The Beachers Blog

Wyvern A Cappella Competition - Take 3

2012-01-05T09:33:00.002-05:00

Yes! Again!

This year we're going all high-energy, awesome choreo, and good laughs with:

Stacy's Mom
Love the One You're With (with Let's Get It On interlude)

This Saturday, January 7th @ 7pm at KingswoodOxford School in West Hartford. Tickets are $10 and found HERE.

Pax

Zombie Jam 2011

2011-05-30T22:34:00.001-04:00

Saturday, June 11 · 7:30pm - 10:30pm

Greens Farms Academy

35 Beachside Avenue

The annual explosion of a cappella energy and talent is only days away.

Featuring the fantastic Beachers and Blues.

Welcoming back alumni of all years.

The front rows await you.

Pax, Mike C.

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113353552085402

Kiss from a Rose

2011-05-09T23:09:00.002-04:00

Guys,

Great rehearsal tonight... learning nearly all of Kiss From a Rose. To solidify, to speed learning for those who weren't there tonight, and to preserve for all eternity... I present the quickie multi-track parts files (and the arrangement PDF).

General Mix
Tenor 1 (upper split)
Tenor 1 (lower split)
Tenor 2 (upper split)
Tenor 2 (lower split)
Baritone
Bass
PDF of the arrangement

Okay... memorize... we audition soloists on Monday the 16th... we make it into killer music immediately after.

Peace, Mike C.

Auditions Coming Up AFTER H4H

2011-01-30T20:53:00.002-05:00

Guys,

Get to listening to these songs, we will be holding auditions for all right after Harmony for the Homeless... except LunchLady (Zev's new crush).

Pax, Mike

Wishing

2011-01-30T20:51:00.002-05:00

Here's the PDF of Wishing (x2).

Wishing (PDF)

I've adjusted letter [F] into a repeat with part layering per Saturday's rehearsal.

Sweeeeet.

Parts Parts Parts

2010-11-12T16:49:00.006-05:00

Guys,

I've quickly multi-tracked a handful of upcoming songs. Bear with my strained voice... I start just after breakfast today and it didn't get to sounding a heckuva lot better.

RIGHT-CLICK, CTRL-CLICK... do whatever it takes to download and get onto your listening devices.

Your part is in the left ear, a full mix is in the right ear.

All I Want for Xmas

A Xmas Song

Winter's Night

Baby, Please

The BAMMER!
I sound totally crappy on this one... but you can still get your parts straightened out.

Good luck, gents.

Love Potion #9

2010-10-26T09:56:00.000-04:00

Love is kinda crazy...

Woot!

Lyrics for New Songs

2010-04-29T16:34:00.002-04:00

Guys,

Here are lyrics links for the new songs:

Review... plan for soloist auditions right quick.

Regards, Mike C.

Beachers New Rep Power-Up

2010-04-22T20:26:00.003-04:00

You know what's great about Beachers?

I came to rehearsal tonight with 2 new songs to learn, the group heard a 3rd choice, and you all said... "let's do all 3!"

That's what I like to hear.

So, here are MP3 files for the 5 new songs for the next 2 months:

These crowd-pleaser arrangements are not too hard and a ton of fun to sing. Add them together with amazing Freddie on What a Good Boy, a handful of traditional pieces, and this year's Zombie Jam will be absolutely amazing.

Listen, Learn, Listen.
Practice the solos for tryouts.
We have a short time, but a realistic goal that will rock your audience.
See you all on Monday night.

Regards, Mike C.

What a Good Body... ummm... Boy

2010-02-19T08:06:00.002-05:00

Har Har Har

Here's the mp3 for "What a Good Boy"... download.

Good luck to all on Monday night.

Before March break we'll also audition soloists for that "She's Knot There" song in the post below.

Mike C.

She's Knot There

2009-10-29T15:30:00.002-04:00

Arf!

Here's the original MP3 and PDF of the arrangement for She's Knot There.

I hope to put together parts MP3 files before too long... gotta finish up some other things first.

Rock on!

Parents Update

2009-05-05T14:22:00.004-04:00

Here are some important schedule updates for the Beachers. Please do what you can to ensure that your Beacher is free from outside obligations. The end of the year is busy, but not unduly, as the group builds up for a tremendous Zombie Jamboree!

