Deke Sharon
Encyclopedia
Deke Sharon is an American singer, arranger, composer, director, producer and teacher of a cappella
music, and is one of the leaders of the contemporary a cappella community and a pioneer of the contemporary a cappella style, referred to as "the father of contemporary a cappella" by some authors.
and San Francisco University High School
as well as singing in the San Francisco Boys Chorus
.
and the New England Conservatory of Music
. In college, he directed the collegiate a cappella
group the Tufts Beelzebubs
, transforming the group's sound to reflect modern rock, complete with vocal percussion
. The 1990–91 Bubs album Foster Street that he music directed, co-produced and largely arranged is credited with giving birth to the contemporary a cappella sound.
In his dorm room, he founded The Contemporary A Cappella Society and The Ultimate A Cappella Arranging Service (which became TotalVocal), as well as brought the Harmony Sweepstakes to the East Coast, producing the first Boston regional with the Beelzebubs
. It was in college that he decided to make a career of contemporary a cappella.
, a pioneering a cappella group known for its original music and sound, often called "the original rock band without instruments", they in part because they were the first a cappella group with a designated vocal percussionist: Andrew Chaikin, aka Kid Beyond
, who was replaced in 1998 by Wes Carroll
, and in 2008 by Jake Moulton. The House Jacks have released seven albums (signed to Warner Brothers/Tommy Boy Records in the mid-1990s) and completed several world tours. He has performed with many musicians, including Ray Charles
, Crosby, Stills and Nash and James Brown
. They have won "Best Pop Rock Album" more than once from the Contemporary A Cappella Society
, for "Unbroken" (2004) and "Level" (2010).
He is a prolific, award winning vocal music arranger, having arranged for some of vocal music's best known groups. The Best Arrangement award at the Colorado Harmony Sweepstakes is named after him, and he has won the best arrangement award at the Harmony Sweepstakes several times between 1991 and 2011.
As a producer of a cappella recordings, he's known for having changed the sound of collegiate a cappella recording via the Beelzebubs album Code Red. Most recently, he is arranging and producing for Atlantic Records' Straight No Chaser
.
In the early 1990s, he co-founded The Best of College A Cappella (BOCA), the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
(ICCA), the West and East Coast A Cappella Summits, and a number of other a cappella-related projects, programs and events. He also founded and directed a cappella groups at Walt Disney World/Epcot
(American Vybe) and Disneyland (Groove 66), who currently perform in Southern California as Vybration.
He has worked on a cappella musical theater projects including "Street" and "Our World".
He is also known for his ability to replicate a variety of instruments (e.g. trumpet, guitar, flute, violin) with his voice, teaching "Singing Instruments" seminars, teaching summer camp for young vocalists and adjudicating choral festivals around the world. He has worked with many professional groups, including The Nylons
and Boyz II Men
.
In 2007, he formed the Contemporary A Cappella League, a new national network of adult "post-collegiate" a cappella groups. In 2009, Deke ran a week of in Melbourne, Australia, hosted by Sarah Patterson, musical director of Harambee. He is currently serving as Vice President of CASA. Collaborations with Straight No Chaser
include co-production of their latest recordings and PBS specials.
In December 2009, he acted as arranger, coach and consultant behind the scenes on America's first a cappella reality show/competition: NBC's The Sing-Off, and returned in 2010 as one of the show's producers as well as arranger. He also served as Executive Music Producer on the Dutch Sing Off.
He arranged for The Social Network
movie., and served as music director and arranger for the film Pitch Perfect.
He was named "favorite arranger" in the 2010 A Cappella Community Awards.
Along with The House Jacks
, he sang and performed the 2011 Monday Night Football
theme song "Are You Ready For Some Football" with Hank Williams, Jr.
. Sixteen versions were taped, but only a few episodes aired before the song was removed (due to Hank's comments about President Obama). He sang several of the songs in the Wii game "Just Dance Kids 2" including the Lion Sleeps Tonight, Barbara Ann
, and Mahna Mahna
(This list does not include albums with Deke Sharon arrangements but not direction or production)
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
music, and is one of the leaders of the contemporary a cappella community and a pioneer of the contemporary a cappella style, referred to as "the father of contemporary a cappella" by some authors.
