Experience - Learn - Perform - Compete

Whether you compete, learn, watch or listen, there’s something for everyone at the 7th annual VoiceJam A Cappella Festival. The weekend includes a headliner concert by?Duwendé, a riveting competition with groups from all over the U.S., workshops, singing opportunities for local community members and in-school outreach.

VoiceJam proudly partners with Vocal Asia a cappella festival. The winners of this year’s VoiceJam competition will be showcased in video format during the next VocalAsia Festival in addition to receiving a produced video of their VoiceJam set.

Competitors:
Vibe - Dallas, TX
Walk the Line - Rockwall High School in Rockwell, TX
Trillium - Dallas, TX
A-Side - A & M Consolidated High School in College Station, TX
Mind The Gap - University of Oregon in Eugene, OR
Euphoria - Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI

Schedule:
Friday April 14, 2023
8:00pm: Duwende
Headlining this year’s VoiceJam A Cappella Festival, this award winning six-person ensemble presents a fiercely original take on a cappella music. Best known for their upbeat, electrifying bass-and-beatbox-driven funk/pop style, Duwendé pumps up the crowd with their exuberant sound, replicating a variety of instruments with their powerful and distinct voices. With ever-growing acclaim and fans all over the globe, Duwendé brings new life to the a cappella genre for contemporary audiences. Don’t miss the aca-spectacular kickoff to VoiceJam!

Location: Baum Walker Hall at Walton Arts Center

Tickets: $10

Click here for Tickets

Saturday, April 15, 2023
8:30am-4:00pm: VoiceJam Workshops
9:00am: Gettin' In the Groove - Members of Duwendé
Ed and David have been laying down the beats together as Duwendé's rhythm section for 10 years. In this workshop, they will share their tips and tricks for creating beats that not only pump up the crowd but are stylistically appropriate and allow the rest of the group to comfortably fit into the groove. You will learn specific beatbox and bass techniques, and experiment trying them together as a group.

9:00am: Rehearsal Techniques - Rob Dietz
A class for directors looking to get the most out of their rehearsal time, and ensemble members who want to learn how to be better leaders. Come learn about the "preparation wheel" - a four step process for preparing a song conceptually, technically, musically and emotionally!

10:00am: BodyMusic - Gabriel Hahn
Stomping, clapping, moving, tapping! The human body is a real treasury of sounds and musical expressions waiting to be discovered and combined in a new and creative ways. In this workshop, we'll be learning the basic techniques of body percussion and rhythm coordination, creating patterns and nice grooves that you can use in all kinds of musical contexts. You'll get a taste of real flow by superposing and interlocking rhythms within a group. This class is open for everyone who likes to move, discover and have fun!

10:00am: Singing with Soul - Dr. Jeffrey Murdock
Learn from a Grammy winning music educator! This class explores Gospel influences and techniques, and teaches you how to add soul to your sound.

11:00am: All for One: Ensemble Arranging - Members of Duwendé
What goes into creating a dynamic and catchy arrangement? How do you start? What things should be considered? Members of Duwendé, Tomás and Abbey will talk you through their process of arranging – from the moment you put pen to paper (or voice to GarageBand), to the time it is ready to present on stage – drawing examples from Duwendé's own arrangements to demonstrate various techniques and ideas.

11:00am: Music of the Bunun - Christine Liu
Follow Christine into one of the most remote villages deep in the mountains and discover the musical culture of the Bunun tribe – one of the 16 aboriginal tribes on the island of Taiwan. The Bunun are known for their homophonic and choir-like singing tradition, which exists uniquely among all the tribes in Taiwan, especially their ritual song “pasibutbut.” In this workshop, you will get to know this tradition and learn a song or two that you won’t find anywhere else in the world.

Noon: Let It Out: Personality and Performance Practices - Members of Duwendé
How do you get past stage fright to engage an audience? What should you think about while you are performing? What can you do to make yourself a dynamic and exciting performer? Aaron and Derrick of Duwendé will give you a backstage look at what goes on in their minds while engaging an audience. You'll learn their personal methods for ensuring an exciting and engaging experience for the audience, and get some tips and feedback on your own solo performing.

Noon: Optimize Your Arrangements - Rob Dietz
Just because an arrangement sounds hard doesn't mean it has to be hard to learn! This class is all about tips and tricks to craft arrangements that dazzle your audience without making your group hate you in the process. Learn how to get the most out of your arranging – fast!

2:00pm: Advanced Vocal Drumming - Rob Dietz
Ready to add some more advanced sounds and grooves to your kit? Got a neat sound you'd like to share, or a tricky sound you'd like to learn? Come to this collaborative seminar/vocal drum circle and leave with some new tricks up your sleeve.

3:00pm: A Cappella 101 - Rob Dietz
Brand new to a cappella and wondering where to start? A Cappella 101 is the session for you! In under an hour, we'll cover the basics of everything you need to know to start your a cappella journey with confidence. Topics include: a cappella history, singing pop vocals, basic vocal percussion/beatboxing, vocal bass singing, mic technique, and the five a cappella mistakes you'll want to avoid.

Location: Walton Arts Center

Ticket: $10 for full workshop pass

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7:30pm: VoiceJam Competition
Sick beats, dynamic choreography and mind-blowing harmonies – the VoiceJam Competition is back and better than ever. The top high school, collegiate and community vocal bands from around the country come together in Northwest Arkansas to fine-tune their skills with a full day of masterclasses by aca-professionals, then battle it out live on-stage. Join us to see which group tops the charts and cast your vote for aca-fan favorite!

Location: Baum Walker Hall at Walton Arts Center

Ticket: $27

Click here fir Tickets

Combo Tickets: Get a ticket to festival headliner Duwendé as well as the Competition for only $29! Just add tickets to Duwendé when buying and the price will update automatically.

Date: April 14 - 15, 2023

Location: Walton Arts Center - 495 W Dickson St Fayetteville, AR 72701

Click here for more information