Description	Date	Time	Location
85^th Birthday Party contact: Mary McGuire	Saturday, May 9^th	1:30-2:30	Fairfield Hunt Club
Pequot Yacht Club Opening contact: Chester Burley	Friday, May 15^th	6:30-8:30pm	Southport
GFA Reunion – Art Show	Saturday, May 16^th	6:30-7:30pm	GFA
Graduation Party contact: Patty Benedick	Sunday, May 24^th	2:30-3:30pm	GFA
New Parents Reception	Thursday, May 28^th	~5:30pm	GFA
?? Tokeneke Club Opening	May ??	??	Darien
Charity Sing-Around Day contacts: TBD	Tuesday, June 2^nd	during day	Fairfield, Darien, etc.
Zombie Jamboree	Saturday, June 6^th	7:30pm	GFA
Close of Year Activities	Sunday, June 7^th	11am – 4pm	Angelina's, then GFA

In closing, if you would like to discuss any of the above items, or any other Beachers-related issue, feel free to drop me an email or give me a call.

Michael Costantino
Email: mikec@papageno.com | Mobile: 203-610-4576 | Home: 203-371-0636

Bridge Over Troubled Water - parts

2009-03-14T09:29:00.003-04:00

Fellas,

Here're the individual parts as mp3 for Bridge Over Troubled Waters... as well as a PDF of the arrangement.
Be patient with my voice, I was doing this late on Friday night and tired after a heckuva week... good news is that I still have a job.

Download Download Download... Learn Learn Learn... Memorize Memorize Memorize
Headphones work best as your part will be in the left ear and the others in the right ear.

We're singing this, memorized and musical, the Friday after you get back from break... so this is a bit of musical "homework"... you did it for Kingdom in the Sky, you can do it for this.

Mikey

Sincere - parts

2009-03-13T22:46:00.002-04:00

Guys,

Here're the mp3 files of the parts for Sincere. Not an easy piece, but brilliant when you nail it.

Go crazy... sing in the shower... get your blend on... enjoy The Music Man.

Mike

Parents Letter

2009-03-02T12:45:00.003-05:00

To Parents of the 2009 Beachside Express:

We are all musical family in the 20+ year proud tradition of a cappella music-making and camaraderie known as The Beachers.

The group has been cranking all year long. From learning new music right off the bat, to welcoming new members in October, to holiday gigs, to premiering a great new piece at Harmony for the Homeless… the trajectory for this year arcs toward an impressive zenith.
This is a fine time to highlight a couple of important items about the Beachers' year just so we are all on the same page. If you ever have any questions, concerns or situations to discuss, feel free to drop me an email or give me a call. My goal is always, "No surprises"... and I will always keep a sensitive eye on the balance of the Beachers commitment with the many other priorities the students have at GFA.
For those of you who are new to Beachers, you should know that I am not a GFA teacher. I work in the city for AOL as an information architect. This means I am only at GFA on rehearsal/concert evenings. Reaching out via email/phone is the most practical way to reach me. Such is life.
Email: mikec@papageno.com | Mobile: 203-610-4576 | Home: 203-371-0636

1) The Beachers Blog
This is the information website I direct to the boys that contains:
> rehearsal and performance schedule updates
> PDF and MP3 versions of arrangements
> information on "outside" concerts that might be enjoyable and beneficial for the boys to attend.
For your reference: thebeachers.blogspot.com.
The boys are reminded to visit the website and show you important entries so that dates are understood and conflicts can be avoided where possible.

2) Beachers driving together
It commonly occurs that the Beachers go places together in their cars (to get to concerts, to get food before rehearsals, etc.). Sometimes we know about it and sometimes we do not. I share the concern that safety is the #1 priority… whether passenger or driver. Please take a few moments and discuss this with your son. As it happens, I am not in a position to be able to monitor or enforce these activities as I am not with the Beachers on most occasions. You must make it very clear to your son what he can and cannot do. I will support your decisions.

