Voice Teacher Reacts to Wicked A Cappella Medley by VoicePlay 

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So glad that you got back to Voiceplay! Rachel and Emoni were both in the Just Sing video that you reacted to a couple of years ago. Voiceplay produces a new video each month; Geoff Castellucci, the bass, and Layne Stein, the beatboxer, take turns and do almost all of the arrangements. Whichever of them does the arrangement does the artistic direction, set design, production, and costuming. They have a camera crew and makeup artists that they work with for more theatrical pieces. Eli (pronounced to rhyme with jelly) Jacobson, the bald tenor does their lighting and special effects. Cesar de la Rosa standing next to Geoff is the newest member, he joined last summer. Two members left during the pandemic, the high tenor, Earl Elkins Jr, for personal reasons, and the baritone, J None, left to join and sing with the US Navy. Please, please, please react to more Voiceplay! Oh, and during the pandemic, Geoff started his own RU-vid channel and is doing solo work. His most recent is Ain't No Sunshine, and it's wonderful. Please consider checking him out, too.

It's hard to break down VoicePlay's music, because there is an awful lot going on at any given moment. Any time I see a vocal coach, or composer, or any other person with a strong understanding of vocal and/or musical theory reacting to them, I have to give it a view because it just adds to the sum of what I've learned about what these talented people create. Not sure if you knew or not, but Geoff Castellucci, the bass vocalist, arranged this piece. He and the vocal percussionist, Layne Stein, take turns doing the arrangements for nearly all of VoicePlay's songs. Speaking of Geoff, he has a solo channel as well, where he arranges and posts his own covers. If you've only watched a couple VoicePlay videos, you probably haven't heard the breadth of his range yet- and it is astounding. Highly recommend you check out his solo work as well (maybe something like Shenandoah, or his most recent cover of Bill Withers' Ain't No Sunshine) to truly hear what he's capable of. He multitracks his vocals, creating a chorus of Geoff's singing all the vocal lines from tenor to bass to somewhere down in the abyss.

I really love Voiceplay, my favourite is hoist the colours. Such a great one, sounds great and the costuming, sets and lights on the video are awesome and dramatic.

Thanks for your reaction, I enjoyed it. The Wicked arrangement/video was by Geoff Castellucci, the bass. (He has an amazing personal channel he started at the beginning of the epidemic, and releases roughly 1 song/month - all of them spectacular.) Eli, the tenor, (standing next to Layne, the beat box) did the lighting. The stage setting, the lineup w/ mikes was deliberate to remind people that they ARE a touring group during normal times, and to show what the experience of seeing them in concert is like. Their recent videos have been closer to true music videos - they're into the theatrics, and wonderful at it. All have worked for Disney, Universal or both at some point in their careers, so that is simply part of who they are, not something grafted on top. Voiceplay has, in pre-covid days, often worked directly for Disney for their events, conventions, cruises, etc.

This is Geoff (Jeff) Castellucci's (the bass) arrangement. He calls it his 7 minute Beast years in the making. Eii (Ellie) did the lighting. Rachel has the perfect Disney princess voice. She has done MOANA and The Little Mermaid with them along with a few others, and Emoni has also done other videos with the group.

That's been a nice reaction to watch. 🙂 I understand you'll have to catch up with Voiceplay... 😁 I'd suggest a few songs in different genres that they published during the pandemic... For example, "Halo theme" (including the second part, where the guys star and former beatboxer and co-founder of VP explains the reasons behind that particular song and video) and/or "The Dragonborn comes" (from Skyrim) or "My Mother told me" (from Assassins Creed - Valhalla), which are video games soundtracks they made epic; "Hoist the Colours" from Pirates of the Caribbean III for the movie soundtracks, "We don't talk about Bruno" for the Disney stuff, "I can't help falling in love with you" or "True Colours" (or even "Superstition") for pop songs, "Queen in 5 minutes" for a different medley, "Oogie Boogie song" and/or "This is Halloween" for the Halloween/Christmas stuff... 🙂🙂 Or whatever else. In the last couple years they constantly improved. 🙂 Just subscribed. 🙂

You like hearing Cesar on that opening solo? You should hear him sing the stinking high part in their cover of "Dream On". Also - the look between Cesar and Geoff after Cesar does his "kill the witch" line is referencing Geoff doing the role of Ursula in their Little Mermaid medley.

Rachel is very good at staying in that tiring mixed voice. Geoff, the bass, surprised me on this. He is known for his 5 octave range (B0-A5; well, just shy of 5 octaves)... he never really went high on this number.

You definitely need to hear Voice Play"s releases over the last 18 months! Each one has been better than the one before. They've been evolving and growing exponentially.

This is one of my favs from Voiceplay. Another must do is their We don’t talk about Bruno. In my opinion it is their best work and that is a very high bar to set. Thanks for the reactions to the acapella stuff. It deserves more listens for sure!

