Counterpoint with Deke and Dietz

Counterpoint with Deke and Dietz is a brand new a cappella podcast exploring how the industry got started, where it’s going, and how we’ll get there together. Hosted by award-winning arrangers and musicians Deke Sharon (The Sing-Off, Pitch Perfect, In Transit) and Rob Dietz (The Sing-Off, Glee), each episode features an interview with a premier member of the a cappella community alongside additional segments including signature Counterpoint debates about controversial topics in vocal music, History Minutes, Tales from the Road, Sound Tutorials, and more!

Episode 17 - Careers In A Cappella 06/25/2025

Episode 17 - Careers In A Cappella Deke and Dietz are back with a brand new panel discussion format! This week's topic: How to build a career in a cappella. Featuring: Angela Ugolini - Producer/Engineer of Aurum Productions and Singer with Musae Chrissy Aloisio - NYC-based Voice Teacher and Singer/Choreographer of Backtrack Vocals Layne Stein - Arranger, Writer, Creator, and Performer. Founding Member of VoicePlay and PattyCake Productions Tehillah Alphonso - GRAMMY®-nominated Arranger, Session Singer, and Teacher /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/37142490

Episode 16 - Social Media 09/24/2020

Episode 16 - Social Media Deke and Dietz are joined by the branding experts behind DCappella as well as Tik Tok superstar, Paige Zilba to talk about all things social media! /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/16137581

Q & A Part 2 09/10/2020

Q & A Part 2 Deke and Dietz answer your burning a cappella questions in part two of our listener Q&A session! /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/15955730

Q & A Part 1 08/27/2020

Q & A Part 1 Deke and Dietz answer your burning a cappella questions on the first edition of Q&A! /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/15780827

Extra Notes - Eric Whitacre 08/13/2020

Extra Notes - Eric Whitacre Deke and Dietz sit down with choral legend, Eric Whitacre to share some of the conversation that was too big to fit in our season 2 premiere! Topics include live performance, composition, and how to get the most out of your singers as a conductor! /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/15601448

Episode 15 - Vocal Effects 07/30/2020

Episode 15 - Vocal Effects How many ways can you effect the human voice? The possibilities are endless. Join Deke and Dietz as they talk to Blake Lewis (American Idol) Mel Daneke (Musae/Six Appeal) and Chris Harrison (Arora) about live looping, pedals, studio effects and more! /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/15409406

Episode 14 - How Low Can You Go? 07/16/2020

Episode 14 - How Low Can You Go? How lowwwww can you go? Deke and Dietz talk to some of the best bass singers in the biz about what it means to hold down the low end. Featuring Barry Carl (Rockapella), Kaedi Dalley (Citizen Queen), and Tim Foust (Home Free)! /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/15231755

Episode 13 - Long Distance 07/02/2020

Episode 13 - Long Distance On the season two premiere of Counterpoint, Deke & Dietz explore what it means to make music long distance. Evan Sanders & James Rose of Accent discuss how to collaborate w/ others from all over the world, Eric Whitacre delves into what it means to be creative during a global pandemic, & Women of the World talk to us about what it's like to use cultural differences to create beautiful art. /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/15053129

We Still Ain't Got No Band - A Tribute to Jerry Lawson 07/16/2019

We Still Ain't Got No Band - A Tribute to Jerry Lawson Deke and Dietz sit down to discuss the incredible a cappella legacy of Persuasions founder and lead vocalist, Jerry Lawson. Rest in peace, Jerry! /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/10535702

Episode 12 - Mario Jose Sends Us Out On a High Note 06/20/2019

Episode 12 - Mario Jose Sends Us Out On a High Note On the final episode of Season 1, Mario Jose joins us to talk about making a career in Los Angeles, singing w/ Pitch Slapped on The Sing-Off & how friendship & hard work landed him gigs singing w/ Pentatonix, John Legend, Meghan Trainor, & more! /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/10220111

Episode 11 - Danielle Withers Sings Through the Changes 06/06/2019

Episode 11 - Danielle Withers Sings Through the Changes Danielle Withers of Afro Blue joins Deke & Dietz to talk about her path from The Sing-Off to performing with some of the biggest artists in the world, including The Killers, Demi Lovato, and Ariana Grande. /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/10070510