Early life
Deke Sharon was born and raised in San Francisco, attending Town SchoolTown school
*The Town School - a coeducational, independent school based in New York City, founded in 1913*Town School for Boys - an independent school based in San Francisco, founded in 1939...
and San Francisco University High School
San Francisco University High School
San Francisco University High School is an academically focused, college preparatory, private high school located in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, California...
as well as singing in the San Francisco Boys Chorus
San Francisco Boys Chorus
The San Francisco Boys Chorus is a choir for boys consisting of 230 members based in San Francisco with additional campuses in Oakland and San Rafael. It is known officially as "San Francisco's Singing Ambassadors to the World"....
.
College
He spent his college years in Boston, graduating cum laude from Tufts UniversityTufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
and the New England Conservatory of Music
New England Conservatory of Music
The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, is the oldest independent school of music in the United States.The conservatory is home each year to 750 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies along with 1400 more in its Preparatory School as well as the School of...
. In college, he directed the collegiate a cappella
Collegiate a cappella
Collegiate a cappella ensembles are student-run and -directed singing groups that perform entirely without instruments. Such groups can be found at many colleges and universities in the United States, and increasingly worldwide....
group the Tufts Beelzebubs
Beelzebubs
The Beelzebubs, frequently referred to as "The Bubs", are an all-male a cappella group from Tufts University that performs a mix of pop, rock, R&B, and other types of music while spreading their motto of "Fun through Song." They have toured in Europe, Asia, and North America, and they competed in...
, transforming the group's sound to reflect modern rock, complete with vocal percussion
Vocal percussion
Vocal percussion is the art of creating sounds with one's mouth that approximate, imitate, or otherwise serve the same purpose as a percussion instrument, whether in a group of singers, an instrumental ensemble, or solo.-In Western music:...
. The 1990–91 Bubs album Foster Street that he music directed, co-produced and largely arranged is credited with giving birth to the contemporary a cappella sound.
In his dorm room, he founded The Contemporary A Cappella Society and The Ultimate A Cappella Arranging Service (which became TotalVocal), as well as brought the Harmony Sweepstakes to the East Coast, producing the first Boston regional with the Beelzebubs
Beelzebubs
The Beelzebubs, frequently referred to as "The Bubs", are an all-male a cappella group from Tufts University that performs a mix of pop, rock, R&B, and other types of music while spreading their motto of "Fun through Song." They have toured in Europe, Asia, and North America, and they competed in...
. It was in college that he decided to make a career of contemporary a cappella.
Career
Upon graduation in 1991 he moved back to San Francisco, bringing with him a handful of other collegiate a cappella singers to form the The House JacksThe House Jacks
The House Jacks is a professional a cappella quintet from San Francisco, founded in 1991 by Deke SharonOften labeled a "rock band without instruments", their live shows typically include not only singing but also vocally imitating instruments such as trumpets, guitars, harmonicas and strings as...
, a pioneering a cappella group known for its original music and sound, often called "the original rock band without instruments", they in part because they were the first a cappella group with a designated vocal percussionist: Andrew Chaikin, aka Kid Beyond
Kid Beyond
Kid Beyond is a singer, beat boxer and live looper based in the San Francisco area.-Early career:Chaikin attended Brown University and was a leader in the co-ed fraternity Zeta Delta Xi. He sang in the Jabberwocks, a student a cappella group...
, who was replaced in 1998 by Wes Carroll
Wes Carroll
Wes Carroll is one of the pioneering practitioners of vocal percussion in contemporary a cappella music. He is credited as a primary teacher of this art form, primarily through instructional videos and DVDs first created in the late 1990s.He was the founding vocal percussionist for the Boston...
