awesome. They want you to be creative and add a background, costume and dance moves to your video - the works! Deadline is April 16th and Grand Prize is an iPad!

SNC Sing and Share app on Facebook

Need some inspiration? Here's a 2010 throwback to their Harrah's summer residency in Atlantic City, "ABC/I Want You Back." Love the shirts!
Video credit: nicolemelody8663

J: Jerome, Mike, Ryan and Joel

One of the many highlights of the SNC cruise in October was that the guys had an opportunity to share some of their solo music. (Ryan and Mike both have solo CDs, and Jerome has some music on his MySpace page.) In the months leading up to the cruise, they asked for requests and suggestions from the Chasers. Ryan did a solo show along with some special guests (including his wife, Lauren!) and Jerome and Mike did a show together along with Mike's friend, special guest Joel Dalton.

Through the generosity of the guys allowing video of their shows and of the Chasers on the cruise who took the videos, you can search YouTube for SNCcruise, Jerome and Mike, Ryan Ahlwardt solo show, etc. and live vicariously! Thanks so much to all who made this possible. :o)

Here are a few links to get you started. Enjoy!

Videos courtesy Tara Marie Ahn




Videos courtesy Amanda Abate
 



Videos courtesy yarp24




Videos courtesy chpatlanta





You can should also check out Joel Dalton's YouTube channel!

I: Inside A Cappella

Inside A Cappella highlights the latest trends and hottest tips in A Cappella.
Ask the pros a question, spend 60 seconds learning from a master and watch live exclusives from a cappella events worldwide!

Host: Rachel C.
Executive Producers: Deke Sharon & Dave Longo

http://www.facebook.com/InsideAcappella
twitter.com/insideacappella

Brought to you by: A Cappella TV
http://thevocalcompany.com/
acappellaTV
http://acappella.tv


Latest episode:

H: Chaser Dictionary #hashtags

By Victoria Dong

What exactly is a hashtag? Here's the official definition from Twitter Help Center:

The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. It was created organically by Twitter users as a way to categorize messages.

• People use the hashtag symbol # before a relevant keyword or phrase (no spaces) in their Tweet to categorize those Tweets and help them show more easily in Twitter Search.
• Clicking on a hashtagged word in any message shows you all other Tweets marked with that keyword.
• Hashtags can occur anywhere in the Tweet – at the beginning, middle, or end.
• Hashtagged words that become very popular are often Trending Topics. The following are some hashtags commonly used by Chasers. 

#BassLove

• Used to express our love and appreciation for our most beloved basses, Randy Stine and Charlie Mechling. 
• May also be used in the case of other bass singers.

#Beep/#Greep

• Please refer to Shaina’s detailed article, “BEEP 101: A Chaser’s Guide to One of the Most Popular Chaserisms”, in Volume 1, Issue 3 of our magazine.

#BlameCarla

• Your perfect excuse/alibi to anything in life.
• First coined by Kim Davis – the #antagonizer, who used the hashtag to blame Carla for something insignificant, then invited everyone to do the same.
• Carla thus became the Chaser scapegoat for everything that goes wrong. 
• It is Kim's dream to see #blameCarla trend someday.
• When in doubt, #blameCarla.

#ChaserFail

• An expression used by Chasers when they realized they didn’t know something or do something a Chaser should.
• e.g. “Wow! I didn’t know about the SNC Cruise! #ChaserFail”
• P.S. That was just an example. I don’t think it’s possible for any Chaser to NOT know about the SNC Cruise!

#ChaserLove

• Chasers are an amazing group of people that support one another on a daily basis, and especially through difficult times.
• The love may be expressed through tweets, Facebook messages, greeting cards, hand-made gifts and prayers.
• A great example of #ChaserLove is the “Scarves for Sara” fund-raising initiated by Angie Woollard.

#ChaserProblems

• Some things that only Chasers would experience.
• Examples:
• Listening to Jason Mraz singing “I’m Yours” and finding it weird that he had skipped the “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” part.
• Starting to count down the days to your next SNC concert when it’s still 8 months away.
• Spending next week’s grocery money on an SNC ticket (or five).

#FreePonce

• Originated from the incident on March 17, 2012, when Dan Ponce, the founder of SNC, was wrongfully arrested while covering a news report.
• The SNC guys started tweeting “#FreePonce” and urged the Chasers to do the same in order to try to make the hashtag trend on Twitter.
• ‪It did.

#IntermissionReport 

• An eagerly anticipated report during an SNC concert intermission consisting of highlights from the first half of the show.
• Mostly tweeted by Ryan, although Walt and Seggie have occasionally tweeted intermission reports as well. 
• Chasers also use it to share SNC concert highlights of their own, with occasional personal use during other events' intermissions.
• Has now been retired by SNC due to Ryan's transition out of the group.
• Dave experimented with his own #halftimereport tag at some 2013 winter shows. 
• #ThankYouRyan

#IUBB & #Hoosiers

• Hoosiers = Indiana University basketball (IUBB) team
• The SNC guys are proud supporters of their alma mater basketball team, and will tweet frequently about the team during college basketball season.

#MovieWalt

• Walt watches most, if not all, of the Oscar nominated movies before the awards ceremony, then gives succinct reviews on each movie and his predictions of the winners.
• Oscars 2012
• Oscars 2013

#SeggieFace

• “Loosely defined as a vacant, potentially dumbfounded look on one’s face in which one’s mouth is wide open.” – Shaina Eng

#SeggieFace
Photo credit: SNCmusic.com

#SeggiesMovieReviews

• Seggie gives a concise, 140-character review (complete with a letter grade) for every movie he has watched. I highly recommend you read Seggie’s review before you go to see a movie. 
• @SNCSeggie: “Savages-A. Cinematography, acting, & music all spot on. Oliver Stone back doing what he does best. Go see this movie. #seggiesmoviereviews”
• @SNCSeggie: “"Spiderman" B+ Very well done. Loved how they kept him a little more human. Better than the old ones. See it in 3D. #seggiesmoviereviews”

#SNClive 

• Used by both the SNC guys and the audience when tweeting live from an SNC concert. It’s a great way help promote SNC and connect with other Chasers, so make sure to add #SNClive to your tweets next time you’re at one of their shows! 
• Was also the official name of the Fall 2012 SNC Tour.

#SNCPityParty 

• Virtual party held on Twitter by Chasers who are unable to attend special SNC events, e.g. SNC's summer residency in Atlantic City, the SNC cruise, or SNC’s New Years Eve concert. 
• The “party” provides a venue for the “unfortunate” Chasers to support one another and wallow in self-pity together.

Did we miss any of your favorite SNC hashtags? Let us know in the comments!


Straight No Chaser does the Harlem Shake
Video credit: SNCmusic