3) The Zombie Jamboree -June 6th, 2009
The Zombie Jam is the long-standing traditional end of the year performance at which The Beachside Express and The Harbor Blues perform in culmination of their year's musical journey.
Please make plans to attend the 2009 Zombie Jamboree on Saturday, June 6th at 7:30pm! @ GFA!
Let me emphasize how important this show is. It is an extremely enjoyable concert, surpassing many college a cappella shows I've seen, sporting stratospheric energy levels, musical excellence/commitment, and a hefty dose of comic intervention… a truly entertaining and surprising evening for all. This is the concert reward for the tremendous individual and team efforts.
Begin telling all your relatives and friends now; the bigger the audience the better!
Please be sure your son has no other major commitments from Friday, June 5th after 2:00pm through Sunday afternoon, June 7th around 4:00pm. We have very important final closing activities that conclude that Sunday afternoon.

4) BIG Dates in 2009 - Post in a prominent place
Please make sure that your Beacher is free from outside obligations on these dates.

Description	Date	Time	Location
GFA Art Exhibit Opening	Friday, March 6^th	6:30pm	Westport Art Center
Beachers "Brainwashing" Day	Saturday, March 7^th	10am – 4pm	GFA
GFA Jazz Festival	Thursday, March 12^th	evening	GFA
Chris Waller Benefit Event	Thursday, April 2^nd	7pm	GFA
Variety Show	Friday, April 3^rd	evening	GFA
GFA Student Diversity Leadership	Saturday, April 4^th	during day	GFA
Ivy League A Cappella Concert	Saturday, April 4^th	evening	St. John's, Stamford
GFA World Religion Symposium	Monday, April 6th	during day	GFA
Alumni Reunion Concert	Saturday, May 16^th	afternoon	GFA
?? Beachers & Blues Assembly	Tuesday, May 19^th	during day	GFA
US Spring Concert	Tuesday, May 19^th	evening	GFA
New Parents Reception	Thursday, May 28^th	evening	GFA
?? Darien Sports Shoppe	May ??	??	Darien
?? Tokeneke Club Opening	May ??	??	Darien
?? Pequot Yacht Club Event	May ??	??	Southport
Sing-Around Day	Wednesday, June 3^rd	during day	Fairfield, Darien, etc.
Zombie Jamboree	Saturday, June 6^th	7:30pm	GFA
Final Activities	Sunday, June 7^th	11am – 4pm	Angelina's, GFA

Kingdom in the Sky

2009-01-10T19:51:00.005-05:00

Guys,

This post will contain a downloadable MP3, as well as the arrangement PDF for Kingdom in the Sky by DaVinci's Notebook. You will also be able to grab the lyrics from the link below.

We will completely and utterly bear down on the arrangement during our long rehearsal on Friday, Jan. 16th, 3-9pm... and CRUSH IT!

MP3 - download
Arrangement - download
Lyrics - on DaVinci's Notebook Website

Rock On! Mike C.

Repertoire PDFs

2008-11-20T21:55:00.007-05:00

At long last, the full list... grab your PDFs and print them out.

There it is... the reference... I'll keep it updated. If you find any broken links please let me know which song it is.

Mike

Santa Ana Woman

2008-10-13T12:27:00.002-04:00

Guys,

Here are links to a PDF of the arrangement and an MP3 of the Beachers recording.

Santa Ana Woman - PDF
Santa Ana Woman - MP3, Beachers
Santa Ana Woman - MP3, The Bobs... to come later on

Go crazy, Mike C.

U Can't Do That (middle section)

2008-03-11T09:36:00.004-04:00

Guys,

Here's the link to the new middle section of U Can't Do That.
Each listing below shows assigned voices from low to high.

bass vamp 2 day tripper
Day Tripper - IG | Mico | Dale
Can't Buy Me Love - Jarell | Will M & D | Matt D
Love, Love Me, Do - Ethan | Drew
8 Day a Week - IG | Mico
I Wanna Hold Your Hand - Jarell | Will M
Help - IG | Mico | Dale
bass vamp to ooom pah
Sgt. Pepper - Jarell | Will M & D | Matt D
Ob La Di - IG | Mico | Dale | Ethan
I Am The Walrus - Matt D
3 (ungh) She Love's You Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

Also, for you techies, you can no longer browse the entire /downloads/ folder on my web server... sorry Charlie. Find the blog post and grab the files from the links.

Regards, Mike C.

Wuntaforty Parts

2008-02-04T17:32:00.000-05:00

Okay gents, here are the MP3 files for the parts in Wuntaforty.

Pick your parts. Download. Listen with the music.

