Editing A cappella (section)

==In the United States==
[[File:The Hullabahoos.jpg|thumb|The Hullabahoos, an a cappella group at the [[University of Virginia]], were featured in the movie ''[[Pitch Perfect]]'']]
Peter Christian Lutkin, dean of the [[Bienen School of Music|Northwestern University School of Music]], helped popularize a cappella music in the United States by founding the Northwestern A Cappella Choir in 1906. The A Cappella Choir was "the first permanent organization of its kind in America."<ref>{{harvnb|Wittman|1978}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|van Camp|1965}}</ref>

An a cappella tradition was begun in 1911 by [[F. Melius Christiansen]], a music faculty member at [[St. Olaf College]] in [[Northfield, Minnesota]].<ref name='Norwegian Americans'>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Norwegian Americans |encyclopedia=Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life |edition=3rd |pages=477–481 |volume=2 |section=Americas |location=Farmington Hills, Michigan |publisher=Gale |year=2017 |via=[[Minneapolis Community & Technical College]] Library |access-date=24 September 2018 |url=http://link.galegroup.com.mctproxy.mnpals.net/apps/doc/CX3648200207/GVRL?u%3Dmnaminncom&amp;sid%3DGVRL&amp;xid%3Dcecfcc81 |url-access=registration }}</ref> The [[St. Olaf Choir|St. Olaf College Choir]] was established as an outgrowth of the local [[St. John's Lutheran Church (Northfield, Minnesota)|St. John's Lutheran Church]], where Christiansen was organist and the choir was composed, at least partially, of students from the nearby St. Olaf campus. The success of the ensemble was emulated by other regional conductors, and a tradition of a cappella choral music was born in the region at colleges like [[Concordia College, Moorhead|Concordia College]] (Moorhead, Minnesota), [[Augustana College (Illinois)|Augustana College]] (Rock Island, Illinois), [[Waldorf University]] (Forest City, Iowa), [[Luther College (Iowa)|Luther College]] (Decorah, Iowa), [[Gustavus Adolphus College]] (St. Peter, Minnesota), [[Augustana College (South Dakota)|Augustana College]] (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), and [[Augsburg University]] (Minneapolis, Minnesota). The choirs typically range from 40 to 80 singers and are recognized for their efforts to perfect blend, intonation, phrasing and pitch in a large choral setting.<ref>{{Citation|last=Prieto|first=Pilar|chapter=The intonational phonology of Catalan |date=2014|pages=43–80|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0199567300|doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199567300.003.0003|title=Prosodic Typology II}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.van.org/choirauditions.htm|title=Vocal Area Network Choir Auditions|website=www.van.org|access-date=14 June 2019}}</ref>

Movements in modern a cappella over the past century include [[Barbershop music|barbershop]] and [[doo wop]]. The [[Barbershop Harmony Society]], [[Sweet Adelines International]], and Harmony Inc. host educational events including Harmony University, Directors University, and the International Educational Symposium, and international contests and conventions, recognizing international champion [[List of chorus champions by year|choruses]] and [[List of quartet champions by year|quartets]].

Many a cappella groups can be found in high schools and colleges. There are amateur Barbershop Harmony Society and professional groups that sing a cappella exclusively. Although a cappella is technically defined as singing without instrumental accompaniment, some groups use their voices to emulate instruments; others are more traditional and focus on harmonizing. A cappella styles range from gospel music to contemporary to barbershop quartets and choruses.

The [[Contemporary A Cappella Society]] (CASA) is a membership option for former students, whose funds support hosted competitions and events.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Schluntz|first=Roger L.|date=1982|title=Design Competitions: For Whose Benefit Now?|journal=Journal of Architectural Education|volume=35|issue=4|pages=2–9|doi=10.2307/1424700|issn=0149-2993|jstor=1424700}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.music.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1059:the-contemporary-a-cappella-society-casa&catid=109&Itemid=101|title=The Contemporary A Cappella Society (CASA)|website=www.music.org|access-date=14 June 2019}}</ref>

A cappella music was popularized between the late 2000s and the early to mid-2010s with media hits such as the 2009–2014 TV show ''[[The Sing-Off]]'' and the musical comedy film series ''[[Pitch Perfect (film series)|Pitch Perfect]]''.

