URBAN METHOD

At first, I read the news that The Sing Off was cancelled and didn’t think much of it.  TV shows come and go these days like Congressmen, Styles of Jeans, and Pop Stars.  Then I got to thinking…  I was on that show with amazing musicians, and more importantly, amazing people as the contestants.  Then it started to sink in and the reality (no pun intended) of the situation started to hit home.

I had to step back from being on The Sing Off and the opportunity given to Urban Method by the shows executive  producers, Sam, Debbie, Josh and  Joel.  I realized that the show was so much more to me than the excitement and success of Urban Method and being on national TV.

Here’s where I get emotional…  (just a warning)

As soon as the show aired, I found that the show had an immense effect on young people all over the country.  I travel quite a bit mixing a cappella shows for Take 6 and every time I would walk into a concert hall, a young person would call out to me, “Tony from Urban Method”!  In talking to each and every one, I found that they were inspired by the show in so many ways.  By the competition.  By the characters in each group.  By the personal stories told on the show.  By the music, being so raw and from the heart.  By the diversity of the groups and individual members.  By the family friendly language and content.  By the hard work that it took to do each episode.  And by the talent that would come across their television every Monday night for 2 hours.  (Now I’m totally choked up) 

Not only were they inspired by our performances, I was inspired by their obvious new drive toward music and life.  I think the contestants were pushed to succeed as a group, conquer fears, and work hard to a goal, and that came across loud and clear to everyone watching the show.  We made it through each week with pure passion for music and life.  Now to meet these children and young adults that looked up to us, makes me realize that the show is much more than what it seems to the NBC Executives that pulled the plug.  I bet if they look back at television shows that were legendary, they would find that most of them started off with lower ratings.  But the best shows of all time became legendary because they showed heart (I’m reminded of *M*A*S*H* here).  The Sing Off showed heart and I see it every time I talk to a student, or child, or fan about it.  They have passion for the show that goes beyond the ratings.  It affected people to change.

The Sing Off wasn’t just a reality show that showcased talent, it inspired people to chase their dreams no matter who they are and where they are from.  That’s what good entertainment and good TV should be.  I know the Executive Producers of the show would agree, it was incredibly inspiring.  I’m sure they wanted the show renewed.  NBC Execs did not.  My hope is that the show will be bought out by a new network and land on your TV again soon.

Make sure to go and sign the petition to show your support of television like The Sing Off.  Also, read with the judges have to say.

As I tell the students at the schools I’ve visited…

“If you have a dream in life, chase it because you love it and never stop.  Your dream will soon become your reality and your future!”

Tony Huerta

Urban Method and Sonic Audio

Urban Method reacts to the 4th episode of the SingOff in the video but here’s a quick recap. This was the 2nd bracket singing their 60s songs and their radio top 40s. With the Deltones, Sonos, Pentatonix, Dartmouth Aires, North Shore, and The Collective all performing, it made for a great night of music.

This week judges called the number of Sonos, the well-accomplished and well-revered group of innovative song makers. Their style has truly inspired the a cappella world and their departure from the show is both a surprise and to many a disappointment. Their performances on the show seemed to have made noted improvements over their first showing and they revealed their hit remake of The Jackson 5′s “I Want You Back” to which the judges responded quite negatively.

Their version of the song has been the catalyst for many new things in a cappella over the last few years since it’s release. Their new album is anticipated and their ability to use effects and pedals will be a welcome return to their style for both the audience and most likely the group itself.

Next week will be the convergence of all 10 remaining groups as we look forward to a week of Guilty Pleasure songs! Stay tuned for what Urban Method has in store!

So I’m sitting here minding my own Facebook business.  Doing the usual watching of insanely  funny facebook videos when I see THIS…  http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/the-sing-off-recap-competitors-cram-for-history-test-20111004

Yes that is a link to ROLINGSTONE MAGAZINE!! With a feature of URBAN METHOD at the bottom. ANNNND I’m done!

T-HO

Hey, y’all. So, as a vocal coach, I often get budding singers who come to me and ask me how long it takes to become a good singer. There seem to be two trains of thought. Either, you are born amazing, or you are born with a little ability, take a couple lessons, and then you’re suddenly amazing. Well guess what? Anyone can learn to sing, and anyone who is good can always learn things to make them sound better! The greatest singers never stop working to improve themselves. And that’s really what it takes — work. There’s no magical solution to being good at anything. No matter at which level you begin, no matter how much natural ability you’re born with, you work. And you never stop working. But, you never stop working because you love what you do.

Vocal coaches are normally only there to work with you once a week. You have to continue the work that you do in that session the rest of the week, or else your progress will be painfully slow. Think about it. LeBron James wasn’t born playing basketball the way he does now. And just because he’s one of the greatest to ever play the game doesn’t mean that he misses practice. He works. And he works hard because he loves it, and he wants to be great, and he wants to stay great. That’s the mentality that you have to have. It doesn’t mean that you don’t look back at your progress and aren’t proud of yourself. Pat yourself on the back sometimes. We all need a bit of that. But here’s your key to success: get a good vocal coach, practice with the good technique that they teach you, and really be diligent in your work. The results will surprise you.

Episode 1 Season 3

Wow! I think that the first time that set foot on the Sing Off Stage we knew that we were in a special place. What a blessing it is to be able to share your music with the world! A cappella is bringing the beats tonight. I can’t tell you how nervous we were and how fast it all seemed to go. It was kind of like everything was moving in slow motion. After hearing all of those amazing groups perform we knew that this was going to be an amazing show! I hope that you all enjoyed it as much as we did. For those of you who didn’t notice Richard added a scratch sound to his vocal percussion right over all of the f-bombs so that it would sound like a radio edit.

Let me say this again! RICHARD ADDED A SCRATCH SOUND TO HIS VOCAL PERCUSSION WHILE KEEPING THE BEAT TO COVER ALL OF THE F-BOMBS TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE A RADIO EDIT!! DO… sorry for shouting… Do you know how amazingly f($*ing difficult that is. In case you missed it. Take a look and a listen. See you soon!

Troy Horne

Alright so check it out. We are proud to be part of the wildly popular culture of vocals. There are so many outlets to find vocals, and in our case, a cappella. This is such a hard-working society and it’s produced things like Glee, The Voice, The X Factor, American Idol, and the most a cappella of them all, the SingOff. The first 2 seasons showed of a real growth in the not only the quality of the groups, but the production value and the support from fan voting and viewership.