On November 2, Peters Township High School hosted the first annual Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) Contemporary A Cappella Conference, in collaboration with San Francisco native, Deke Sharon, music producer of the Pitch Perfect film franchise and NBC’s The Sing-Off, who’s often considered to be “the Father of Contemporary A Cappella” and helped to popularize it back into the mainstream. PMEA is a statewide non-profit organization of over 3,700 members, who have been dedicated to promoting the musical development of all Pennsylvanians since 1933.
Peters Township High School’s Room 100 had the opportunity to perform alongside their peers and Deke Sharon at this conference.
Some students were asked how they felt about performing in front of such a wide audience, “It was slightly nerve-wracking but as soon as we started singing, all of my nerves disappeared and I had a great time,” said senior and Soprano II, Alayna Lacko.
The topic ultimately came to how PTHS managed to secure the venue to hold such a prestigious event.
“Last year, PMEA introduced a new ‘A Cappella’ group at the state level, requiring auditions, with only 20 participants selected from across Pennsylvania. Given the limited exposure to a cappella in Pittsburgh,” said Room 100 director Ryan Perrotte, “I felt it was important to introduce this genre to a wider audience.”
The opportunity to perform with Deke Sharron, an influential and inspiring figure in the music world, was truly one of a kind. Perotte shared that, “With nearly a decade of experience in contemporary a cappella, I reached out to my friend Deke Sharon,” said Perrotte. “PMEA agreed to sponsor the event, and we had 20 schools from the region participate. Nearly 300 students engaged in a full day of masterclasses, clinics, and hands-on music learning, all culminating in a concert to showcase their work. The rest is history!”
Additionally, while it’s not out of the ordinary for students to perform at a statewide high-school-level a cappella conference, this was the first time in PMEA history that the a cappella directors from each respective school district sang together for a Directors’ Song, performing “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Tammi Terrell & Marvin Gaye. Perrotte, who beatboxed for the performance further elaborated on the experience, “For about 90% of the directors, this was their first experience singing in a contemporary a cappella group! They were excited and nervous, but ultimately delivered an exhilarating performance.”
As aforementioned by Perrotte, students got the opportunity to participate in various workshops which exercised their skills and enhanced their abilities. Perrotte shared that, “There were three workshops. The first, The Rhythm Section, focused on mastering beatboxing techniques and blending them effectively with bass singing.” And that was only the start of this action packed day. Perrotte also shared that, “The second workshop, Solo Singing, was dedicated to solo performance skills, particularly for pop and rock music, and included techniques for vocal manipulation and control. Participants also had the opportunity to perform solo at the front of the room. Finally, Movement for A Cappella offered a masterclass in choreography, blocking, and expressive movement to enhance a cappella performances.” All in all, these workshops ultimately helped students develop their skills to improve their performances come concert time, serving as a wonderful experience for both the students and the instructors as a whole.
