Who is eligible to participate?
Any Canadian a cappella group. Apologies to those American, European and Asian groups who have expressed an interest in coming up but the competition is only open to groups from this country.
As travel expenses aren't going to be covered nor are there plans right now to offer prize money (certainly not enough to cover travel expenses), we’re assuming only groups from Western Canada will be interested in taking part. However, if groups from Eastern or Central Canada want to to get local arts grants to fund the trip to Edmonton, please contact one of the producers; we'll be happy to help any way we can with letters of invitation, etc.
We limit the size of participating groups at eight members for logistical reasons, including the recording, mic rental, etc.
The deadlines and selection criteria:
All applications must be in no later than one month before the show (precise dates will vary from year to year, so you should contact the producers as soon as you've decided to take part so they are aware of your interest). This will let us wade through all tapes/CDs and notify groups one way or another far enough in advance to allow the groups to prepare (and make sure they don't already have gigs booked for that night).
The selection criteria probably
isn't what people expect:
We don't just want the best, we want the best variety. If the top
seven groups to apply are all male pop quartets, it's quite
likely we'll only pick two or three of them and choose from the
second-tier of applicants to provide a variety.
We want to showcase the variety of a cappella being produced up
here; seven groups performing the exact same music is fun and
interesting for no one.
Oooh.. Those words.
How does a group enter the competition?
If your group meets the
eligibility requirements, send a demo (CD, demo tape, home video,
a live recording - anything to give us an idea of who and what
you are and what you sound like), a bio page and a photo (in
other words, if you have a press kit, send that), contact us for
the address to send it to...
If you have competed previously, you may be able to waive sending
the recording but we will still need a current photo and
biographical information.
If you are accepted, you will be asked for multiple copies of the
photo for distribution to local media, so be prepared and please
ensure they are appropriate for publication in family newspapers.
If you have both black & white and colour, that would be
great (we only need one colour, though multiple b&w).
What does it cost to take part?
$5 per member, cheques addressed to Northern Harmony.
What do we get if we win?
Love, adoration and really
funky trophies.
Winners will be asked to come back and host/MC the next year, so
please take that into consideration if you are traveling from
outside Edmonton. We won't be able to defray your costs either
time, though you will be permitted to flog your CDs during your
hosting duties (the host group gets, in total, close to a half an
hour to sing, as they will open each set and keep the audience
occupied while the judges are deliberating and the audience
favourite ballots are being counted).
What do groups have to do?
Sing. Each will get 12 minutes to show their best stuff. They can use this time in any way they see fit, performing one long song or multiple shorter pieces, or any combination thereof. There will be 6-8 groups competing.
What is considered appropriate?
Anything goes, so long as
it’s a cappella. Pitch-pipes and others things used to this
purpose are acceptable, obviously, but no instruments may be used
as part of the material performed.
Note: An exception was made at Northern Harmony I for
the Aboriginal group Asani for a Native drum in one
song because it was an important part of their music spiritually,
not in the sense the Nylons do (ie, to hide the fact that it's
only the voice), and because they used the drum live - it was not
a pre-recorded drum track.
Stylistically, anything is
acceptable, Jazz, Pop, Doo-Wop, Barbershop, Rock, Country,
Aboriginal Folk, Classical, Comedy, Techno, R&B, Soul, Funk,
Rap, etc.
Creativity is encouraged - a group performing only Rockapella's
arrangement and choreography of Zombie Jamboree and the Nylons'
version of Lion Sleeps Tonight will be at a disadvantage to those
groups doing original or creative music. Note: If your group
performs with distortion pedals or any other electronic tools
other than simple microphones, those will not be permitted. As
well, if your group has its own sound technician, leave him/her
at home. Every group's sound will be done by the same technician
so as not to give one group an advantage over any other.
While we don't expect kiddie-level humour, we do ask participants to keep in mind that there will be all generations represented at the show and that we'd like the show kept within the boundaries of good taste.
How long do we get? How serious is the time limit?
12 minutes. And yes, very serious. A group that goes over time will drop one place in the standing. If you put on a flawless, perfectly entertaining set and would otherwise have won, you can still only finish in second if you go over time. Period.
