Deke Sharon | |
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![]() On stage with the House Jacks, 2006 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Kurk Richard Toohey, Jr. |
Also known as | Deke Robertson |
Born | San Francisco | December 12, 1967
Origin | San Francisco, California, USA |
Genres | A Cappella |
Occupations |
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Instruments |
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Years active | 1991–present |
Labels |
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Publishers | Contemporary A Cappella Publishing, Hal Leonard, University of Northern Colorado jazz press, Barbershop Harmony Society, The Globe Pequot Publishing Group, GIA Publications, Bloomsbury Publishing, Rowman & Littlefield |
Formerly of | |
Website | Official website |
Deke Sharon (born December 12, 1967) is an American singer, arranger, composer, director, producer, author, coach, [1] pioneer, [2] [3] [4] and teacher of a cappella music, and is one of the leaders and promoters of the contemporary a cappella community. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] He has been referred to as "the father of contemporary a cappella" [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] and "the godfather of a cappella". [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]
Deke Sharon was born and raised in San Francisco. [25] He started singing in choir groups at age five, [26] including the San Francisco Boys Chorus [27] [28] where he toured the US and sang in operas with Pavarotti. [29] He attended Town School for Boys and San Francisco University High School, [30] [31] where he sang lead (second tenor) in the barbershop quartet his freshman year in "The Music Man," [32] and kept it going all four years, learning to direct and arrange a cappella. [33]
Sharon spent his college years in Boston, graduating from Tufts University with a Bachelor of Arts in childhood studies, [34] and a Bachelor of Music from the New England Conservatory of Music [35] with a focus on vocal jazz, third stream, and music theory. [36]
In college, he directed the collegiate a cappella group the Tufts Beelzebubs, [37] [38] transforming the group's sound to reflect modern rock, [39] with intricate instrumental vocalizations [40] [41] and the integration of vocal percussion. [42] [43] The 1990–1991 Beelzebubs album Foster Street that he directed musically is credited with the creation of the modern a cappella sound, [44] most notably vocal percussion. [45] He chose the name "contemporary a cappella" in college to describe this new style. [46]
Sharon had to audition three times before he was accepted, as he was seen as "overzealous" [47] during a time when a cappella was not popular, a fact which was mentioned in the book "Pitch Perfect." [48] [49] Beca and Benji in the Pitch Perfect films are partially based on Sharon. [50] During this time, he decided to make a career of contemporary a cappella [51] [52] and popularize this new style, despite being laughed at and told it was impossible, [53] [54] "like making a career of professional Tiddlywinks." [55]
Sharon was the music director [56] [57] and arranger [58] for the film Pitch Perfect , [12] [59] [60] [61] as well as singing on several of the songs, where he was credited on screen as "Male Voice #1." [62] He returned for Pitch Perfect 2 , [63] in which he has a brief cameo as the German judge and broadcaster. [64] [65] [66] He helped involve several professional a cappella groups and singers with the film, including The Filharmonic, [67] Penn Masala, and Pentatonix. Sharon also worked with the Green Bay Packers. [68] [69] He returned to music-direct, arrange, and vocally produce for Pitch Perfect 3 . [70] He had also arranged for the film, The Social Network . [71]
In December 2009, he acted as music director, arranger, coach, and consultant behind the scenes on America's first a cappella reality show competition, titled The Sing-Off , [72] and returned in 2010 as one of the show's producers. [73] He also served as Executive Music Producer on the Dutch Sing Off, [74] Sing Off South Africa [75] and Sing-Off China, including several guest appearances as a judge and performer. [76]
Along with The House Jacks, he sang and performed the 2011 Monday Night Football theme song "Are You Ready for Some Football" with Hank Williams, Jr. [77]
He worked with Straight No Chaser on their first PBS special Live in New York. [78]