, and in 2008 by Jake Moulton. The House Jacks have released seven albums (signed to Warner Brothers/Tommy Boy Records in the mid-1990s) and completed several world tours. He has performed with many musicians, including Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, Crosby, Stills and Nash and James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
. They have won "Best Pop Rock Album" more than once from the Contemporary A Cappella Society
Contemporary A Cappella Society
The Contemporary A Cappella Society , or CASA, is a 501 charitable organization dedicated to fostering and promoting a cappella music of all styles around the world. CASA was cofounded in 1991 by Deke Sharon by incorporating the first a cappella directory, The List, founded in 1988 & distributed...
, for "Unbroken" (2004) and "Level" (2010).
He is a prolific, award winning vocal music arranger, having arranged for some of vocal music's best known groups. The Best Arrangement award at the Colorado Harmony Sweepstakes is named after him, and he has won the best arrangement award at the Harmony Sweepstakes several times between 1991 and 2011.
As a producer of a cappella recordings, he's known for having changed the sound of collegiate a cappella recording via the Beelzebubs album Code Red. Most recently, he is arranging and producing for Atlantic Records' Straight No Chaser
Straight No Chaser
Straight No Chaser may refer to:*Straight, no chaser, a way of requesting and/or serving a drink, similar to Straight upIn music:* Straight No Chaser , US a cappella group...
.
In the early 1990s, he co-founded The Best of College A Cappella (BOCA), the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
The International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, originally the National Championship of Collegiate A Cappella , is an international competition that attracts hundreds of college a cappella groups each year...
(ICCA), the West and East Coast A Cappella Summits, and a number of other a cappella-related projects, programs and events. He also founded and directed a cappella groups at Walt Disney World/Epcot
Epcot
Epcot is a theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort, located near Orlando, Florida. The park is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, namely international culture and technological innovation. The second park built at the resort, it opened on October 1, 1982 and was initially named...
(American Vybe) and Disneyland (Groove 66), who currently perform in Southern California as Vybration.
He has worked on a cappella musical theater projects including "Street" and "Our World".
He is also known for his ability to replicate a variety of instruments (e.g. trumpet, guitar, flute, violin) with his voice, teaching "Singing Instruments" seminars, teaching summer camp for young vocalists and adjudicating choral festivals around the world. He has worked with many professional groups, including The Nylons
The Nylons
The Nylons are an a cappella group founded in 1978 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Best known for their covers of The Turtles' "Happy Together", Steam's "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", and The Tokens' version of the traditional "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"....
and Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
.
In 2007, he formed the Contemporary A Cappella League, a new national network of adult "post-collegiate" a cappella groups. In 2009, Deke ran a week of in Melbourne, Australia, hosted by Sarah Patterson, musical director of Harambee. He is currently serving as Vice President of CASA. Collaborations with Straight No Chaser
Straight No Chaser
Straight No Chaser may refer to:*Straight, no chaser, a way of requesting and/or serving a drink, similar to Straight upIn music:* Straight No Chaser , US a cappella group...
include co-production of their latest recordings and PBS specials.
In December 2009, he acted as arranger, coach and consultant behind the scenes on America's first a cappella reality show/competition: NBC's The Sing-Off, and returned in 2010 as one of the show's producers as well as arranger. He also served as Executive Music Producer on the Dutch Sing Off.
He arranged for The Social Network
The Social Network
The Social Network is a 2010 American drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin. Adapted from Ben Mezrich's 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires, the film portrays the founding of social networking website Facebook and the resulting lawsuits...
movie., and served as music director and arranger for the film Pitch Perfect.
He was named "favorite arranger" in the 2010 A Cappella Community Awards.
Along with The House Jacks
The House Jacks
The House Jacks is a professional a cappella quintet from San Francisco, founded in 1991 by Deke SharonOften labeled a "rock band without instruments", their live shows typically include not only singing but also vocally imitating instruments such as trumpets, guitars, harmonicas and strings as...
, he sang and performed the 2011 Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
theme song "Are You Ready For Some Football" with Hank Williams, Jr.
