by Mark Hines
“Mark – all we ask is that you follow Ben Stevens.” Perfect. :-)
While I certainly don’t have the command of the English language like my good friend and colleague Ben Stevens, my passion for this festival, and a cappella at large, surpasses most. This festival, this weekend in November, this time I get to spend with all of YOU – it is what drives me, and the experiences I gain at SoJam each year keep me coming back for more, time after time.
I must admit, it’s a bit ironic, as Executive Producer of the event, to be assigned a topic to discuss in my blog entry, but the team knew what I would speak to best, and that’s why SoJam should be taken as Serious Business™.
As Dave mentioned, it wasn’t that long ago that we were all sitting in a room at UNC discussing this “thing” called SoJam. I had absolutely no idea what Dave was talking about, and, quite honestly, thought he might be losing his mind a bit. Turns out – I was right! That being said, so was Dave. SoJam 2003 was a tremendous personal sacrifice for Dave, so much that it didn’t look like SoJam 2004 was even going to happen.
I know – you’ve heard all this before. It was in Dave’s post a couple weeks ago… The point I’d like to make is this – SoJam 2003 had such a profound impact on my life (even though I was unable to attend anything other than the Friday night competition), that I wasn’t about to let this monster stop. SoJam is the reason I do a cappella production for a living today. SoJam is the accomplishment that I am most proud of in my life. SoJam is how I know Jonte Ramsten, Roger Thomas, Mia Hafren, Bill Hare, Christopher Diaz, Sean Altman, George Hoffman, Michael Eldredge, Armand Hutton, Doug Friedman, Kristin LoBiondo, Shane Ardell, Deke Sharon (maybe you’ve heard of him…?), Wes Carroll, Ed Boyer, James Gammon, Jon McLemore, Carl Berger, Garth Kravits, Dave Baumgartner, Ross Hammond, Jonathan Minkoff, Brent Stephens, Joseph Bates, Martika Clark (my girlfriend), etc.. No big deal, right?
If you haven’t attended SoJam before, and you’re still reading this post, you’re clearly interested in growing in a cappella, whether as an individual or as a group. I can tell you until I’m blue in the face that this is single best experience you can provide for your group – in every sense that it can be – but you won’t know what I’m talking about until you’ve experienced it for yourself. I could name a hundred individuals that would gladly inundate you with reasons to attend SoJam, but you’d be expecting them to pitch it in a positive light, so instead I’ll challenge you to provide me with reasons you wouldn’t attend the festival. I’ll follow with a shameless plug of my class, Serious Business™, that will show you that investments like SoJam are both priceless and unavoidable if you’re seeking true success as an a cappella group.
SoJam will change your life. It certainly changed mine, and I’m about as headstrong as they come (just ask those I work with). The event will sell out. Those that attend will talk about it for years. Those that attend will also get to know, personally, Naturally 7, The Boxettes, Overboard, and Musae. Hopefully, you’ll get to know me as well – that’s why I do this. I truly believe in each and every one of you, and long for the day that the artform that we know as a cappella is held in the light we all know it should be!
Come to SoJam. No excuses. Find me and talk with me – I want nothing more than your success!