He appeared in front of the camera for the first time on Lifetime's Pitch Slapped reality show, in which he coached after school high school a cappella group Stay Tuned from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, [70] [79] focusing both on their musicality and emotional delivery. [80] The show also aired overseas in London, [81] Israel (where its name in Hebrew means "a cappella battle") [82] across Latin America, Indonesia and the Philippines (under the name Pitch Battle). [83]
As of summer 2017 he is series music director for a new competitive choir show on BBC1 called Pitch Battle , [84] as well as appearing on camera each episode providing insight and commentary. [85] [86] He was also the third judge for the season one live finale. [87]
He judged Eurovision Choir 2019. [88] In 2022 music directed "Best in Snow" for Disney+ as well as co-arranged/vocal produced the a cappella scenes in Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin. [89]
Upon graduation in 1991, he moved back to San Francisco, bringing with him a handful of other collegiate a cappella singers to form The House Jacks, [90] a pioneering a cappella group [91] known for its original music and sound, [92] often called "the original rock band without instruments", [93] in part because they were the first a cappella group with a designated vocal percussionist. [94]
The House Jacks have released seven albums (signed to Warner Brothers/Tommy Boy Records in the mid-1990s) [95] and completed several world tours. [96] He has performed with many musicians, including Ray Charles, Crosby, Stills and Nash, LL Cool J, Run DMC, The Temptations, and James Brown. [97] [98] [99] They have won "Best Pop Rock Album" from the Contemporary A Cappella Society, for "Unbroken" (2004), "Level" (2010), and "Pollen (2014). [100]
He also performs as a solo artist, with groups such as the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus [101] and at events like Singapore's "Vocal Edge" [102] and directing DCINY's annual "Total Vocal" at Carnegie Hall [103] [104] [105] as well as serving as Emcee for a cappella events, such as the annual Techapella concerts in the San Francisco Bay Area. [106]
Studio session credits include the Wii game Just Dance Kids 2 including the songs "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", "Barbara Ann", and "Mahna Mahna". [107]
A prolific, award-winning [108] [109] vocal music arranger, he has arranged more than 2,000 songs [110] for a wide range of ensembles, including some of vocal music's best-known groups. [111] The Best Arrangement award at the Colorado Harmony Sweepstakes is named after him, [112] and he has won the best arrangement award at the Harmony Sweepstakes several times since 1991. [113] He was named "favorite arranger" in the 2010 A Cappella Community Awards [114] and won "Best Professional Arrangement" in 2019. [115]
He founded and directed a cappella groups at Walt Disney World/Epcot (American Vybe) and Disneyland (Groove 66). [116] In 2013, he created a new professional a cappella ensemble in New Mexico: "Voasis". [117] [118] [119] In 2014 and 2015 he music-directed the Sing Off Live tour [120] [121] He created Vocalosity for which he was artistic producer, music director, [122] and arranger. [42] They started touring in 2016 [123] and their debut album was released on Universal Classics. [122]
In December 2017 he announced the formation of DCappella, a seven-member contemporary a cappella group launched in 2018 that will tour performing arts centers singing music from classic and contemporary Disney films. [124] He serves as the group's co-creator, music director, arranger, album producer and artistic producer [125] [126] [127] integrating modern sounds and technology. [128] He also Music Directed "Disney: The Castle" in Riyadh,Saudi Arabia in 2023 [129]
His production with Columbia Artists Management, "A Cappella Live," toured the US featuring four a cappella acts: Committed (vocal group), The Filharmonic, Women of the World, and Blake Lewis. [130] [131] [132]
As a producer of a cappella recordings, [133] he is known for having changed the sound of collegiate a cappella recording via the Beelzebubs' album Code Red. He has arranged and produced multiple albums and tracks for Atlantic Records' Straight No Chaser, [134] including the certified gold "Christmas Cheers". [135] [136] [137]
In the early 1990s, he co-founded The Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) compilation, [138] which he now produces annually with Varsity Vocals.
