some
thoughts about 5-Alone...
The idea of 5-Alone was conceived in the fall of 1999.
I approached four students about starting a jazz a cappella quintet
with myself as the fifth member. Encouraged by the succss of our
first performance, we continued singing throughout the spring
and debuted officially as 5-Alone at the Iron Horse in June,
2000.
Now 5-Alone is an accredited performing arts class at PVPA.
We’ve come a long way from the days of rehearsing at lunch
and after school. 5-Alone has gained a considerable amount
of attention in a very short time. Awards and honors have been
piling up from DownBeat Magazine, C.A.S.A., A-Capella.com, The National Harmony Sweepstakes, R.A.R.B., Primarily
A Cappella, Berklee College of Music, and the I.A.J.E. 5-Alone has performed all over the world,
including New York, California, and The Netherlands, and has turned
the world of high school a cappella upside down.
The name 5-Alone comes from the five part close harmony
jazz arrangements that we sing: five singers, each singing alone
on a part. These days it’s become a running joke in the group
that rarely are there five people on stage, but the majority of
our songs are five part harmony.
5-Alone strives to reproduce the songs of our favorite groups
(see links) as well as to create our own unique sound. If you
like what you hear, please send us a message and say hello. Or
better yet, purchase a CD and help to support our program.
We hope to see you at a performance soon!
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A member of the PVPA music faculty since 1997, Tony has brought jazz education at the school to an impressively high level. An accomplished professional musician and talented songwriter, Tony is a "John Lennon Songwriting Contest" award winner and has composed musical soundtracks for Fablevision Animation Studios and Sesame Workshop.
Tony's band Wild-Wood can be heard at venues throughout New England. |
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PVPA is "short"
for Pioneer Valley Performing Arts
Charter High School. Click on this LINK to find out more about the school. |
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