Hank Williams, Jr.
Randall Hank Williams , better known as Hank Williams, Jr. and Bocephus, is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of Southern rock, blues, and traditional country...
. Sixteen versions were taped, but only a few episodes aired before the song was removed (due to Hank's comments about President Obama). He sang several of the songs in the Wii game "Just Dance Kids 2" including the Lion Sleeps Tonight, Barbara Ann
Barbara Ann
"Barbara Ann" is a song written by Fred Fassert and performed by The Regents in 1961. The recording reached a peak position of #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 record chart....
, and Mahna Mahna
Discography
| Album | Year | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Fourteen – Tufts Beelzebubs Beelzebubs The Beelzebubs, frequently referred to as "The Bubs", are an all-male a cappella group from Tufts University that performs a mix of pop, rock, R&B, and other types of music while spreading their motto of "Fun through Song." They have toured in Europe, Asia, and North America, and they competed in... |
1989 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
| Beelzebub Winter Invitational – Tufts Beelzebubs | 1990 | Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
| Foster Street – Tufts Beelzebubs | 1991 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
| Sing Naked – House Jacks | 1991 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
| Naked Noise – House Jacks | 1994 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
| Best of College A Cappella | 1995 | Producer |
| Best of College A Cappella 2 | 1996 | Producer |
| Urban Harmony: R&B A Cappella | 1996 | Producer |
| Funkwich – House Jacks | 1997 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
| Best of College A Cappella '97 | 1997 | Producer |
| A Cappella All-Stars: The CARAs | 1997 | Producer |
| Harmony Sweepstakes 1997 | 1997 | Producer |
| Voices Only: A Cappella Originals | 1997 | Producer |
| Best of College A Cappella '98 | 1998 | Producer |
| A Cappella All-Stars: The CARAs '98 | 1998 | Producer |
| Best of High School A Cappella | 1998 | Producer |
| Harmony Sweepstakes 1998 | 1998 | Producer |
| Best of College A Cappella '99 | 1999 | Producer |
| A Cappella All-Stars: The CARAs '99 | 1999 | Producer |
| Naked Funk – House Jacks | 1999 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
| Wasting Our Parent's Money: BOCA Humor | 1999 | Producer |
| Best of College A Cappella 2000 | 2000 | Producer |
| A Cappella All-Stars: The CARAs 2000 | 2000 | Producer |
| Drive – House Jacks | 2001 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
| Best of College A Cappella 2001 | 2001 | Producer |
| Next – Tufts Beelzebubs | 2001 | Arranger, Producer |
| Disney's American Vybe – American Vybe | 2001 | Music Director, Arranger |
| Best of College A Cappella 2002 | 2002 | Producer |
| Punch – Various | 2002 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
| Embodiment – BaSix (Denmark) | 2002 | Producer |
| Only In America – Peking and the Mystics | 2002 | Producer |
| Best of College A Cappella 2003 | 2003 | Producer |
| Code Red – Tufts Beelzebubs | 2003 | Arranger, Producer |
| Unbroken – House Jacks | 2004 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
| Best of College A Cappella 2004 | 2004 | Producer |
| Fitchy & Grikko – House Jacks | 2005 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
| Best of College A Cappella 2005 | 2005 | Producer |
| Udder Won – Moosebutter Moosebutter Moosebutter is a comedy a cappella group that started in Salt Lake City, UT, and has been based for most of its existence in Provo, Utah. The quartet has performed at venues spanning the United States, with most of their shows in the Rocky Mountain region, most notably Utah and Colorado... |
2005 | Vocalist, Producer |
| Best of College A Cappella 2006 | 2006 | Producer |
