Sing for Life

Welcome!

A message from Robert

A message from Robert

Welcome, and thanks for visiting A Cappella Hub!

I've been involved in a cappella for over 10 years now as a singer, director, and group founder. I have been privileged to be part of groups in Hong Kong, Rhode Island, and different scenes in the San Francisco Bay Area. The art-form is part of my identity, and the friends that I’ve made along the way have been a main source of community and belonging for my whole life.

I started singing when I was five years old in school choir, and grew with the support of teachers and departmental programs. Groups that I founded and led through high school and college relied on the closely-knit student network to source members and publicize concerts, and institutional resources for rehearsal and performance spaces and equipment.

I moved to the Bay Area after graduation and started looking for a new group, but it was a frustrating challenge. I had no preexisting relationships, and there wasn’t a centralized directory or activity fair to go to. There were a few email lists and Facebook groups to join, but many groups are not active on social media.

I realized that the post-collegiate a cappella world is fragmented and difficult to navigate. Without departmental resources, there were few gateways for new singers. And without a centralized community, it was challenging to find existing groups to join, or to find members and resources to start new groups. This is a major reason why many collegiate singers, including most of my college a cappella friends, leave music behind soon after graduation.

My hope is that these programs will form sustainable local ecosystems that will fill these gaps and make a cappella accessible at all levels, allowing us all to Sing for Life.

Our Mission and Goals

 

To create community and fulfillment through a cappella music by facilitating entry, participation, and success of a cappella singers and groups through a sustainable ecosystem of events and programs

 

Local Focus

While there are examples of long-distance collaborations, most a cappella still happens in-person at the local level. Considering the needs for each city or region allows deeper involvement and more sustainable relationships.

Regular In-Person Events

Face-to-face interactions still form the strongest bonds, and regular reinforcement strengthens them. In-person events enable meaningful chance-encounters to form new ties and strengthen old ones. Overtime, this web of individual connections builds social capital.

Building Awareness

Most a cappella happens in living rooms or closed networks, which can feel isolating and makes it challenging for newcomers to break into the scene. Through connecting these groups to showcase the breadth of the community, we hope to inspire participation in and support for a cappella.

 

Why Sing A Cappella?

 

Social Benefits

A good social network can have more health benefits than giving up smoking. Singing in groups is one of the fastest ways to form social bonds, It increases contact, coordination, and cooperation with others, and strengthens our “theory of mind” and empathy.

Psychological Benefits

Singing is well documented to decrease stress (2). Music making exercises the brain in many ways, improving brain function and allowing it to stave off the effects of degenerative conditions such as dementia.

Physical Benefits

Singing is beneficial for improving breathing, posture, muscle tension, and blood pressure. It is also effective in pain relief, and can help to boost the immune system. It staves off the effects of physical degenerative diseases such as Parkinsons.