Local News
Hundreds of vocalists to descend on central Ohio
By Wayne Rowe
Dec 7, 2009, 10:28

A cappella music has undergone a significant transition or split from days of neighborhood four part barbershop quartets crooning about “sitting under the apple tree” with your honey to a world of multi state/country tours, thousands of adoring fans, recording contracts, studio work, and now even a NBC network television show, “The Sing-Off”.

Although the bright lights are yet to shine on central Ohio’s a cappella music scene, an upcoming music festival hopes to channel hundreds of voices to change all of that, and bring even more attention to the new contemporary face of a cappella music through Midwest Vocalfest presented by Kingston Residence of Marion, Marion Community Credit Union and The Marion Star.

A cappella groups from America’s heartland and across the country will share their special genre of music in Marion, Ohio’s 1,445 seat historic Palace Theatre, Sunday, March 14, 2010 as part of the daylong regional music festival featuring an a cappella group competition and multi-group evening concert.

In its inaugural year, Midwest Vocalfest organizers hope success will equate to an event that will bring
a cappella music enthusiasts to Marion, Ohio for years to come. The evening concert will feature performances by New York City’s premiere a cappella group Blue Jupiter, Michigan’s elmoTHUMM, Great Lakes vocal band and event host 4 THE RECORD, newly formed local a cappella quartet MadHatter, The Marionnaires barbershop quartet Outback 4, and a performance by the 2010 Midwest Vocalfest A Cappella Competition champion.

According to Midwest Vocalfest event committee chair Wayne Rowe, Midwest Vocalfest’s goal is to bring
a cappella music more into the mainstream consciousness, while attracting some of the top name groups in the a cappella music industry to the event each year.

“A cappella music has a very distinct following,” explained Rowe, “but at the same time it has a mass appeal with the growth of contemporary a cappella out of the realm of barbershop. This is a unique genre that can encompass pop, rock, jazz, rhythm & blues, alternative, classic rock, oldies, country, hip hop, traditional choral pieces…really anything you can imagine,” he explained.

“Other cappella festivals I’ve attended on the East Coast draw huge diverse crowds from young people who follow the groups like they would their favorite pop/rock idol, to just the average person who loves music. Whether you are 17 or 77 it seems like there is no profile for the average a cappella fan,” added Rowe.

Rowe said, “our hope is to turn Marion, Ohio into a small Midwest Mecca for the a cappella music world to come together each year.”

Inroads have been made to a small extent with the creation of three new area groups in the past 4 years. Much like the a cappella movement across the country, Marion’s a cappella resurgence was born on the college campus. Although Marion’s a cappella movement has its roots with barbershop groups like The Marionaires, new substantial growth has come out of the collegiate a cappella group InChant, formed in August 2005 on the Marion campus by then group members and co-founders Stephen Hill and Nathan Haubert, now with MadHatter and Wayne Rowe of 4 THE RECORD.

Filling the historic Palace Theatre for an event of this magnitude in its inaugural year is the task of a committee of community volunteers. Organizers hope to mobilize the interest of area high school students by offering a portion of the event’s proceeds as a direct charitable contribution to a deserving local school music program. Event organizers continue to recruit up to 10 a cappella groups from Ohio and neighboring states for the daytime festival competition. A cappella groups of 4 members or larger from high school, collegiate, or semi-professional status are eligible to compete. Groups that are part of the evening concert are not eligible to participate. The winner will be named 2010 Midwest Vocalfest champion and will be awarded a trophy, a cash prize of up to $1000 (based on 10 groups participating), and a spot in the evening concert. School music programs and/or groups wishing to participate in the event are asked to contact Wayne Rowe at 740-360-4351 or email: wayne@4therecordmusic.com by January 15, 2010.

Tickets are available through the Palace Theatre box office, 276 West Center Street, Marion, Ohio or by calling 740-383-2101; online at: www.marionpalace.org. Ticket prices include afternoon collegiate competition and evening concert - admission prices: $17.50 general admission; $15.00 for groups of 20 or more; $15.00 for seniors 60 and over; $15.00 for grades k-12 and college students with student ID;
$ 5.00 for ages 5 and under. Groups wishing to participate in the a cappella competition call 740-360-4351 for special discount pricing.

Midwest Vocalfest is sponsored by Kingston Residence of Marion, Marion Community Credit Union, and The Marion Star. Promotional consideration is paid to The Marion Star, Lind Outdoor Advertising, WMRN-AM, WMRN-FM, WYNT-FM, WDCM-FM, Marion Online, The Ohio State University at Marion, and Marion Technical College.


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