Calling all singers for PAX EAST 2014: Accaprotomen!

williamstome

CHOIR NERDS... ASSEMBLE!

So I've been listening to a lot of The Protomen's Light Up The Night in the wake of PAX, and have decided that it would make a kick-ass a cappella song.
I sang in college, and have some friends from my group that made really great arrangements (example).

I was thinking it'd be awesome to get a group of good singers together (Me, someone to be the Joe to my Thomas, 1ea. SMATBB and a beatboxer), learn an arrangement of Light Up The Night separately, get together at PAX East next year, learn it solidly during the day Friday and then perform it randomly like... in the lobby in front of the Protomen booth... or maybe try to find a panel we can "open" for.

Is this something that would interest anyone else?

JonnyNero

I'd be in

Lady Amalthea

I'd be into it. I am a first Soprano - haven't sung on a "professional" level since college. So, the super high notes may not be in my future - but it would be fun!

vttym

I would be down with this. Bass 2 at your service. Like others I haven't sang since college, but I did vocal jazz in HS and college, so a Capella is good by me.

ilta

I'd be in (Tenor), and I'd be happy to arrange some JoCo and/or P&S too if you'd like to expand the repertoire. I sang and arranged a cappella in college, and still find excuses to arrange whenever possible.

williamstome

@ilta, I feel nervous enough about 8ish people learning parts by themselves and trusting it'll come together after one day of rehearsal for ONE song... if others are optimistic, though, I'd certainly be down for more!!

williamstome

@JohnnyNero, what part do you sing?

vttym

When I was in all-state in high school, we all received tapes for our part (yes.. tapes.. it was that long ago.. shut up). The song played with a tone for my part's notes, and that's what I used to learn the part. That way, when all the people from across the state got together, it took a day to just learn the nuances, and we were performing the next night. Don't see why that couldn't work here.. maybe use something other than tapes..

williamstome

Good point vttym, I'm sure at the very least midis/wavs can be easily distributed for the parts!
It's exciting that we already have 5 people interested... I would think that we'd need another guy and two more girls (at least). Luckily we've got some time to recruit

ilta

I always arrange digitally so it's trivial to send parts out ahead of time. If people already know the songs it should be VERY do-able.

williamstome

Alright, everyone seems more than competent lol. Do we want to do nominations for two more songs?
It'd be great if ilta could arrange one, and my girlfriend (who currently arranges a cappella music for her group) may join us as well, bringing us to 4M2F.

vttym

Realistically, forum traffic here will be light until around the release of next year's PAX passes, so we may not get more interest until then.

Based on what I heard at the Rock Band pre-pax party, there are more singers out there

williamstome

Yeah, that makes sense.
Although I think choosing songs and getting them arranged soon would be a good idea, and then when we recruit more people we'll have materials ready for them.

Thunderous_T

This sounds awesome you guys! I'm absolutely interested in doing this, but i'm not yet 100% sure that I'll be able to make it to east next year. If you still need people when I can make that call I'm down.

ilta

Realistically I won't be able to get any arranging done until at least May due to work stuff. That said, once I start I'm usually pretty fast (phrasing!).

My own preference would be a JoCo song just cause I know his discography better. Either of the Portal songs (Want You Gone is the superior song in my opinion), Skullcrusher Mountain, Ikea, or Mandlebrot Set seem like they could work really well. But honestly they're all so good if anyone else is super excited to sing a different one I'd probably be up for it! I don't know Paul and Storm's catalog as well but I did get the USB drive with All the Things so I should have a better sense of what might work by May... George RR Martin and Opening Band seem like possibilities.

PayneTrayne

Mandlebrot Set would be amazing to see, just saiyan.

williamstome

I feel like we should have things arranged by... October? lol. We've got time :P
I also think the Portal songs would be good choices... What about "Big Bad World One"? I love the songs you listed, but Mandlebrot Set is a bit more "niche" humor to those who are mathematically inclined (myself included!) whereas BBWO and IKEA will apply to 90% of PAX attendees :P

Of course, as you can probably tell, I tend to overthink/overanalyze things

williamstome

(Of course BBWO, or, e.g., ShopVac, may be a little more on the sad side than the funny side. sooo yeah perhaps not.)

ilta

"Code Monkey" could work too...

QuantumShaddow

I'd be down! I'm second soprano/alto depending on the day lol

ilta

so now that my show is over i can concentrate on this again. it looks like we're gonna have the full range of parts, but very critically, will we have any beat-boxers? that makes a big difference in the sort of song i'd try to tackle... if anyone knows any good vocal percussionist nerds, start selling them on PAX now

Maiu

I'm a low soprano and I'm super interested! I haven't sung professionally in a while, but I do sing regularly and it sounds like fun.