Episode 10 - Bill Hare Mixes it Up 05/23/2019

Episode 10 - Bill Hare Mixes it Up A cappella veteran, and Grammy winning producer Bill Hare joins Deke and Dietz to talk about how he got his start recording a cappella, his years of collaboration with The House Jacks, and how messing around in the studio led to recorded a cappella as we know it today. /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/9892394

Episode 9 - Adam Chance Gives Us the Lowdown 05/09/2019

Episode 9 - Adam Chance Gives Us the Lowdown Home Free baritone, & former Streetcorner Symphony bass, Adam Chance joins Deke & Dietz to share his perspective as a former aca-outsider who has gone on to sing w/ two of the most popular groups of all time! As with most things, it all started in choir... /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/9712931

Episode 8 - Kid Beyond Lays Down the Foundation 04/25/2019

Episode 8 - Kid Beyond Lays Down the Foundation Kid Beyond joins Deke & Dietz to talk about the process of developing vocal percussion as we know it today, what it was like evolving into a solo act, & what the evolution of modern a cappella has looked like to someone who was there at the start! /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/9525167

Episode 7 - Kristin Denehy Stages a Revolution 04/11/2019

Episode 7 - Kristin Denehy Stages a Revolution Acclaimed dancer and choreographer Kristin Denehy joins Deke and Dietz to discuss her choreography work on The Sing-Off, how to pull off great looking choreo regardless of your group’s skill level, and the trends of movement and dance in current pop music. /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/9353372

Episode 6 - VJ Rosales Riffs on the Industry 03/28/2019

Episode 6 - VJ Rosales Riffs on the Industry VJ Rosales of the Filharmonic joins Deke and Dietz to talk about his experiences on The Sing-Off, backing up stars like Anna Kendrick and Usher for riff-offs with James Corden, and his plan to take over the world with original music. /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/9171494

Episode 5 - Ryan Parma Keeps It in Focus 03/14/2019

Episode 5 - Ryan Parma Keeps It in Focus This week’s guest is videographer Ryan Parma who dishes about how he got his start in the industry, his early work with Pentatonix, and the making of some of his viral videos featuring award-winning groups like Pentatonix, Forte, the Tufts Beelzebubs, & more. /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/9000548

Episode 4 - Lisa Forkish Fights for Inclusivity 02/28/2019

Episode 4 - Lisa Forkish Fights for Inclusivity Renowned arranger, director, & activist Lisa Forkish sits down with Deke and Dietz to talk about inclusion in the a cappella community. Lisa draws upon her experiences in Divisi (the group that inspired Pitch Perfect), her annual festival WeSing, & her passion for music to help explore the question: why aren’t there more women in a cappella? /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/8817560

Episode 3 - 80Fitz Marches to His Own Beat 02/14/2019

Episode 3 - 80Fitz Marches to His Own Beat 80Fitz joins Deke and Dietz to talk all things beatboxing. He shares his thoughts and criticisms of the beatboxing world, discusses finding success in the era of Internet video, and explores his journey from Andrew Fitzpatrick to the persona of 80Fitz, and what it would mean for his career to retire that persona. /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/8628257

Episode 2 - The Kinsey Sicks Won't Skirt the Issues 01/31/2019

Episode 2 - The Kinsey Sicks Won't Skirt the Issues Hosts Deke Sharon & Rob Dietz sit down with two members of The Kinsey Sicks, "America's Favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet." Group members Jeff & Nathan, AKA Trixie & Winnie, talk through the group's socially-minded 25 year history, and discuss ways in which the a cappella community can continue to be more creative, authentic, and open-minded! /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/8452259

Episode 101 ("A Cappella for Dummies") 01/24/2019

Episode 101 ("A Cappella for Dummies") In this special edition of Counterpoint, Deke and Dietz take a giant step back to the dawn of a cappella music, answering questions about how the industry got its start, how it’s evolved over the years, why groups look and sound the way they do, and so much more! If you’re a newbie just getting your start in the world of vocal music, or a seasoned oldie looking to brush up on the basics, tune into this episode to get your fix! /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/8302385

Episode 1 - Kevin Olusola Finds The Joy 01/10/2019

Episode 1 - Kevin Olusola Finds The Joy Deke Sharon and Rob Dietz sit down with Kevin “K.O.” Olusola of Pentatonix to talk about his unexpected entry into the a cappella world, how a viral video got him on The Sing-Off, and the importance of joy in vocal music. /episode/index/show/counterptpod/id/8200829

Counterpoint with Deke and Dietz

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