A Cappella booklets

The Contemporary A Cappella Society has released a series of instructional booklets, ranging from "how to start a group" to "how to put on a show for that group" to "OK, you've got the show, you've got the performers - how're you going to publicize that?"

What is the Producing the Ultimate A Cappella Show kit?

It's a booklet, by Chicago Harmony Sweepstakes producer Gary Podalsky, and National Championship of Collegiate A Cappella head Jessika Diamond. It covers many of the little details learned through the sweat of years of producing events, ranging from choosing the venue, the groups, getting seed money, a PR plan, printing and selling tickets, technicians, house staff night of the show.. scared yet? You shouldn't be. The booklet will help you deal with all of it.

Here is an excerpt from the PTUAS:

• Where is the money coming from? The cost of the event can vary widely - if you’re bringing in the King’s Singers and having the show at a 1,700-seat world-class concert hall, you’re probably going to need upwards of $25,000 (for the group, travel and accommodations, hall rental, TV/newspaper/radio ads, etc). Do you have this kind of money or can you find corporate sponsors? Long before ticket sales start bringing in money, you’ll need to put down a deposit on the hall - the better the hall, the earlier you’ll need to book it and the sooner you’ll have to sign over a deposit - and pay for the group’s plane tickets, among other large costs.

  On the other hand, if you’re doing a benefit show or a competition, you are looking at a completely different type of budget - for a benefit, many groups will donate their appearance fee or cut their rate dramatically. For a competition, groups don’t get paid (you may even consider charging them to compete). You’ll still need to book a hall in advance, though there are ways to cut that cost as well (we’ll cover that more under “FINDING A VENUE”).

  No matter what kind of show you’re hoping to put on, assemble a budget based on the cost of everything (and add another 10 per cent for the unexpected), break it down into what has to be paid before tickets go on sale and what can be paid after the event, and figure out where you can get the money for the initial costs.

  Since you don’t know if the show will be a success, be conservative in your estimates of the show’s income. 

What is the Ultimate A Cappella Press kit?

It's a booklet, published by CASA, containing the information a group really needs to know if they intend to go all the way (or even part of the way) with their music.

The booklet contains tips on writing a press release, getting articles written about your group, finding an agent, choosing your promotional photos, deciding on a logo... And much more.

Here is an excerpt from the UACP:

• The Press Release. (One page, two pages only with a very good reason) The release should be the first page on the right-hand side of the kit. It announces something recent and important to a promoter or journalist, i.e. "The Real Group tours the Amazon Basin" or "Seattle Grunge Sampler to Include Chanticleer." Press releases should be short, to the point, read like a news story and cover only one topic.

  Releases should be somewhat comprehensively informative because most of the people reading them may never have heard of you or may know little about your group. However, don't confuse the release with the biography, which is on a separate page. A little background is important, i.e. "The Acafellas have been performing around Colorado for five years," but save the story about how the group formed, names of members, etc., for the bio page.

For more about the "Starting an a cappella group" booklet, visit the CASA website.

So, how do I get my hands on it?

Simple - money. Not much, mind you.

• Send $10 US to the head office and eventually we'll mail you a copy... <smile> The address is: 1850 Union St., #4, PMB 1449, San Francisco, CA, 94123 - US.
• Visit the CASA website and pay by credit card through Virtual Voices.

Email me questions, comments, funny anecdotes, or even just to chat.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page