A time keeper will be sitting in
the front of the hall (his or her precise location will be
pointed out to you before the show), holding up big flashy cards
indicating how close you are to the end of your allotted time
(ie, a 3-Minute warning and a 1-Minute warning).
Timing begins the moment you start to perform - that means if
your entry onto the stage is choreographed, timing begins the
moment your first member enters the stage. It ends with the last
note of your last song.
There are no penalties for coming in under time - it's
recommended you aim for an 11-minute set. Because of the
strictness where the time-keeping is concerned, the audience will
be asked to restrain its applause until the end of each group's
set.
OK. We've been accepted, what do you need from us now?
Other than the aforementioned
photos, we want a short biographical text (8-10 lines) on the
group, highlighting "factoids" (other competitions
participated in, festival or media appearances, any recordings
has available, interesting anecdotes, etc.) for the program book
and advance publicity for the show. This means we need this
within a few days of your acceptance in the show - it's best to
send this in with your application.
Please state your availability for media appearances. Radio and TV
stations in Edmonton and Calgary are willing to have competing
groups on live before to promote the show - if you're in the area
and your entire group is available on evenings, or during the
day, please tell us which so we can suggest you if a media spot
opens up.
What about the week of the show?
Groups must submit their set-lists one week in advance to aid in setting up a
performance order.
We have discussed pulling names out of a hat for a
"fair" random order and decided the most fair for
groups is to structure it so that no two groups with similar
styles go on after each other. While we generally have a pretty
broad variety of groups taking part, we don't want to run the
risk of having two groups performing the same song going on in
the same half.
Don't worry about where you fall in the order; at other a
cappella competitions, every slot from first to last has produced
a winner.
Performance order and sound check
The performance order will be
determined as early as 48 hours before the show and appear in the
program book.
Sound-checks on the afternoon of the show will be in order of
appearance and you should be notified by phone of your time slot
at least a day before; if you haven't had a call by 24 hours
before the show, call the producers.
Every group will be expected to arrive at the same time, an hour
prior to the first sound-check. If you wish to watch other
group's sound-checks (which, if the hall sells out again, may
well be the only opportunity you have to see the other groups),
you're welcome to do so. Either way, we want everyone there at
the same time so we can run through any last minute things with
you, get the legal releases signed, etc.
NOTE: If you are not willing to appear on the live recording, you may want to reconsider taking part in Northern Harmony. There are no guarantees a live recording will be released - it depends on how it comes out - but if there is and one group doesn't appear, you are the ones who may look bad.
After sound checks, you will be
free to go get food, leave for a nap, whatever, but you will be
expected back and dressed to perform at least one half hour
before the show starts. If you arrive late, you may not be
allowed to perform.
We also need your song list with correct songwriter credits,
publishing companies and other important legal bits, so that if
and when the live CD goes into production and someone has to
obtain the rights to the songs you sang, we don't have to waste
time tracking you down and then tracking down the information
correct information. One would hope if you're covering the
material you have the rights to it anyway.
What about the judging? Who does it, how will it be done...?
There will be two types of awards handed out:
The judges award First, Second
and Third Place, and - if enough original music is performed to
warrant it - Best Original Song. The audience will select the
Audience Favourite by placing their ticket stubs in boxes located
around the hall with the performing groups' names on them.
Before the show begins, each judge will get a copy of every
group's set list, to facilitate in judging. These set lists will
also indicate which songs should be considered for the Best
Original Song award.
The audience favourite will be called back on stage to do an
encore, so come prepared to perform one more song than the
allotted 12 minutes. Depending on how late the show has run, if
two different groups win Audience Favourite and First Place, we
may well ask both to sing again.
Judging will be based on
performance (50 per cent) and musicality (50 per cent), with
emphasis placed on originality.
Performance refers
to the over-all picture your group presents, and how entertaining
you were - this includes stage presence, performance energy,
appropriate costuming, choreography if appropriate to your genre,
audience interaction, etc.
Musicality refers to the total musical content
of your set - pitch, blend, solo, arrangement, song selection,
dynamics, etc.
