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HEARING  VOICES

Mystery of the Gospel

7/25/2016

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The Gospel is a mystery. God became something He is not, so that we can become something we are not. Christ became human, so we can become holy. Jesus became sin, so we can become righteous.

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him, we might become the righteousness of God."          - 2 Corinthians 5:21

Those of you who have listened to the music of ACAPPELLA over the years understand that the legacy is not exclusively about making beautiful harmonies, recording albums or presenting concerts. It has always been about message -- the "good news." In fact, many of our favorite songs are adapted directly from Scripture, such as this one.
 This video was shot while preparing for a concert in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The concert promoter has since rebooked Acappella to appear there again on October 21, 2017, so mark your calendars.

The Gospel message is going into all the world and we know that some people can only be reached through music.  Acappella will be celebrating our 35th anniversary in locations from coast to coast in 2017, as well as appearances in Puerto Rico and Switzerland. Thank you for supporting our ministry,  downloading our music and ordering CDs for friends and family.  Please visit our new store at Acappella.org.  Plan a road trip to attend an Acappella concert.  Sign up to cruise with Acappella in January.

Sing to His glory!
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Acappella's Evolving Vocal Arrangements

3/24/2016

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Some of Acappella's songs have been featured in concerts for well over 34 years.  Since we teach songs by rote, it is not uncommon for arrangements to change and evolve over time.  The ending of "I Feel Good" is an example of this.  A few weeks ago in Detroit, we decided to sing, "Something about the sweet spirit of my Jesus" three times.  Sometimes, the younger members of Acappella point out that the older Acappella alumni don't move around as much on stage, so we also decided to "step up our steps."  We hope this infectious melody makes you feel good!
I cannot count the number of Christians that I have encountered who are reluctant to display joy when talking or singing about their faith. This is a far cry from one person who encountered Jesus and was seemingly unconcerned about decorum afterwards (see Acts 3:1-12.)  Joy is a fruit of the Spirit.

Did this video make you smile?  If so,  our mission is accomplished. We want to share this joy - - and music is a powerful means to do just that.
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A Song for our Brazilian Friends

3/18/2016

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We are so thankful for all the Acappella fans in Brazil.  The web site, Quarteteiros, which celebrates quartet music, conducted a poll as to which song they'd like to hear Acappella sing in a video.  This song won, with "Rescue" running a close second.  We are happy to share this video, and who knows, maybe we'll post a yet unreleased video of "Rescue" in the future?
Subscribe to the YouTube Channel, AcappellaKeith to catch new videos as soon as they are posted.  Here is the link. 
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Learning Music "By Ear"

3/6/2016

19 Comments

 
As one who has actively arranged vocal music for more than four decades, I have chosen to teach music by rote.  This method remains my choice, much to the dismay of countless musicians who  learn to sing and perform exclusively from sheet music.  Originally employed as a means of convenience, this teaching/learning "by ear" process has served to sharpen the musical skills of many devotees.  I speak from experience, having worked with some of the most amazing vocalists on the planet - - with a video example below.

Our singing weekends for churches, known as Praise & Harmony Workshops, are based upon the principle that ear-training is a powerful way to teach entire churches, especially beginners, how to sing in harmony.  Ear-training CDs have become essential for this purpose, as well as arranging everyone into voice parts -- sitting in sections while learning to harmonize.  We regularly witness stunning results as churches greatly improve their congregational singing.  This is a beautiful and rewarding experience!

Here is an example, featuring Acappella, that goes well beyond outstanding learning-by-ear skills.  The setting for this video was a rehearsal for a concert in Michigan.  On the day this video was shot, Wayburn Dean had never sung "Glory And Honor" before.  A few minutes after we asked him to try singing the lead vocal, we handed him the lyrics -- and amazingly, here is what happened:
Wayburn's stellar vocal quality and impressive interpretive skills are totally unique.  However, we contend that teaching beginners how to sing harmony is much easier than most musicians understand.

There are churches in which virtually no one can read music, yet their singing abounds in four-part harmony.  I am a strong proponent of emphasizing musical literacy while equipping churches (not just a choir) how to read music; but from an early age, my personal experience has been to learn "by ear" first, while tackling the music theory afterwards.
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Acappella's Sound Future

2/9/2016

2 Comments

 
Acappella concerts feature such unique combinations of talent, that at any given concert you may find a line-up of vocalists in their 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's, singing the familiar (and new) songs of their world-impacting ministry.  The diversity of this pool of talented music ministers is one of the strengths of Acappella. Why not consider booking an Acappella concert for your next fund-raiser or outreach event?

Acappella will be appearing March 5th in Detroit, Michigan.  The powerful and talented pool of vocalists that comprise Acappella Ministries is amazingly versatile.  Last year, we posted videos that include Ken McCalpin, Brishan Hatcher, Aaron Herman, Robin Brannon and many others.

For the first three concerts of 2016,  counting last month's fabulous Singing at Sea, the Acappella roster includes:  Anthony Lancaster, Wes McKinzie, George Pendergrass, Robert Guy, Jeremy Swindle, Rodney Britt, Jabbarri Jones, Keith Lancaster, Zach Wilson, Kevin Schaffer, Wayburn Dean, Steve Maxwell and Gary Moyers.  God has certainly blessed these men with a desire to share God's message through song.

We are praying that for many decades to come, if the Lord tarries, Acappella will continue ministering through like-minded musicianaries, some yet to be born --- using only their hearts and harmonized voices to spread God's love.  Thank you for praying for and sharing this ministry with others!
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    Author

    I believe that the human voice is the greatest instrument of music ever created. Harmonizing hearts and voices in praise to the Creator is the highest calling of mankind.  Host a Praise & Harmony Workshop for your church and sponsor leaders to attend the Worship Leader Institute
    PraiseAndHarmony.com

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  • Home
  • About
    • KEITH'S BIO
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