===Recording artists===
In [[Number-one hits of 1943 (United States)|July 1943]], as a result of the [[American Federation of Musicians]] boycott of US recording studios, the a cappella vocal group ''The Song Spinners'' had a best-seller with "Comin' In on a Wing and a Prayer". In the 1950s, several recording groups, notably [[The Hi-Los]] and the [[Four Freshmen]], introduced complex jazz harmonies to a cappella performances. The [[King's Singers]] are credited with promoting interest in small-group a cappella performances in the 1960s. Frank Zappa loved doo wop and a cappella, so Zappa released [[The Persuasions]]' first album from his label in 1970.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trunkworthy.com/the-persuasions-frank-zappas-pitch-perfect-gift-to-a-cappella-harmony/ |publisher=Trunkworthy |access-date=2 December 2017 |title=The Persuasions: Frank Zappa's Pitch Perfect Gift to a Cappella Harmony }}</ref> [[Judy Collins]] recorded "[[Amazing Grace]]" a cappella.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/JudyCollinsInterview.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/JudyCollinsInterview.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live|title=Judy Collins interview|website=[[Library of Congress]]|date=12 April 2017|access-date=17 June 2021}}</ref>  In 1983, an a cappella group known as [[The Flying Pickets]] had a Christmas 'number one' in the UK with a cover of [[Yazoo (band)|Yazoo]]'s (known in the US as [[Yazoo (band)|Yaz]]) "[[Only You (Yazoo song)|Only You]]". A cappella music attained renewed prominence from the late 1980s onward, spurred by the success of Top 40 recordings by artists such as [[The Manhattan Transfer]], [[Bobby McFerrin]], [[Huey Lewis and the News]], [[All-4-One]], [[The Nylons]], [[Backstreet Boys]], [[Boyz II Men]], and [[*NSYNC]].{{citation needed|date=March 2008}}

Contemporary a cappella includes many vocal groups and bands who add [[vocal percussion]] or [[beatboxing]] to create a pop/rock/gospel sound, in some cases very similar to bands with instruments. Examples of such professional groups include [[Straight No Chaser (group)|Straight No Chaser]], [[Pentatonix]], [[The House Jacks]], [[Rockapella]], [[Mosaic (vocal band)|Mosaic]], [[Home Free (group)|Home Free]] and [[M-pact]]. There also remains a strong a cappella presence within Christian music, as some denominations purposefully do not use instruments during worship. Examples of such groups are [[Take 6]], [[Glad (band)|Glad]] and [[Acappella (group)|Acappella]]. Arrangements of popular music for small a cappella ensembles typically include one voice singing the lead melody, one singing a rhythmic bass line, and the remaining voices contributing chordal or [[Polyphony|polyphonic]] accompaniment.

A cappella can also describe the isolated vocal track(s) from a [[multitrack recording]] that originally included instrumentation. These vocal tracks may be [[remix]]ed or put onto vinyl records for DJs, or released to the public so that fans can remix them. One such example is the a cappella release of [[Jay-Z]]'s ''[[The Black Album (Jay-Z album)|Black Album]]'', which [[Danger Mouse (artist)|Danger Mouse]] mixed with [[the Beatles]]' ''[[The Beatles (album)|White Album]]'' to create ''[[The Grey Album]]''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Chapman |first=Owen |date=1 July 2005 |title=The Affect of Selection in Digital Sound Art |url=https://journal.media-culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal/article/view/2357 |journal=M/C Journal |volume=8 |issue=3 |doi=10.5204/mcj.2357 |issn=1441-2616|doi-access=free }}</ref>

On their 1966 album titled ''Album'', [[Peter, Paul and Mary]] included the song "Norman Normal". All the sounds on that song, both vocals and instruments, were created by Paul's voice, with no actual instruments used.<ref>Stookey, Paul. Liner Notes. ''The Peter, Paul, and Mary Album''. Warner Bros Record, 1966. Vinyl.</ref>