Within 48 hours of the show,
each group will receive copies of the judges' comments. Judges
will be encouraged to write comprehensive notes, as the notes are
intended as an educational tool for the groups.
Judges will be people from within the music industry, singers,
journalists, promoters or related professions, with an emphasis
placed on judges with a background in a cappella. We also make
every effort to find judges of both genders with no personal
connection to any of the performing groups (ie, you won't find
one group's coach judging). Preferably, there will be five
judges, otherwise three. Yes, we aim for an odd number to keep
the judging process from bogging down.
Does Audience Favourite mean we can stack the hall?
If you want to, though it's not
really necessary - the Heebee-jeebees turned up with no
predisposed cheering section the first year (being from out of
town), and got more than 60 per cent of the votes in the hall.
On the other hand, since having supporters in the crowd may help
you energy-wise (and it'll certainly help us fill the hall!),
every group is encouraged to sell tickets if they want to.
Warning 1: If
you choose to sell tickets, be aware that unless all spare
tickets and money are handed back in when you arrive for
sound-check, your group will not be permitted to perform.
Warning 2: Advise family and friends to buy tickets
early. A good third of the groups at the first Northern Harmony
had few family or friends in the audience because the show was
sold out and they hadn't thought to buy in advance. We turned
away more than 150 people at the door that night.
What about CD and other merchandise sales?
If you've got 'em, feel free to sell 'em - the audience loves it. The Heebee-jeebees sold a handful of CDs during intermission the first year, and they didn't perform until after intermission! Only The Contemporary A Cappella Society, the Heebee-jeebees and the host group (Standing Room Only) had stuff to sell at the first Northern Harmony, and between us we made nearly $2,000 in merchandising sales.
There will be tables set up in the lobby for groups to sell CDs, T-shirts, etc., or just to distribute business cards and flyers. These tables will be up during intermission and after the show at the "After Glow." We also invite such established a cappella organizations as The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America and their female equivalents, Sweet Adelines and Harmony Inc., to put up display tables.
Unlike some competitions, right
now we have no intentions to require a cut of your sales. The
house itself, depending on the venue, may require one. That won't
be us, sorry; we'll be paying the same cut you do if that should
happen.
Keep in mind you won't be the only ones selling CDs; even if none
of the other groups have their own (unlikely), the Contemporary A
Cappella Society will be selling its own CDs, including Northern
Harmony discs. It's fairest if we all agree on one price for our
CDs before the show.
NOTE: If you are a returning group and appear on
a previous Northern Harmony CD, you will not be permitted to sell
it that night. Only CASA will be selling Northern Harmony CDs at
the event itself. Sorry, but that's what pays for the evening so
you don't have to.
Program Books: These will contain biographical information on every group, the judges, the order of performance, and some ads. If you know someone who wants to advertise in the booklet, please have them contact us. No groups will be allowed to advertise in the booklets unless all the groups do, sorry.
Dressing and Warm-up Rooms: These will vary from venue to venue. Suffice it to say, the likelihood of having a different dressing room and warm-up room for each group is slim; we may end up just having two, one for women and one for men. So please be considerate of the other groups - if you are going on in the second half, please make way for the groups performing earlier to warm up and change.
Sound System: We try to get the best hall and best sound systems available to us. Also, every effort is made to ensure that the sound technician for the evening has some familiarity with a cappella music, but as many good venues are union-shops, we may be stuck with what they give us. The sound technician will not be mixing continuously while you are performing unless there is a problem with your sound (and please don't hesitate to indicate to him or her if there is a problem; you will not be penalized by the judges for such comments).
Special Effects: Either everyone gets them, or no one does. We will decide with the house technician beforehand what lighting is to be used, making every effort to make it appropriate for every group. If every group wants specific lighting and the technical staff are willing (to a reasonable extent!), this can be arranged.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email, call or otherwise contact either of the producers, Jessika Diamond, Jennifer Graham and Ian Armstrong, Wolf Willow or CASA itself.
Return to the Definitive A Cappella Press Kit, the Radio Show list and A Cappella in Alberta.