| Unleash the Periscope – Colorado College Back Row | 2006 | Producer |
| Get Down Mr. President – House Jacks | 2007 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
| Best of College A Cappella 2007 | 2007 | Producer |
| Best of College A Cappella 2008 | 2008 | Producer |
| Best of High School A Cappella 2008 | 2008 | Producer |
| Good Things – House Jacks | 2009 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
| Best of College A Cappella 2009 | 2009 | Producer |
| Best of High School A Cappella 2009 | 2009 | Producer |
| Christmas Cheers – Straight No Chaser Straight No Chaser Straight No Chaser may refer to:*Straight, no chaser, a way of requesting and/or serving a drink, similar to Straight upIn music:* Straight No Chaser , US a cappella group... |
2009 | Arranger, Producer |
| Sing Off tracks – Sing-Off Cast, Season One | 2009 | Arranger, Music Director |
| Best of College A Cappella 2010 | 2010 | Producer |
| Go Nuts – Colorado College Back Row | 2010 | Producer |
| With A Twist – Straight No Chaser Straight No Chaser Straight No Chaser may refer to:*Straight, no chaser, a way of requesting and/or serving a drink, similar to Straight upIn music:* Straight No Chaser , US a cappella group... |
2010 | Arranger, Producer |
| Level – House Jacks | 2010 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
| Nota – Nota Nota Nota is an automobile manufacturer in Australia. The company was founded by Guy Buckingham in 1952. He was an aircraft engineer and used his expertise to build triangulated spaceframed sportscars. Possibly Australia's first space-framed cars. In 1958 the company built a series of all-enveloping... |
2010 | Arranger, Producer |
| Harmonies for the Holidays – Sing-Off Cast, Season Two | 2010 | Arranger, Producer |
| Sing Off tracks – Sing-Off Cast, Season Two | 2010 | Arranger, Music Director, Producer |
| Best of College A Cappella 2011 | 2011 | Producer |
| Best of High School A Cappella 2010–2011 | 2011 | Producer |
| Best of the Sing Off Season Two – Sing-Off Cast | 2011 | Arranger, Music Director, Producer |
| Committed – Committed Committed Committed may refer to:* Committed , a film starring Heather Graham and Luke Wilson* Committed , a comic strip by Michael Fry** Committed , an animated television series based on the strip... |
2011 | Arranger, Producer |
| Sing Off tracks – Sing-Off Cast, Season Three | 2011 | Arranger, Music Director, Producer |
| Songs of the Season – Sing-Off Cast, Season Three | 2011 | Arranger, Producer |
(This list does not include albums with Deke Sharon arrangements but not direction or production)
External links
- CASA
- TotalVocal
- House Jacks
- The Tufts Beelzebubs
- Elkhart Truth "Master of A Cappella Shares Talent"
- CNN "A Cappella Summit Joins Voices in Harmony" archive of text from the Vanderbilt Television News Archive
- Edmonton Journal "Northern Harmony"
- Taipei Contemporary A Cappella Association "第一屆大專盃台灣阿卡貝拉比賽"
- B.U. Bridge "A Cappella at B.U."
- Duke Magazine "Shoo-Bee-Doo-Bee-Duke"
- USC Thesis "Social Dynamics and Musical Sensibilities"
- UVA Thesis "Room Zero"
- Daily Princetonian article
- Tufts Daily "Going Live to the Past"
- Pulse Magazine "Following Pop's Lead, A Cappella Redefines Itself Again"
- Stanford Daily "A Cappella Up For Awards"
- General-Anzieger "Alltag raus, Spaß rein, Tür zu"
- Waiblinger Stadtanzeiger "Wanna Funk?"
- German articles "Mund-Trommler und Lippen-Gitarristen", "Mineralwasser, Mikrofone und Viel Stimme" and "Smarte Stimmkunstler..."
- "A Cappella U" podcast
- casa.org "Jacks Bring Down The House, None Survive"
- barbershop.org article on Contemporary A Cappella
- Tufts e-news "A Cappella With An Edge"
- NPR Weekend Edition Story "Perfect Pitch: The Drama of Collegiate A Cappella"
- Sing-Off Production List http://ca.tv.yahoo.com/show/44514/castcrew
- Straight No Chaser Christmas Cheers http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2009/12/13/scene.qp-1099054.sto
