Deke Sharon

[41][42] The 1990–1991 Beelzebubs album Foster Street that he directed musically is credited with the creation of contemporary a cappella sound.

"[52] Sharon was the music director[53][54] and arranger[55] for the film Pitch Perfect,[12][56][57][58] as well as singing on several of the songs, where he was credited on screen as "Male Voice #1.

[61][62][63] He helped involve several professional a cappella groups and singers with the film, including The Filharmonic,[64] Penn Masala, and Pentatonix.

[80] As of summer 2017 he is series music director for a new competitive choir show on BBC1 called Pitch Battle,[81] as well as appearing on camera each episode providing insight and commentary.

[93] He has performed with many musicians, including Ray Charles, Crosby, Stills and Nash, LL Cool J, Run DMC, The Temptations, and James Brown.

[97] He also performs as a solo artist, with groups such as the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus[98] and at events like Singapore's "Vocal Edge"[99] and directing DCINY's annual "Total Vocal" at Carnegie Hall[100][101][102] as well as serving as Emcee for a cappella events, such as the annual Techapella concerts in the San Francisco Bay Area.

He has arranged and produced multiple albums and tracks for Atlantic Records' Straight No Chaser,[131] including the certified gold "Christmas Cheers".

In college, he brought the Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival to the East Coast, producing the first Boston regional with the Beelzebubs.

[140] Recent festivals include Aca-West in San Francisco, VoiceJam in Arkansas,[141] Solevoci in Italy, Vocal Asia (in Japan, China, and Taiwan),[142][143][144] Aarhus Vocal Festival in Denmark, and Croappella in Croatia [145][146][147][148][149][150] where he often hosts the evening concert or competition as well as teach during the day.

[159][160] He's also frequently in residency or headlining events at universities such as Indiana U, Midland U and Tufts U [161][162] and co created as well as emceed the "History of Harmony" concerts with Chicago A Cappella.

[163][164] He's also active in the choral world, presenting at choral festivals, such as the World Choir Games in 2021 in Flanders[165][166] and 2024 in New Zealand,[167][126] World Symposium on Choral Music,[168] Cambridge Choir Festival,[169] GALA Choruses[170] and Chorus America,[171] as well as the Barbershop community with the Barbershop Harmony Society[172] and Sweet Adelines International[173][174][175][176] His work to popularize and promote a cappella worldwide is now being recognized by major media: "A Capella [sic] is more popular than ever, thanks to this guy" (NPR Here and Now),[177] "Deke Sharon makes a cappella cool again" (NPR All Things Considered).

[184] Biographical Information about Deke Sharon can be found in Mickey Rapkin's Pitch Perfect (2008), Rick Smolan's 24 Hours in Cyberspace (1996), Joshua Duchan's Powerful Voices (2012), Alysia Abbott's Fairyland (2013)[191] Darren Pleasance's "True North" (2023) and Carsten Gerlitz's Popchor (2018) [192] The pioneering,[193] first all-a cappella musical on Broadway, In Transit,[194] for which he is co-producer and arranged all the music,[195] opened at the Circle in the Square Theater on Broadway in December 2016.

[197] Vocalosity, a live a cappella theatrical concert production with diverse cast,[198] began touring in January 2016 and has performed in 30 states.

He co-founded and directs Camp Acappella for teens and adults each summer[204][205] at Wright State University[206] in Dayton, Ohio[207] and teaches the music production class Soup To Nuts periodically.

[213] and co-created Acappella.how for google [214] His Camp A Cappella Intensive in Washington DC started in 2022, a partnership with Ben Folds, Planet Word, and the National Symphony Orchestra.

[242][243][244][245][246][247] To help promote Good Omens, he arranged several songs for "The Chattering Order of St Beryl," a group of singing nuns.,[248][249] and co-created Walmart's "Sparkappella.

"[250][251] When the cult NXIVM tried to use a cappella as a recruiting device, he drew out Keith Raniere in a public forum,[252][253][254] resulting in his being put on their list of enemies.

Tufts Beelzebubs' Foster Street (1991)
Deke and Rebel Wilson recording the Pitch Perfect 2 Finale
Pitch Battle Finale Judges: Gareth Malone, Kelis, Deke Sharon
House Jacks Promo Photo (circa 2001)
Teaching vocal instrumental sounds to the cast of In Transit