Regards, Mike C.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Fall

2007-11-07T21:13:00.000-05:00

Mighty Mighty Beachers...

Fall is sweeping by swiftly, so let's unfurl the sail and gather speed. Attendance has not been wonderful, so we really need to adjust so as to not get blown off course. We're aiming for a busy December with at two gigs locked down and hopefully more to come.

Here's the schedule:

Saturday - 12/1 GIG at Borders Books in Westport
time TBD
Monday - 12/3 VIDEO RECORDING of A Xmas Song for YouTube and AOL online contest
Thursday - 12/6
Saturday - 12/8 GIG with the CONN ARTISTS
exact times TBD
afternoon - ad hoc singing downtown somewhere
evening - Trinity Church, Southport - invite lots of friends and family
Monday - 12/10 AUDITIONS (no rehearsal)
Thursday - 12/13 CALL-BACKS (all to attend)
Friday - 12/14 shhhhh... it's a secret, remembah?
Saturday - 12/15 NYC gig? minstreling in NYC?
Monday - 12/17
Tuesday - 12/18 Winter Concert... you guys will do a song or two before the gig, alongside the Blues
Wednesday - 1/2/08 Beachers Day (all to attend... long day)

I'll update this post when I know more about the Winter Concert, etc.

Repertoire
We've got a lot of material 90% ready. The gig on the 8th will be 3.5 songs... from among these:

Love Potion #9
Romeo & Juliet
Life's Gonna Suck
Concrete & Clay
U Can't Do That

See you in rehearsal, Mike

Zombie Jam Set List

2007-05-31T07:59:00.000-04:00

Guys,
Have given considerable thought to the set list for Zombie Jam... here's where it stands. It's probably 90% where we want to be.

First Set

Hodja - IG
Concrete & Clay - Mico
Romeo & Juliet - Rakan
Can't Take That Away - Matt D.
I Got Rhythm/Flintstones - Kevin/Will B.

Second Set

Starfish & Coffee - Rakan
Love Potion #9 - Will M.
Lonesome Road - Matt
Is That the Way You Look? - Matt M.
Helmet - Chris
And So It Goes
Life's Gonna Suck - Kevin
You Can't Do That - Dale
TOTES - James

Moms (Bring 'Em Up #1)

Evaline - Mico

Alums (Bring 'Em Up #2)

Drifters Medley - Dylan & Will M.
Bible / Dixie
Shenandoah - Will B.
Chariot - James

Wow! This is gonna be a helluva concert. You've gotta be psyched.

You've also got some final CRANKING to do. Sing together as much as you can... even if the whole group isn't there. NEXT TUESDAY IS CRUCIAL for GROUP SING-TOGETHER COHESION.

I will see you next Wednesday for final work, especially on the Alum set.

Regards, Mike C.

More MP3's of Classic Beacher Songs

2007-05-21T21:24:00.000-04:00

Guys,

We're in the final stretch and now face the challenge of finishing up learnings on the legendary Beachers traditional arrangements. I've uploaded MP3 files of the entire Beachers CD. Please point your browser to the following folder and download like a madman.

http://www.papageno.com/downloads/

You can browse the list of songs and download what you need, or even listen right from the list.

Mike

Missing Music? Download the PDF of the Nova Songbook

2007-05-07T22:28:00.000-04:00

Guys,

Some of you have been without your songbooks at rehearsals. That doesn't work. So, here's a PDF of the entire Nova Songbook. Download it, printout what you need, bring it to rehearsal.

I don't have the Traditional Songbook digitized yet... perhaps for next year.

Regards, Mike C.

Zombie Jam

2007-05-05T22:38:00.000-04:00

Okay, time for the reality check on the Zombie Jam.

We've got a ton of music... much of it is just run-throughs, minor spackling, and "performance powering"... but there're some that are on the low end of readiness. This entire list will not be in the concert, but most of it will, that means that May is the month for buckling down.