In college, he brought the Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival to the East Coast, producing the first Boston regional with the Beelzebubs. [139] Shortly after college he founded the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), [140] [141] the West and East Coast A Cappella Summits (the first contemporary a cappella conferences), and a number of other a cappella-related projects, programs, and events [142] with the goal of popularizing a cappella. [143] Recent festivals include Aca-West in San Francisco, VoiceJam in Arkansas, [144] Solevoci in Italy, Vocal Asia (in Japan, China, and Taiwan), [145] [146] [147] Aarhus Vocal Festival in Denmark, and Croappella in Croatia [148] [149] [150] [151] [152] [153] where he often hosts the evening concert or competition as well as teach during the day. [154]
He is a frequent host and emcee at a cappella events, such as Silicon Valley's "Techapella", [155] [156] The National A Cappella Convention, [157] The annual College Notes event in Walnut Creek CA, [158] "Pacific Harmony" in New Zealand, [159] AKA A Cappella in Singapore, [160] and the Maui Barbershop Festival. [161] Some of the videos he has posted to promote a cappella groups around the world have gone viral. [162] [163] He's also frequently in residency or headlining events at universities such as Indiana U, Midland U and Tufts U [164] [165] and co created as well as emceed the "History of Harmony" concerts with Chicago A Cappella. [166] [167]
He's also active in the choral world, presenting at choral festivals, such as the World Choir Games in 2021 in Flanders [168] [169] and 2024 in New Zealand, [170] [129] World Symposium on Choral Music, [171] Cambridge Choir Festival, [172] GALA Choruses [173] and Chorus America, [174] as well as the Barbershop community with the Barbershop Harmony Society [175] and Sweet Adelines International [176] [177] [178] [179]
His work to popularize and promote a cappella worldwide is now being recognized by major media: "A Capella [sic] is more popular than ever, thanks to this guy" (NPR Here and Now), [180] "Deke Sharon makes a cappella cool again" (NPR All Things Considered). [14]
In his college dorm he founded The Contemporary A Cappella Society [181] [182] [183] [184] [185] and The Ultimate A Cappella Arranging Service (which became TotalVocal). Shortly after graduation, he created the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards ("CARAs"), a cappella's equivalent of the Grammy Awards. [74]
He formed the Contemporary A Cappella League, [186] a new national network of adult "post-collegiate" a cappella groups. [187]
Biographical Information about Deke Sharon can be found in Mickey Rapkin's Pitch Perfect (2008), Rick Smolan's 24 Hours in Cyberspace (1996), Joshua Duchan's Powerful Voices (2012), Alysia Abbott's Fairyland (2013) [194] Darren Pleasance's "True North" (2023) and Carsten Gerlitz's Popchor (2018) [195]
The pioneering, [196] first all-a cappella musical on Broadway, In Transit, [197] for which he is co-producer and arranged all the music, [198] opened at the Circle in the Square Theater on Broadway in December 2016. [199] He started working with the production just after their off-Broadway run five years earlier. [200]
Vocalosity, a live a cappella theatrical concert production with diverse cast, [201] began touring in January 2016 and has performed in 30 states. [202] [203] [204]
He has worked on a cappella musical theatre projects including "Street" and "Our World". [205]
He arranged the opening number for Andrew Lloyd Webber's new greatest hits musical "Unmasked", [206] a fast-paced mashup of 17 of his greatest hits.
He co-founded and directs Camp Acappella for teens and adults each summer [207] [208] at Wright State University [209] in Dayton, Ohio [210] and teaches the music production class Soup To Nuts periodically. [211] as well as travels to other countries to work with groups in person, such as New Zealand, [212] Brazil, Italy, [213] Sri Lanka and Singapore. [214]
His YouTube channel features a variety of educational topics including how to sound like several different instruments. A GE special features him discussing the physics of a cappella. [215]
In 2016, he joined the California branch of the American Choral Directors Association as the first ever Contemporary A Cappella R&R chair. [216] and co-created Acappella.how for google [217] His Camp A Cappella Intensive in Washington DC started in 2022, a partnership with Ben Folds, Planet Word, and the National Symphony Orchestra. [218]
The Pitch Perfect soundtrack earned several awards, including an RIAA platinum record certification, the American Music Award for best soundtrack, [219] an Online Film and Television Association nomination for Best Music, Adapted Song (Don't You Forget About Me) [220] and an MTV Video Music Award for "Best Musical Moment". [221] [ better source needed ]