Although Rachel has performed at Disney, on Broadway and in touring companies, she was happy to be able to sing the role of Elphaba. Previously she had only sung Glinda.

You have to react to Hoist the Colours by Voiceplay next

please react to Geoff Castellucci's (the bass singer from VoicePlay) solo stuff he has on youtube such as Shenandoah, Big Bad John, Far Over The Misty Mountains Cold and Take Me Home Country Roads thanks

Looking forward to seeing you go down the VP rabbit hole!

I love VoicePlay's talent and creativity! "Greatest Showman" and "We Don't Talk About Bruno" are absolutely the best acapella performances on RU-vid today! Love you Lauren!

The difficulty level of the original piece is really not an issue for VoicePlay. At a basic level of (professional) competence, performers have some pieces they can't really cover, because they're too difficult. If they're genuinely talented and put in the time and effort, eventually they reach a level of skill wherein they can cover the really difficult pieces, it just requires more time and effort than an easier piece. Moving up a level from that, some very talented and experienced performers can get to the point where they actually prefer working on the more difficult pieces, because it's more interesting; the basic pieces aren't enough of a challenge any more. VoicePlay is beyond all of that. They operate at a level where the arrangement they're going to sing is going to have their signature level of complexity and exercise their talents, regardless of how basic or difficult the original piece was or wasn't; and yet they do that while still capturing the feel and spirit of the original, and elevating it to become a better version of itself. So when they do e.g. Drunken Sailor (which in its original form is about as basic as it gets), their version manages to fully excite and satisfy fans of the basic version, while still demonstrating VoicePlay's usual level of vocal expertise. They can do that, because they're actually rather good at music. I kinda want to see them do Baby Shark, because it's so notoriously basic, and I'd like to see how they could transform it into something wonderful, while still staying true at some level to the spirit of the original. I'm confident they would have reactors stooping to pick their jaws up off the floor, and rewinding to hear parts again.

Says you. I always think of No One Mourns the Wicked first when it comes to Wicked Songs. There wouldn't be a Wicked musical without this song! I mean the dissonances and harmonies in the song's just too good to pass up!

Random fun fact. Rachel Potter was in wicked as glinda

Yes you need to dive head first into the Voice Play rabbit hole 🤣

Rachel Potter's voice and range is ridiculous and that climax gives me chills every time I watch this video.

Rachel is a terrific vocalist. I saw her on X-Factor competition doing a Queen song "Somebody to Love" when she identified as a country singer. She's also a Disney Princess, played Ariel for a couple thousand shows. If you haven't seen VPs Little Mermaid, is another incredible medley (mini-movie).

Thank you! The Wizard and I and I'm Not That Girl are my favorite songs from Wicked. So underrated!

Great review. Rachel is one of Voiceplays favorite collaborators. Check out the Greatest Showman.

Great video Pleasecan you react to hoist the colours (pirates of caraibbian 3 song)

Love voice play I rec hoist the colours. From pirates of carabian

Difficult to ask fer anything sept more Voiceplay and Home Free, but if I could humbly make a request.....I've yet to see anyone, I mean ANYONE react to a relative of mine....the late Doc Watson. His condition-blind. His genre-bluegrass/Appalachian folk music. His talent-he was considered by many as THE most precise guitar player in terms of cords, notes and cleanliness of pickin. I recommend your choice of The Intoxicated Rat, The Tennessee Stud, or The Ninety and Nine. Thank ye kindly, ma'am and I hope you and yorn have a goodun ✝️🇺🇸🤠

Gotta check out we're good by voicplay.

Voiceplay are my absolute favourite but if you want another outstanding performance check out AustinBrown singing bring him home from Les Mis it’s truly amazing ❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 i

Can you please do a reaction on JONA singing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" live at the Aces Concert Araneta where she's wearing a white gown with a white crown please, it was sung Patti Labelle style and it was mind blowing, Thanks. She sang tge sameccsong at the Dubai Expo 2020 with better audio quality but she sang it at the Aces Concert better, I think.

New subscriber here! Rachel Potter is in a lot of their songs, especially their medley. My favorites of her songs are Little Mermaid and Moana.

Those mic's aren't live just props for the set They are lip syncing to the sound track.

Mar is a great friend to have dinner with us on Sunday and then I’ll see set room?

👍👍👍👍👍

please react to Sitti Navarro Bossa Nova ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DrCN3mToZts.html

A cappella is one of my favorites. Voice Play riding on Pentatonix success. Still wonderful listing

Can't go wrong with more VoicePlay and Geoff Castellucci's solo channel!

Voiceplay and Voctave are probably my two favorite acapella groups. They always put together amazing compositions.

Can you react to Peter Hollens (either one of his solo videos or with just other person)

The mics are props. Not recorded live 👍