In 2013, an artist by the name [[Smooth McGroove]] rose to prominence with his style of a cappella music.<ref>{{harvnb|Futter|2013}}</ref> He is best known for his a cappella covers of [[video game]] music tracks on [[YouTube]].<ref>{{harvnb|Hilliard|2013}}</ref>

in 2015, an a cappella version of Jerusalem by multi-instrumentalist [[Jacob Collier]] was selected for [[Beats Electronics|Beats by Dre]] "The Game Starts Here" for the [[England at the Rugby World Cup|England Rugby World Cup]] campaign.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/england-rugby-captain-stars-beats-dre-campaign/1364614|title=England rugby captain stars in Beats By Dre campaign|access-date=28 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-gOvn67d_8| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211122/p-gOvn67d_8| archive-date=22 November 2021 | url-status=live|title=Jerusalem – Jacob Collier (Soundtrack for Beats by Dre: "The Game Starts Here")| website=[[YouTube]]| date=22 September 2015|access-date=28 June 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Musical theatre===
A cappella has been used as the sole orchestration for original works of [[musical theatre]] that have had commercial runs [[Off-Broadway]] (theatres in New York City with 99 to 500 seats) only four times. The first was ''Avenue X'' which opened on 28 January 1994, and ran for 77 performances. It was produced by [[Playwrights Horizons]] with book by John Jiler, music and lyrics by Ray Leslee. The musical style of the show's score was primarily [[Doo-Wop|doo-wop]] as the plot revolved around doo-wop group singers of the 1960s.<ref>{{harvnb|Anon|2002}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Anon|1993}}</ref>

In 2001, [[The Kinsey Sicks]], produced and starred in the critically acclaimed [[off-Broadway]] hit, ''DRAGAPELLA! Starring the Kinsey Sicks'' at New York's [[Studio 54]]. That production received a nomination for a [[Lucille Lortel]] award as Best Musical and a Drama Desk nomination for Best Lyrics. It was directed by Glenn Casale with original music and lyrics by Ben Schatz.<ref>{{harvnb|Anon|2008}}</ref>

The a cappella musical [[Perfect Harmony (musical)|''Perfect Harmony'']], a comedy about two high school a cappella groups vying to win the national championship, made its Off Broadway debut at [[Theatre Row Building|Theatre Row]]'s Acorn Theatre on 42nd Street in New York City in October 2010 after a successful out-of-town run at the Stoneham Theatre, in Stoneham, Massachusetts. Perfect Harmony features the hit music of [[The Jackson 5]], [[Pat Benatar]], [[Billy Idol]], [[Marvin Gaye]], [[Scandal (American band)|Scandal]], [[Tiffany Darwish|Tiffany]], [[The Romantics]], [[The Pretenders]], [[The Temptations]], [[The Contours]], [[The Commodores]], [[Tommy James & the Shondells]] and [[The Partridge Family]], and has been compared to a cross between ''[[Altar Boyz]]'' and ''[[The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee]]''.<ref>{{harvnb|Finkle|Bacalzo|2006}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Jacobs|2006}}</ref>

The fourth a cappella musical to appear Off-Broadway, ''In Transit'', premiered October 5, 2010, and was produced by [[Primary Stages]] with book, music, and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russ Kaplan, and [[Sara Wordsworth]]. Set primarily in the New York City subway system its score features an eclectic mix of musical genres (including jazz, hip hop, Latin, rock, and country). In Transit incorporates vocal beat boxing into its contemporary a cappella arrangements through the use of a subway beat boxer character. Beat boxer and actor [[Chesney Snow]] performed this role for the 2010 Primary Stages production.<ref>{{harvnb|Anon|2010a}}</ref> According to the show's website, it is scheduled to reopen for an open-ended commercial run in the Fall of 2011. In 2011, the production received four Lucille Lortel Award nominations including Outstanding Musical, Outer Critics Circle and Drama League nominations, as well as five Drama Desk nominations including Outstanding Musical and won for Outstanding Ensemble Performance. In December 2016, ''In Transit'' became the first a cappella musical on Broadway.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/in-transit-new-a-cappella-musical-opens-on-broadway |magazine=[[Playbill]] |date=11 December 2016|first=Andrew |last=Gans |title=In Transit, New A Cappella Musical, Opens on Broadway |quote=In Transit, Broadway's first a cappella musical, officially opens December 11}}</ref>