The Pitch Perfect 2 soundtrack, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, [222] secured the American Music Award for best Soundtrack [223] and a Grammy nomination for Best Soundtrack. [224]
As album producer, he was nominated for a Dove Award in 2012 (Best Contemporary Gospel Album: Committed). [225]
In 2016, he became an honorary member of the Barbershop Harmony Society, one of only twenty since 1938, [226] and he was named an honorary member of BYU Vocal Point. [227] In 2017 he was awarded the P.T. Barnum Award for excellence in Entertainment from his alma mater, Tufts University. [228]
He has received two lifetime achievement awards for his work in a cappella: in 2016 for the 25th anniversary of his founding of thee Contemporary A Cappella Society [229] and in 2018, from the A Cappella Music Awards. [230]
He is known for his ability to replicate a variety of instruments (e.g. trumpet, [231] guitar, flute, violin, muted trumpet, harmonica) with his voice—which he teaches online [232] and via "Singing Instruments" seminars [233] —teaching summer camp for young vocalists, [234] and adjudicating choral festivals around the world. [235] He has worked with many professional pop vocal groups, including 98 Degrees, The Nylons and Boyz II Men. [236]
Helping groups get started has been an ongoing goal of his for 30 years, which he does by providing free advice, support [237] and arrangements. [238] [239] He also works with organizations philanthropically who support vocal harmony. [240] [241]
He served on the CASA board for almost twenty years, often as President or Vice President. [242] Acapellablog named him the number-one "a cappella power player to keep an eye on in 2012", [243] and NPR credits him for "making a cappella cool again". [14]
In 2016 he launched an a cappella podcast called "Counterpoint" with co-host Robert Dietz [244] and has appeared on other podcasts. [245] [246] [247] [248] [249] [250]
To help promote Good Omens, he arranged several songs for "The Chattering Order of St Beryl," a group of singing nuns., [251] [252] and co-created Walmart's "Sparkappella." [253] [254]
When the cult NXIVM tried to use a cappella as a recruiting device, he drew out Keith Raniere in a public forum, [255] [256] [257] resulting in his being put on their list of enemies. [258] [259]
He has been featured repeatedly in Kiplinger's Personal Finance for socially responsible investing. [260]
He says his life's work is "to get more people singing" [261] because "music can build a better community" [262] as "our country needs to understand the importance of working together". [263] His motto is "Harmony through harmony." [264]
Title | Year | Category | ISBN | |
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A Cappella Arranging | 2012 | Non fiction | ISBN 1458416577 | ISBN 9781538185308 |
A Cappella | 2015 | Non fiction | ISBN 147061667X | |
The Heart of Vocal Harmony: Emotional Expression in Group Singing | 2016 | Non fiction | ISBN 1495057836 | |
A Cappella Warmups for Pop and Jazz Choirs | 2017 | Non fiction | ISBN 0793595290 | |
So You Want To Sing A Cappella: A Guide For Performers | 2017 | Non fiction | ISBN 153810587X | |
Teaching Music Through Performance in Contemporary A Cappella | 2020 | Non fiction | ISBN 9781622774876 | |
A Cappella Arranging 2.0: The Next Level | 2024 | Non fiction | ISBN 9781538172667 | ISBN 9781538172674 |
Title | Year | Category | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|
Contemporary A Cappella Songbook Vol 1 | 1996 | Song book | ISBN 0793595290 |
Contemporary A Cappella Songbook Vol 2 | 1997 | Song book | ISBN 0793595282 |
A CASA Christmas | 1998 | Song book | ISBN 0793595274 |
Songs For All Occasions | 1999 | Song book | ISBN 0634011707 |
I Feel Good: A Contemporary A Cappella Collection | 2000 | Song book | ISBN 0634025600 |
Natural Woman | 2001 | Song book | ISBN 0634033611 |
Shout | 2002 | Song book | ISBN 0634055127 |
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun | 2003 | Song book | ISBN 0634084224 |
Good Ol A Cappella Vol 1 | 2003 | Song book | ISBN 0634055275 |
ShBoom: Contemporary A Cappella Songbook | 2003 | Song book | ISBN 0634055283 |
A Cappella Jazz Broadway | 2004 | Song book | ISBN 0634097776 |
A Cappella Jazz Classics | 2004 | Song book | ISBN 0634084232 |
Respect | 2004 | Song book | ISBN 0634084240 |
Deck The Hall | 2006 | Song book | ISBN 0634084216 |
Ya Gotta Be | 2007 | Song book | ISBN 1423412397 |
Love Songs A Cappella | 2010 | Song book | ISBN 0634055240 |
DCappella Tour Songbook | 2019 | Song book | ISBN 9781540041791 |