KarissaEB

Been singing all my life, sang a cappella in college, did arrangements for our group, etc. I'm in if you still need a HIGH sop 1!

ilta

Ok then, here's my count. As new people add themselves, please repost this list so we can keep an up-to-date roster:

S1: LadyAmalthea, KarissaEB
S2: Maiu / Quantum
A1: Quantum
A2:
T1: Ilta
T2:
B1:
B2: Vttym
VP:
???: WilliamStome, JohnnyNero, William's girlfriend?

Offers to arrange: Ilta, William, William's girlfriend

It's a little top-heavy for my tastes at the moment but I suspect the guys will filter in once the forum picks up. William, William's girlfriend, and Johnny, what parts do you guys sing?

vttym

I used to beatbox a bit when I was actively in choir.. I imagine I can pick that back up if it's really needed (though I'd prefer to sing if I had a choice)

ilta

Vttym: a good low bass is almost more important than a beatboxer so I'd hate to lose that -- hopefully we won't have to end up deciding!

williamstome

I can beatbox some as well, otherwise I'm a B1
(Also my name is Tom, last name Williams )
My girlfriend sings Soprano, but I'm not positive she'll be joining us :P

williamstome

(For singing. Arranging, very yes. Which is fine because it sounds like we're chock full of sopranos! )

williamstome

Are any of the sops able to sing alto?

EradiKate

Alto 1 or 2, checking in.

QuantumShaddow

williamstome wrote: »

Are any of the sops able to sing alto?

I can!

williamstome

So updated list:
S1: LadyAmalthea, KarissaEB
S2: Maiu / Quantum
A1: Quantum
A2: EradiKate
T1: Ilta
T2:
B1: WilliamsTomE
B2: Vttym
VP: Williamstome/Vttym
???: JohnnyNero

williamstome

Also, some logistics:
1) What do we want to cap the group size/distribution at?
2) We should probably settle on other songs
In addition to ze Protomen, people suggested we learn a couple other songs.
Suggestions included:

JoCo: Want You Gone, Still Alive, Skullcrusher Mt, Mandlebrot Set, Ikea, Codemonkey
Paul&Storm: GRRM, Opening Band

Do people want to add suggestions and then vote on songs so we can assign arrangers? :P

rubikscube

I can also sing alto 1 or 2.

I'd love to see a video game theme medley if anyone arranging is feeling particularly ambitious

Yroark

I haven't sung since high school where I was a bass/baritone but this sounds awesome. The hardest part for me in all honesty is that I learn by ear, not sight reading ... and that my voice is out of practice :P . So it would be immensely helpful for me to not be the only person singing my part.

I've been going to PAX East since the first one and had been half thinking of trying to get an a'Capella group together. I finally signed up for the forums and voila someones already trying to do it?

I think your suggestions for JoCo and Paul&Storm songs are good because they tend to have a lot of harmonies already that could probably be translated to a group setting.
Another thing to consider is that parts of the group might be able to meet up prior to PAX to practice depending on the interested parties geographic locations / availability.
Personally I'm from southern New Hampshire (about one hour north of Boston).

RidleyDragon

I used to sing Tenor 2.

RidleyDragon

I've also done acapella, that seems important to note. And I'd be willing.

ilta

S1: LadyAmalthea, KarissaEB
S2: Maiu, Quantum*
A1: Quantum*, Rubikscube*
A2: Rubikscube*, EradiKate
T1: Ilta
T2: RidleyDragon
B1: WilliamsTomE*, Yroark
B2: Vttym*
VP: Williamstome*/Vttym*
???: JohnnyNero

*can sing multiple parts

Right now we are a bit top-heavy. I'd love to cap the women at the current numbers, at least for now, and see if we can get some more men on board.

RidleyDragon

I'm from Long Island, and I'm actually going to pax prime.

Is there sheet music arraigned yet?

RidleyDragon

Also, if we are going to do this in front of booths, make sure you contact both the protomen and Robert Khoo, those booths aren't free.

williamstome

@Ilta: Agreed about capping.
@Ridley:
1) "I'm actually going to pax prime" as in you're not going to PAX east? Confused.
2) The Light Up The Night arrangement will be arranged in the fall, and we haven't chosen other songs yet.
3) Good point. I'll email them, to be sure.