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FEBRUARY 17-19, 2023

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Thank you to our sponsors!

The Los Angeles A Cappella Festival combines a local showcase, scholastic competition, professional performances, and workshops into one unforgettable weekend! Your group will learn how to organize, fundraise, and arrange (among many other things) to help your group grow to its full potential and this year we’re “Remixing” it up!

The weekend kicks off on Friday, February 17th with our NEW Community Showcase! Saturday will be filled with workshops and master-classes led by experts in the a cappella community with a few featured mentors, and the day ends with a mind-blowing Professional Show! We'll close out the weekend with the SUNDAY Scholastic Competition, wherein top groups will compete for amazing prizes and bragging rights for the rest of the year!

Click on the schedule to the right to visit http://la-af.com/schedule for all the details! See you soon

LAAF 2023 HEADLINER, säje

säje

The GRAMMY® nominated vocal supergroup, säje (rhymes with “beige”), is the brainchild of vocalist/composers Sara Gazarek, Amanda Taylor, Johnaye Kendrick, and Erin Bentlage. Born out of close friendship and incredibly deep admiration, these world-renowned artists, composers, and arrangers have come together to explore, create, and celebrate the music that moves them. As individuals, each artist has crafted their own notable solo career, and now are delighted to bring their collective voices to this union, traversing a vast array of compelling original material, beloved jazz standards, and contemporary re-imaginings (The Bad Plus, YEBBA, Björk, etc). After debuting an inspiring and energized set at the 2020 Jazz Education Network Conference in New Orleans, säje went on to tour multiple jazz festivals and clubs from January to March. During quarantine, säje received their first GRAMMY® nomination, for their composition “Desert Song” in the Best Arrangement Instruments and Vocals category. They were awarded the John Lennon Songwriting Contest Grand Prize Award for their second composition “Wisteria”, as well as their first Jazz Journalists Association Award Nomination for “Best Vocal Jazz Group”. The collective also recently received gracious support for their continued work through the Chamber Music of America New Jazz Works grant, the Super Patron Grant, the Jazz Road Creative Residencies grant, and the USC Visions + Voices grant. Their highly anticipated debut album is expected to be released in Spring/Summer 2023, and will feature new original work and compelling covers, highlighting collaborations with artists Jacob Collier, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ambrose Akinmusire, Gerald Clayton, Regina Carter, and more. The union of säje is rooted in the tradition of joy, curiosity, lush harmony, heart-felt expression, and profound sisterhood.

LAAF 2023 OPENING HEADLINER, PIPELINE VOCAL PROJECT

Pipeline Vocal Project is an a cappella trio from Alaska that puts a twist on well-known favorites from all eras, whether it’s crossing decades or genres. Bringing together their diverse cultural background, Pipeline sings in various languages and styles, including but not limited to the four languages they speak within the group. With their unique makeup and artistic vocal arrangements PVP hopes to bring light to a new era for female a cappella.

Their debut album Bronze recently won a CARA for Best Semi-Professional Album/EP, and their work has been recognized by the Alaska State Legislature, Anchorage Press, and the U.S. Department of State, to name a few.

PVP shares their passion to perform and educate by traveling farther and farther away from their home of Anchorage, Alaska. In 2022, they performed in Dubai, Lithuania, the Bahamas, Canada, and more, while continuing to grow their social media following by posting a new song every Tuesday.

2022 - PVP Group Photo

2023 SCHOLASTIC COMPETITORS

Bucket List

Bucket List - University of Waterloo

RandomVoices

Random Voices - UCLA

UpperStructure

Upper Structure - Berklee College of Music

The Nor'Easters

The Nor'easters - Northeastern University

Resonance

Resonance - UCLA

Unstrumental

Unstrumental - Calabasas High School

The SoCal VoCals

Deliberation Group: SoCal VoCals - USC

Armand Hutton

FEATURED EDUCATOR

Armand Hutton is a bass singer, songwriter, producer, and 2x GRAMMY®️ nominated arranger who resides in Nashville, TN. The Maryland native has performed with Take 6, Quincy Jones, Ludacris, Lionel Richie, Michael Bublé, and Coldplay (with the latter’s front man Chris Martin proclaiming live on radio and again in front of a sold-out amphitheater that Armand is the "best bass on the planet”). His a cappella singing career professionally began when he became a member of the vocal band, “Naturally 7.” It was with Naturally 7 that he was afforded the opportunity to tour and perform on 6 continents, understand the workings of major record deals, and write a song entitled “Need You With Me” that landed a top 10 spot on the US Billboard Smooth Jazz chart. Armand has done session work for Disney, EA sports, WORD, Robert Randolph, and was the bass singer for YouTube sensation Peter Hollens. Along with session work Armand has recorded 2 audiobooks, volunteer teaches a songwriting class for middle schoolers at a local Preparatory school on a weekly basis, and is now a member of the a cappella group Street Corner Symphony, all while running his own record label, Hutton Records. He currently serves as the Vice President of the Nashville Chapter of the Recording Academy and national DEI Ambassador.

LAAF Community Showcase

BFOM

BFOM - UCSB

Take-It-SLO-Group-Photo

Take it SLO - Cal Poly SLO

InFullColour

In Full Colour - Univ. of Waterloo

TheTritones

The Tritones - UCSD

LAAF is produced by an army of volunteers who are passionate about the vocal music art form and work hard to share high quality experiences with the community. We have a blast together and we're always looking for fresh energy and perspectives to join our team. From seasonal opportunities to weekend-only commitments, we would love to talk about your interest in supporting this effort!