“A Cappella Fest!” addresses the need for enhanced music education opportunities, college readiness, and community engagement for students in middle school through high school in Delaware. The project provides a unique choral education experience that goes beyond traditional classroom settings.

Enhanced Music Education

Participants will benefit from workshops, masterclasses, and rehearsals with collegiate a cappella groups and professionals. These activities will improve their skills in areas such as pitch, tone, rhythm, and intonation necessary for singing a cappella music.

College Readiness

Participants will learn from college students about the college application process, academic program evaluation, and student life on campus. They will gain insights into how music can be a part of their college experience, even if they pursue non-musical career paths.

Community Engagement

A Cappella Fest! seeks to engage the community by offering an evening performance open to the public. This concert will showcase the talents of the participating groups and build a sense of community around music.

Masterclasses

Participants will engage in a masterclass with collegiate a cappella groups and professionals. This class will involve practical training, feedback, and skill improvement.

Rehearsals

Students will have the opportunity to rehearse their sets in the performance hall and receive constructive feedback. There will also be group sectionals and rehearsals for a combined finale.

College Workshops

Participants will attend workshops where they can interact with college students and learn about their college journeys. Topics will include college applications, academic program selection, and student life.

Group Meals

The event will include communal meal times, fostering interactions among students, community groups, and college participants.

Evening Performance

A Cappella Fest! will culminate in an evening performance open to the public, featuring sets by participating groups, collegiate a cappella groups, and a combined group finale.

Saturday, April 13, 2024*

• 8:30 AM Breakfast
• 9:00 AM Welcome
• 9:15 AM Community Sing
• 10:00 AM Break
• 10:15 AM Sectionals
• 11:00 AM Combined Piece Rehearsal
• 11:15 AM Lunch
• 12:30 PM Masterclass
• 2:45 PM Break
• 3:00 PM Guest Group Sound Check / College Workshops
• 5:30 PM Dinner
• 6:30 PM Choir School of Delaware Sound Check
• 7:30 PM Concert

*Times subject to change

Under A Rest, founded in 2014, is a gender-inclusive a cappella group from West Chester University. They perform contemporary a cappella music throughout campus and the West Chester community and annually compete in the ICCA (International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella).

Deep Treble, founded in 1998, Deep Treble is the premier co-ed a cappella group at Rutgers University. The student-run organization performs at various events – at Rutgers and beyond – to spread music throughout the community!

Off Track, an all-gender a cappella group founded Fall of 2021, originally began as a group of friends looking for a musical outlet turned into an award-winning group. The group aims to continue to value fun and friendship, as well as foster a supportive and diverse environment where anyone with a passion for singing can succeed and have fun while doing it.

Thomas Maloney (he/him) is the Choir Director at Appoquinimink High School in Middletown, DE and Director of Music Ministries at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Odessa, DE. He’s known for his charismatic leadership style, infusing passion and creativity into every musical endeavor. At Appoquinimink High School, Tom directs the award-winning AHS Chorale, Concert Choir, and advises the student-led acapella group, “Appocapella”. Additionally, he serves as the Music Director for the school’s spring musical production. As a graduate of the University of Delaware, Tom was a member of the renowned UD Chorale and the campus’s only all-male identifying acapella group, “The YChromes”. His contributions as a Music Director, arranger, and vocalist culminated in the release of the album, “Come on Home”. Beyond his musical pursuits, Tom finds joy in exploring the great outdoors through hiking, experimenting with new culinary creations, and savoring the effervescence of seltzer. With a deep-seated passion for music and a genuine commitment to community, Thomas Maloney inspires others through his infectious energy and unwavering dedication to the craft.

Julia McBride (she/her) is an elementary general music educator and a high school a cappella director from Plymouth, MA. She has been involved in the a cappella community for 12 years, singing in a number of contemporary groups, including the professional treble a cappella group, Cape Harmony, from 2017-2020. She graduated from the University of Delaware School of Music in 2020 and is currently completing her Masters of Music in Music Education through the Longy School of Music at Bard College.