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singacee · Joined: 12 Jul 2003 Posts: 6 Location: Philadelphia, PA

Where is the Stanford Harmonics Rock Beats Scissors? Is this a joke? I haven't heard all the cds but I've heard OTB and Awaken and it kicks both of their asses. That cd is practically notorious.

TD

new2acanews · Joined: 16 Jul 2003 Posts: 3 Location: Baltimore, MD

harry · Joined: 14 Dec 2002 Posts: 65

where do you see the nominations?

harry · Joined: 14 Dec 2002 Posts: 65

I am very surprised that Morgan McOwen from OTB wasn't nominated for Best Mixed Soloist. While "Walk Away" might not have been as good as "Mama" which she won for last year, I definitely think she is the best soloist on the album and the best I have heard live so far. Maria is really good but not as good as Morgan. Anyone else have thoughts on this or the nominations?

mmanley · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2004 12:00 pm Post subject:

MFeldman · Joined: 10 Nov 2003 Posts: 482 Location: Stanford, CA

mmanley · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2004 12:27 pm Post subject:

Valerie · RARB Joined: 30 Oct 2002 Posts: 367 Location: Carrboro, NC

Ariel · Joined: 09 Dec 2002 Posts: 253 Location: Seattle, WA

Harmonics did in fact submit Rock Beats Scissors for CARA judging this year.
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GauRag · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 65 Location: Washington, DC

baxelon · Joined: 20 Jan 2004 Posts: 6 Location: San Francisco, CA

Not to sound too dramatic but the fact that the Harmonics cd did not get nominated for best album and ______ did (don't want to be too mean and detract from people's awards) furthers my opinion that the CARAs are a joke. I'm on ba-acappella and they were saying just a few days before the nominating that they didn't have enough people so it must have been like 2 people who for some reason feel opposite of everyone I've ever talked to about that cd. Practically everyone who's heard that cd talks about how awesome it is and how groundbreaking. Even publicly in this forum it's gotten alot more props than almost any other album. I know Julia Berkeley their old director is always working for CASA because I've seen her name on a bunch of different programs and I have to believe this is just a backlash from that because there's no other explanation.

Nate4285 · Joined: 30 Nov 2003 Posts: 2 Location: New Haven, CT

To be fair, OTR's "Yellow" received a nomination for best male collegiate song, not arrangement. Just thought I'd point that out, although that in itself doesn't necessarily end the whole "who did it first" debate.

PHollens · Joined: 05 Mar 2003 Posts: 436 Location: Eugene, Oregon

Just wanted to make sure everyone knew that Yellow was not credited with a nomination for best arrangement but as a male collegiate overall song. And in our liner-notes it does give credit to the boys at MIT for some awesome ideas they had on Coldplay's tune.

P

DekeSharon · Joined: 13 Jun 2003 Posts: 1456 Location: San Francisco

A couple things:

1) First of all, the CARAs are not a joke. The folks who run them take great pains to do the best possible job they can with their decidedly limited resources (like not having a paid person who collects albums, prescreens them all, and divides them into categories). Having done this for many years, I can say with no hesitation: It's a bitch. Remember, that every single a cappella track needs to be listened to, usually within the span of a couple of weeks, by a panel of people.

2) It's a group of people who are involved in each nomination category. Not two people, at least 5

3) There's no accounting for taste. Remember that. Lots of people love dark bittersweet chocolate, including my wife. They live for it. I think it's inedible. Who's right?

4) The CARAs exsist first and foremost to help promote a cappella. Winning groups have a great reason for a press release, and great info to help gig and album sales. Secondly, they exist to help promote unheard of groups. Folks in (and out of) the a cappella community start paying closer attention to a previously unheard of group that's been nominated.

So, great respect to the nominating panels. Thanks for your hard work.

That said, there are two recordings I was involved in that I think deserved nominations (although, being biased, my opinion is definitely suspect):

Greg Binstock definitely deserves a best soloist nod. One of the most talented, passionate singers I've ever worked with. I think "Nothing Compares to You" is sublime - his solo shows depth and maturity without ever compromising honesty.

BaSix's "Purple Rain" is one of the best a cappella cover versions I've ever heard. Morten's yearning and dextrous solo, the subtle rain-like vocal textures in the first verse that open up into a chasm of harmony, the boys choir - it's a perfect 3 course meal, served up in 4 minutes. If you haven't heard it, and you like cover songs that successfully take a new direction, get their album "Embodiment." Faboo.
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TheProjectPiper · Joined: 15 Jun 2003 Posts: 100 Location: Connecticut

Let me make a correction for all those non-JMUers out there.

On the CARA list, this appears:
*Brian King, "Jeremy," James Madison Exit 245 (from Save for X)

That is almost completely wrong. It should look like this:
*Gavin Wade, "Jeremy," James Madison University's Exit 245 (from Solve for X)

I don't know if you all were pressed for letter space or something =o) but I just thought I'd clear that up.

Matt
Webmaster
The Madison Project