Totally New

Concrete & Clay (0.9)
Life's Gonna Suck (0.7)
Rhythm/Flintstones (0.8)
Love Potion #9 (0.9)
You Can't Do That (0.9)
Can't Take That Away (0.7)
Title of the Song (0.7)

Truly Great Traditional

Is That the Way U Look? (0.8)
Helmet (0.7)
Hodja (0.9)
Time After Time (0.4)
And So It Goes (0.9)
Romeo & Juliet (0.7)
Starfish & Coffee (0.9)
Lonesome Road (0.8)

Truly Great Traditional - Also Learn, some are in the concert with alums

Shenendoah (0.6)
Drifters Medley (0.3)
Chariot (0.3)
Evaline (0.5)
Bible / Dixie (0.8)

We've been kicking this year... let's crunch through May and be stellar on June 9th. More details to come.

All the rehearsals are critical now.

Mike

Some to Watch Over Me

2007-05-05T22:24:00.000-04:00

Guys,

Here're the MP3 files to the last new song we learn this year. ONE MONTH TO THE JAM! Much music to polish after the woodshedding on this one is over on Monday 5/7.

Grab 'em... download to your computer or MP3 player... get it nailed.

Hasta, Mike

Repertoire Audio Files

2007-03-27T10:02:00.000-04:00

Guys,
Here are links to new repertoire audio files, as well as a few oldies revisisted. Listen up, download, provide feedback.

In the Bag

Mike C.

They Can't Take That Away

2007-01-25T10:30:00.000-05:00

Guys,
Here are the raw materials for "They Can't Take That Away From Me".

Go crazy. Mike

The Beachers Roster 2006-2007

2007-01-25T09:53:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to the newest members of the Beachside Express. An astounding turnout at auditions... we are lucky to have picked the best of the great to be part of the Beachers.

Here's the Full Roster for this year... the new guys are indicated:

Will McCalpin '08
IG Schottlaender '10
Will D'Agostino '09
Chris Delaney '10
Mico Picache '08
Matt Demartini '08
Dale Mack '08
Matt McCalpin '10
Kevin Tyler '08
Rakan Nimr '08
Charlie Proctor '10
Ethan Peritz '09
James Kelly '08
J Tomasulo '07
Will Buchanan '08
Dylan Haas '09

Niiiiice. Mike

Beachers Schedule 2006-2007

2006-09-28T17:56:00.000-04:00

Mon. 05/07 5:30-7:30pm
rehearsal - Mike

Thurs. 05/10 5:30-7:30pm
rehearsal - Will

Mon. 05/14 5:30-7:30pm
rehearsal - Mike

Thurs. 05/17 10:30am
LS/MS Concert - Beachers/Blues (~4 songs)

Thurs. 05/17 5:30-7:30pm
rehearsal - Will

Mon. 05/21 5:30-7:30pm
rehearsal - Mike

Thurs. 05/24 5:30-7:30pm
rehearsal - Mike

NO REHEARSAL - Mon. 05/28
school closed

Thurs. 05/31 6:00pm
New Parents Dinner

Thurs. 05/31 6:30-7:30pm
rehearsal - Will - run through as much music as you can after the gig

Mon. 06/04 5:30-7:30pm
rehearsal - Mike

Thurs. 06/07 5:30-7:30pm
rehearsal - Mike

~~~~~ interim dates to be filled in later ~~~~~

Fri. 06/08 time TBD
Beacher's 20th Anniversary event

Sat. 06/09 7:30-9:30pm [call TBD]
Zombie Jamboree
Bedford Gym

Sun. 06/10 ~12:00-4:00pm
Post-Jam Picnic, Review, and more...

Current Group Going to See "Perfect Harmony" in NYC on Friday 09/22

2006-09-19T22:40:00.000-04:00

Several members of the current group and I will be travelling into NYC to catch "Perfect Harmony" on Friday 09/22. The show is at 9:15pm.

Wouldn't it be great to find area alum slumming with us at Andrew Grosso's great show?

For more info, follow these links:

The Essentials (show site)
The Fringe NYC Encore Series (theatre & tickets site)
The Hypothetical Theatre @ the 14th St. Y.
344 East 14th Street, New York, NY 10003 (map)

Hasta.

Welcome to the Beachers Blog

2006-09-19T22:32:00.000-04:00

Greetings Beachers and Beachers Alums,

Yes, we're now technologically modern and completely distracted. Bookmark "The Beachers Blog" at thebeachers.blogspot.com. We'll use this site to post schedules, activities, concert info, great photos, and good old-fashioned a cappella antics.

If you'd like to contribute to this blog, please email me and we can discuss.

Regards, Mike C.