===Barbershop style===
{{main|Barbershop music}}
{{More citations needed section|date=May 2018}}
[[Barbershop music]] is one of several uniquely American art forms. The earliest reports of this style of a cappella music involved African Americans. The earliest documented quartets all began in [[barber]] shops. In 1938, the first formal men's barbershop organization was formed, known as the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America (S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A), and in 2004 rebranded itself and officially changed its public name to the [[Barbershop Harmony Society]] (BHS). Today the BHS has about 22,000 members in approximately 800 chapters across the United States and Canada,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.lakegeorgeexaminer.com/barbershop-harmony-society-keep-whole-world-singing-lake-george/ |newspaper=The Lake George Examiner |date=19 April 2017 |access-date=2 December 2017 |title=Barbershop Harmony Society to 'keep the whole world singing' in Lake George |first=Gillian |last=Burdett |quote=the Society has 22,000 members }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tnecd.com/blog/36/finding-harmony-in-nashville |publisher=Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development |date=13 July 2015 |access-date=2 December 2017 |website=tnecd.com |quote=800 chapters across the U.S. and Canada |title=Finding Harmony in Nashville }}</ref> and the barbershop style has spread around the world with organizations in many other countries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.barbershop.org/about-us/affiliates/ |title=Barbershop is universal; here are the contacts for our official affiliates |access-date=2 December 2017 |publisher=Barbershop Harmony Society }}</ref> The Barbershop Harmony Society provides a highly organized competition structure for a cappella quartets and choruses singing in the barbershop style.

In 1945, the first formal women's barbershop organization, Sweet Adelines, was formed. In 1953, Sweet Adelines became an international organization, although it did not change its name to [[Sweet Adelines International]] until 1991. The membership of nearly 25,000 women, all singing in English, includes choruses in most of the fifty United States as well as in Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the organization encompasses more than 1,200 registered quartets and 600 choruses.

In 1959, a second women's barbershop organization started as a break off from Sweet Adelines due to ideological differences. Based on democratic principles which continue to this day, [http://www.harmonyinc.org Harmony, Inc.] is smaller than its counterpart, but has an atmosphere of friendship and competition. With about 2,500 members in the United States and Canada, Harmony, Inc. uses the same rules in contest that the Barbershop Harmony Society uses. Harmony, Inc. is registered in Providence, Rhode Island.

===Amateur and high school===
High school groups may have conductors or student leaders who keep the tempo for the group, or beatboxers/vocal percussionists.

Since 2013, summer training programs have appeared, such as A Cappella Academy in Los Angeles, California (founded by Ben Bram, Rob Dietz, and [[Avi Kaplan]]) and Camp A Cappella in Dayton, Ohio (founded by [[Deke Sharon]] and Brody McDonald).<ref>{{Cite news|title=Pentatonix Talks Holiday Album, Touring Goals and Teaching A Cappella to Teens|work=The Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pentatonix-talks-holiday-album-touring-742679}}</ref> These programs teach about different aspects of a cappella music, including vocal performance, arranging, and beatboxing/vocal percussion.

=== A capella in popular culture ===
The popularity of a cappella was revived by television shows and movies such as ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'' and ''[[Pitch Perfect (film series)|Pitch Perfect]],'' with the latter being more a capella-focused than the former, whose focus lies more on traditional musical theater. Since the release of [[Pitch Perfect]] in late 2012, the amount of coed a capella groups has risen far more sharply than in the years prior.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Genzlinger |first=Neil |date=2013-12-20 |title=A Cappella Contest Makes a Comeback |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/22/arts/television/a-cappella-contest-makes-a-comeback.html |access-date=2025-05-10 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>