Album | Year(s) | Role |
---|---|---|
Fourteen – Tufts Beelzebubs | 1989 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
Beelzebub Winter Invitational – Tufts Beelzebubs | 1990 | Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
Foster Street – Tufts Beelzebubs | 1991 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
Sing Naked – House Jacks | 1991 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
Naked Noise – House Jacks | 1994 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
Best of College A Cappella | 1995–present | Producer |
Urban Harmony: R&B A Cappella | 1996 | Producer |
Funkwich – House Jacks | 1997 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
A Cappella All-Stars: The CARAs | 1997–2000 | Producer |
Harmony Sweepstakes | 1997–1998 | Producer |
Voices Only: A Cappella Originals | 1997 | Producer |
Yearbook: Live from Spring Thing | 1997–1998 | Producer |
Best of High School A Cappella | 1998–present | Producer |
Naked Funk – House Jacks | 1999 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
Wasting Our Parents' Money: BOCA Humor | 1999 | Producer |
Drive – House Jacks | 2001 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
Next – Tufts Beelzebubs | 2001 | Arranger, Producer |
Disney's American Vybe – American Vybe | 2001 | Music Director, Arranger |
Punch – Various | 2002 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
Embodiment – BaSix (Denmark) | 2002 | Producer |
Only In America – Peking and the Mystics | 2002 | Producer |
Code Red – Tufts Beelzebubs | 2003 | Arranger, Producer |
Unbroken – House Jacks | 2004 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
Fitchy & Grikko – House Jacks | 2005 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
Udder Won – Moosebutter | 2005 | Vocalist, Producer |
Unleash the Periscope – Colorado College Back Row | 2006 | Producer |
Get Down Mr. President – House Jacks | 2007 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
Good Things – House Jacks | 2009 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
Christmas Cheers – Straight No Chaser | 2009 | Arranger, Producer |
The Sing-Off tracks – US Sing-Off Cast, Season 1–5 | 2009–2014 | Arranger, Music Director, Producer |
Go Nuts – Colorado College Back Row | 2010 | Producer |
With A Twist – Straight No Chaser | 2010 | Arranger, Producer |
Level – House Jacks | 2010 | Music Director, Arranger, Vocalist, Producer |
Nota – Nota | 2010 | Arranger, Producer |
Harmonies for the Holidays – Sing-Off Cast, Season Two | 2010 | Arranger, Producer |
Best of The Sing-Off Season Two – Sing-Off Cast | 2011 | Arranger, Music Director, Producer |
Committed – Committed | 2011 | Arranger, Producer |
Songs of the Season – Sing-Off Cast, Season Three | 2011 | Arranger, Producer |
Pitch Perfect Soundtrack – Pitch Perfect cast | 2012 | Arranger, Music Director, Vocalist, Producer |
Act Accordingly – Gentlemen's Rule | 2012 | Arranger, Producer |
Life's So Lyrical – Forte | 2012 | Arranger, Producer |
Blackjack – The House Jacks | 2012 | Arranger, Music Director, Vocalist, Producer |
Southern Autumn Nostalgia – Street Corner Symphony | 2013 | Arranger, Producer |
Pollen – The House Jacks | 2014 | Arranger, Music Director, Vocalist, Producer |
Best of BOCA | 2014 | Producer |
Pitch Perfect 2 Soundtrack – Pitch Perfect Cast | 2015 | Arranger, Music Director, Vocalist, Producer |
Pitch Slapped Live Performances – Stay Tuned | 2016 | Arranger, Music Director, Producer |
Vocalosity – Vocalosity | 2016 | Arranger, Music Director, Vocalist, Producer |
Straight No Chaser – I'll Have Another | 2016 | Arranger, Producer ("Run Run Rudolph") |
In Transit – Original Broadway Cast | 2017 | Arranger, Producer |
Pitch Perfect 3 Soundtrack – Cast | 2017 | Arranger, Music Director, Producer |
Incredibles 2 Soundtrack – D Cappella | 2018 | Arranger, Music Director, Producer |
Full Rally – Tufts Beelzebubs | 2018 | Arranger, Producer |
D Cappella – D Cappella | 2018 | Arranger, Music Director, Producer |
Unholy Night – Chattering Order of St Beryl (Good Omens) | 2019 | Arranger, Coach/consultant |
D Cappella Japanese album – D Cappella | 2019 | Arranger, Music Director, Producer |
SparkAppella - SparkAppella | 2019 | Arranger, Music Director, Producer |
Rockin Holiday – D Cappella | 2019 | Arranger, Music Director, Producer |
All Ears – D Cappella | 2020 | Arranger, Music Director, Producer |
Holiday A Cappella – D Cappella | 2021 | Arranger, Music Director, Producer |
Magic Reimagined – D Cappella | 2022 | Arranger, Music Director, Producer |
Home For The Holidays – D Cappella | 2022 | Arranger, Music Director, Producer |
Pitch Perfect: Bumper In Berlin – Soundtrack | 2022 | Arranger, Music Director, Producer |
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