I'll start.

Hi, I'm Andrew Chaikin. I'm leading the class. I've been vocal percussing for (yikes!) about 18 years or so. I was a founding member of the House Jacks, and now I percuss with a bunch of different artists. I'd say my core VP styles are: rock, funk, hip hop, techno, drum machines, turntablism, Latin percussion, etc.

Some things I'd like to explore in the class: combining multiple instruments at once; finding the "skeletons" of complex patterns; breath control and innovative uses of breath.

How 'bout you?

Hi. My name is Scott Adler. I've been singing a cappella for the last 14 years and have done a lot of unamplified VP for my past groups - Amazin' Blue form Univ. of Michigan and Lake Shore Jive from Chicago. In those groups most of the VP I did was used as a end of song addition or a drum break and usually had to be so over the top to even be heard.

I've recently formed a group that is learning to love microphones, and sound systems. Soundsystems hopefully will be learning to love us too someday. After a couple of rehearsals and gigs I realized that everyhing I knew about VP has changed and that those cool little condensers can pick up almost anything that comes out of your mouth.

I'm looking to learn better mic technique. I'd like to figure or be taught (and remember) a bunch more rhythms and useful licks. Plus I currently am the bass in my group by virtue of having the lowest voice and we are going to be getting smaller (down to 4 or even 3) and would like to learn what can be done with bass and VP combined.

Oh yeah, as a side note - and I'm not sure if this fits this class - I'd like to learn the spectacle that is the lip buzz bass - you know the one that makes notes an octave below most vocalists can hit. Yeah I know we only have two hours but you did say "like to learn" not have time and patience to learn. :)

Howdy, everyone! I've been singing in street-corner type a cappella groups on and off for about 13 years and currently sing baritone in a group called Oswald Giraffe with Scott Adler (above). In that group I've been doing vocal percussion for the last six months or so, crashing and burning and having a blast making funky sounds!

I'm interested in learning how to start putting together licks and more complicated rythms, learning exercises to improve dexterity and stamina, and improving specific instrument sounds. I'd also like to get a start with turntablism, if there's time. ;)

Hi,

I've been a choral singer since I was about 10 (yeah, that was a LONG time ago), and have sung a cappella on and off since college. In 1996, I co-founded Flying Without Instruments (aka FWI); we're a mixed-voice a cappella ensemble of (currently) 8 singers. We don't use VP on everything, but I'm usually FWI's percussionist when we need one.

I'd like to work on breath control and stamina, on learning to develop complex patterns, and on techniques for singing and percussing simultaneously. I'm also interested in mike technique for VP -- FWI has a love-hate relationship with microphones (more hate than love at the moment) but I want to be able to be more effectively when I have the opportunity to use one. If there's time and opportunity, I'd also like to explore ways to emphasize and develop my low register so my bass drum sounds less treble!

hi,

Trading off VP & bass with Mike Pogue in Smorgaschord, I'm hungry for more info on when to add interesting "orchestration" drum sounds, in addition to keeping the beat. Can you just teach me all drumming fundamentals in an hour? ;-)

Also, the lip buzzer thing--how does that work?

My core VP style is to sound lame, so I'm hoping to walk away with some kind of intermediate pathway... those "skeletons" of complex patterns sound like just the ticket.

I still think Andrew is some kind of android experiment in nanotech lip technology.

larry

Hey!

I've been involved in VP for around 4 years. I performed with the acappella group InsideOut for 3 of those while in college. Then we all moved. Yeah, it's sad.

I got my start in vocal percussion in a sketch comedy group I performed with for a number of years. We would use it for our parody songs since we didn't want to have to haul a drumset on stage in the middle of a comedy show! And then, who would have played it anyway?

I have too many VP related interests to list here, so I think I'll just be content to show up and soak up the "Andrew" with the rest of you.

See you then -- Jason

Yea, what Larry said.

Patterns/skeletons are what I need now. I can make the basic noises (better in the future, now that I've taken Andrew's basic class), but I'd like to be able to put them together to do more than "dm-tsm".

The snare still escapes me, but I'm OK with that for now. Gimme a pattern to practice over and over again about a jillion times, and I'll make it more consistent.

And, as long as we're at it, that nice slap bass sound that Andrew demoed did not escape my attention. Let me at it!

BTW, Larry and I are at www.smorgaschord.com .

howdy folks, my name is jake and i've been doing singing acappella for about 8 years. i've only been doing vp for about 3, but i find it fascinating. i've learned pretty quickly and i'm looking to soak up more from sensai andrew.

i'm looking to improve speed and learn new sounds. i think i've got the snare, bass and hi hat down pretty well (i think). mic technique would be good (since i hardly use a mic). and of course turntablism...

see ya guys on sunday.

--jake

Hi All, I'm way outclassed here but hope to have fun, work hard and stay outta the way of progress! I have been a fan of live music and a cappella for years, and have played a few intruments, none well enough to perform. Learning to play though has always improved my appreciation for what I go to hear live, so I look forward to picking up what I can. Can't wait!