It's been a year since I made this blog (and half year since I abandon it). Lots of things happened, but this time, I would like to blog about The Sing Off 2011.
Why I suddenly feel like updating this blog? Because I'm quite disappointed with The Sing Off 2011. In terms of vocal quality and performance, The Sing Off 2011 is as awesome as always. Good a cappella can never be wrong. But the fact that most of the group are collegiate a cappella with 10-15 members is really disappointing for me.
Why it matters?
What makes me in love with a cappella is its simplicity. Five-six people standing only with microphone without anything else, delivering beautiful music with daring arrangement. Sometimes they come out with fun choreography, but it's not the most important thing.
Now let's see most of the performances in The Sing Off 2011. Most of them are collegiate a cappella group. That's perfectly fine for me. But when you put 10-15 people compete with 4-5 people group, don't you think it's a little bit unfair? The 4-5 people group must have an amazing members per line/voice, while 10-15 members can have 2-3 people for every line/voice. Of course it's more difficult to make 10-15 group to have a good blending, but it's more difficult to rely on yourself to carry out a line, like the members of small group.
And where's the simplicity of a cappella? If you see Boyz II Men, they just stand and sing. Without many movements and other "entertainment", they can move you with their voice, music and soul. Now what we have in The Sing Off 2011? Lots and lots of choreography. It seems that there's no day without full choreography in The Sing Off. It's hard to sing with movements, but if it's too much, it really can distract you. Last year, Street Corner Symphony blew our mind through their rendition of Fix You. Did they move that much? Nope. What about Committed's "Apologize"? Nope.
Next, daring arrangements. There are groups who tried to make the songs different from the original song and I give my highest respect for them (even though the performance might not that good). Who could forget the sudden latin beat in Nota's Down performance? Or the cozy easy but fun arrangement of Maroon 5's This Love by Committed? That's what I want to see in an a cappella competition. Like Ben said, taking a different perspective of the song.
Now what about the leads? I was quite pissed off when I read someone said that SCS should won The Sing Off 2010 because the lead vocal has the star quality. I'm sorry, but a cappella is about team work. The star is all members, whether they're bass or 1st tenor. A good a cappella group can have any of their member as the lead vocalist while others backing them up. If you watch The Idea North or Naturally 7 concert for example, every body could just take the lead and voila! Do we see that in The Sing Off 2011? Yes, but hey, how may percentage of chance for a member of 10-15 group to take the lead? Not much.
A cappella is music. It's about harmony, passion, feeling and soul. Do I hear that on The Sing Off 2011? Yes, but not much.
Now please give me back the joyful and the simplicity of music called a cappella.
Mir. Off.
Why I suddenly feel like updating this blog? Because I'm quite disappointed with The Sing Off 2011. In terms of vocal quality and performance, The Sing Off 2011 is as awesome as always. Good a cappella can never be wrong. But the fact that most of the group are collegiate a cappella with 10-15 members is really disappointing for me.
Why it matters?
What makes me in love with a cappella is its simplicity. Five-six people standing only with microphone without anything else, delivering beautiful music with daring arrangement. Sometimes they come out with fun choreography, but it's not the most important thing.
Now let's see most of the performances in The Sing Off 2011. Most of them are collegiate a cappella group. That's perfectly fine for me. But when you put 10-15 people compete with 4-5 people group, don't you think it's a little bit unfair? The 4-5 people group must have an amazing members per line/voice, while 10-15 members can have 2-3 people for every line/voice. Of course it's more difficult to make 10-15 group to have a good blending, but it's more difficult to rely on yourself to carry out a line, like the members of small group.
And where's the simplicity of a cappella? If you see Boyz II Men, they just stand and sing. Without many movements and other "entertainment", they can move you with their voice, music and soul. Now what we have in The Sing Off 2011? Lots and lots of choreography. It seems that there's no day without full choreography in The Sing Off. It's hard to sing with movements, but if it's too much, it really can distract you. Last year, Street Corner Symphony blew our mind through their rendition of Fix You. Did they move that much? Nope. What about Committed's "Apologize"? Nope.
Next, daring arrangements. There are groups who tried to make the songs different from the original song and I give my highest respect for them (even though the performance might not that good). Who could forget the sudden latin beat in Nota's Down performance? Or the cozy easy but fun arrangement of Maroon 5's This Love by Committed? That's what I want to see in an a cappella competition. Like Ben said, taking a different perspective of the song.
Now what about the leads? I was quite pissed off when I read someone said that SCS should won The Sing Off 2010 because the lead vocal has the star quality. I'm sorry, but a cappella is about team work. The star is all members, whether they're bass or 1st tenor. A good a cappella group can have any of their member as the lead vocalist while others backing them up. If you watch The Idea North or Naturally 7 concert for example, every body could just take the lead and voila! Do we see that in The Sing Off 2011? Yes, but hey, how may percentage of chance for a member of 10-15 group to take the lead? Not much.
A cappella is music. It's about harmony, passion, feeling and soul. Do I hear that on The Sing Off 2011? Yes, but not much.
Now please give me back the joyful and the simplicity of music called a cappella.
Mir. Off.
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