We are excited to offer a reimagined A Cappella Festival which will provide students with a full day of learning, a mass choir experience and an evening concert. A Cappella groups of various levels are encouraged to participate. Intermediate/Advanced ensembles can opt into a featured performance spot in the evening concert and a one-on-one Master Class with our clinician. Beginning ensembles and individual A Cappella singers are encouraged to join by performing with the mass choir and observing clinics and performances throughout the day. 

High school and junior high/middle school contemporary and pop a cappella ensembles are welcome to attend! This is a non-adjudicated Festival that features performances of genres such as jazz, barbershop, novelty, pop, contemporary a cappella, and more. We know that your students are doing beautiful work at Solo and Ensemble and Choral Festival.This Festival showcases the great work that your students are doing in these alternative genres.

Students must be members in good standing of their school’s vocal music program, as verified by the director of record under the official MSVMA school membership.

Be the Audience! We strongly encourage groups to participate as audience members as well as performers for as much of the Festival as possible.

Registration & Payment

• Intermediate/Advanced Ensemble Registration: Ensembles wishing to reserve a spot in the evening concert and a Masterclass with our Clinician

• • Fees: $200

  • These students will perform in the Mass Choir featuring an arrangement by Mel Daneke.

  • First come, first served, with adjustments to the schedule to accommodate as many groups as possible.

  • Audition may be required depending on registration.

  
  

• Beginning Ensembles: Ensembles of four or more, wishing to participate by observing and performing in the Mass Choir

• • Fees: $100 per ensemble

  • These students will perform in the Mass Choir featuring an arrangement by Mel Daneke.
    

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• Individual Participation: Individuals wishing to participate by observing and performing in the Mass Choir 

• • Fees: $25 per performer. 

  • Students also will perform in the Mass Choir featuring an arrangement by Mel Daneke.
    

• Audience: Audience members - suggested gift is $10 to help provide more quality a cappella experiences for MSVMA members. 

• • Evening concert only

  • No registration. Gifts can be made at the door. All are welcome!

Payment can be made by school check or director’s personal check payable to MSVMA and must be postmarked by the deadline. Fees also can be paid via credit card. Purchase orders are acceptable at the postmark deadline. The State Office must receive payment one week prior to the festival.

MSVMA

P.O. Box 1131 

Big Rapids, MI 49307

Festival Information

Each ensemble will perform one to three pieces of music in a contemporary A Cappella style (music is not to 

exceed 12 minutes) and will work with a clinician who will provide expert advice from within the field of A Cappella. For the groups that are able to sing more than one piece of music, we suggest one of the pieces be performed in a “classic” A Cappella style (open to interpretation). It is expected that participants will follow the spirit of copyright law.

Movement or choreography appropriate to the style of your selections is encouraged, but choreography is

not required.

The Festival will be recorded for archival purposes and the director of each group will receive a copy of their

group’s performance.

Hayla Alawi

Festival Clinician

Hayla Alawi is a higher education administrator and professional music arranger with a background in commercial publishing and high school education. An Ann Arbor native, she received a BA in creative writing and Asian studies with a minor in music from the University of Michigan.

From 2016-2020 Hayla was a member of DJs A Cappella. For the latter two of those years she served as music director, led the group to semifinals in the International Competition of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), and supported members toward earning a number of awards in competition. She then served as co-director of Skyline High School's a cappella group, Skyline Blues, from 2021‐2025. During that time the group advanced to semifinals each year in the International Competition of High School A Cappella (ICHSA), earned a number of awards, recorded and released four studio music projects, and published five music videos. To support Blues student interests, Hayla also piloted a program to mentor budding music arrangers. Most recently she serves as the music director of technicolor STEW, a project-based vocal ensemble that believes in giving silly ideas serious thought and that the human voice belongs in every genre. She is a CARA-nominated music arranger and works in a number of genres spanning pop, R&B, hip-hop, contemporary choral, spiritual, religious, folk, and musical theater...although she is always looking to explore new and exciting horizons.