Squad Harmonix
All-kids a cappella training program for dedicated singers
What is
Squad HARMONIX?
Squad Harmonix is the first-ever year-round a cappella training program for dedicated, exceptional singers and beatboxers aged 7 - 18. It was designed to give dedicated contemporary singers the highest quality education in singing and beatboxing and a true vocal team to train and develop with over several years. The higher up the squads you go, the more difficult the training, the more advanced the songs, and the more exposure, live performance opportunities, and recording experiences you are entitled to. This program requires dedication and serious commitment not only from our students but also from our parents.
Student commitment:
Students are expected to
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be self-starters.
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to hold themselves accountable for their own progress and success
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to be on top of their homework,
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to know what is expected of them after every class,
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to arrive to every rehearsal fully prepared,
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to read all communication sent to them
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to be diligent in finding out information they have missed,
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to be a team player
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to prioritize the team.
Parent commitment: To be successful at this level requires parent commitment as well as student.
Parents must agree to :
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allowing time in their child's schedule to practice at home 3-5 times a week (depending on the level of Squad they are in)
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to prioritize rehearsals and performances
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to stay on top of all communication and respond when required
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to be organized and stick to the schedule
Students who have completed the program have received full-ride scholarships to music colleges and have been accepted into impressive academic college programs (see our recent alumni here). Further to this, students have been booked for multiple professional vocal and acting industry jobs as we can guarantee professionalism, dedication, and a high level of skill. They are ultimately a dream to work with and learn to perfect a performance quickly and efficiently.
The program is so intense and rigorous that students graduate not only with a guaranteed ability in vocal performance and sight reading, but with a profound sense of confidence, work ethic, and accountability—not to mention—the skills necessary to handle and entertain a crowd. Our constant devotion to improving stage presence and team mentality translates incredibly well to the workforce and forms excellent character traits that help in all aspects of life.
WHAT ARE 'SQUADS'?
There are four 'squads' that students can train in that range in difficulty and commitment requirements; Pop Squad, Junior Squad, Senior Squad, and Varsity Squad with the Varsity Squad being considered our professional-level group who are featured and promoted on our official Squad Harmonix artist website HERE as well as our Youtube page HERE (over 1 million views). Although it may seem that groups are split up into ages it is fact ability and maturity. If you can handle to workload and expectations we do not hold you back but for those wanting to be in the top Squad you need to commit fully to the training or you will fall behind dramatically.
Students are vigorously trained in harmony, blending, teamwork, accountability, mic technique, and dance choreography and perform over 20 shows year-round as well as get the chance to participate in incredible performance trips to both Scotland and New York each year.
Each squad is split up by a unique and strict curriculum created by our Director that requires each student to pass before being moved up. The curriculum includes music theory, stage performance, vocal technique, harmony ability, sight reading, and character assessment.
If you LOVE to sing (or beatbox) and want a true team to belong to where egos are left at the door and all that is left is personal development and accountability then you have come to the right place.
VARSITY SQUAD
SENIOR SQUAD
Junior SQUAD
What is
a cappella?
A cappella is the art of singing with no backing tracks. Different to choir, where there are normally 30+ students sharing a 4-6-part harmony song, in a cappella students are expected to be able to hold their harmony on their own, on an individual microphone, while dancing, blending, staying in pitch and ensuring they are listening to their team (squad) who will be singing a completely different harmony. If you do not know your harmony perfectly then the entire song is ruined and thus the team is let down. If you have never studied singing please take our word that this is EXTREMELY ADVANCED.
This technique is so advanced in fact that it is generally not taught to students until they reach their last years in high school or even college because teachers don't expect students to be able to handle it.
However! We have created a unique curriculum that has proven to work wonders in developing young voices and for those that are looking for that extra challenge the the results? Outstanding. So much so that our students who have gone through the entire program have won multiple state and national awards, been invited to feature at Carnegie Hall, have performed live on TV at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and continue to get booked for multiple shows throughout the year as a group with our top group, Varsity being paid to perform.
Take note. This isn't karaoke. This is for the die-hard singing or beatboxing student who is willing to commit to dedicated practice each week. Talent is not something we are born with, it is a result of hours and hours of dedicated practice and live performing.
Pop SQUAD
HOW was SQUAD HARMONIX born?
Our director, Laura Saggers who started LJMA in 2014 was delighted that so many of her young voice students were achieving lead roles in all the school and local musical theater programs her students would audition for. However, finding that this wasn't very much of a challenge anymore she then started to look around for a more advanced program to suggest to them and found that there was nothing. Choir doesn't feature many soloists, nor is it particularly challenging to the advanced singer who wants to advance their solo voice. Considering that Los Angeles is the heart of the music biz and having spent the first 10 years of her music career as a performing musician and artist she was disappointed that there was absolutely nothing at an advanced level for kids who want to improve their voice and overall vocal ability.
With a huge passion for community and children's mental health, Laura wanted to create a sports team environment for singers where her students would have to train weekly with their team to ensure improvement. Where everyone is held accountable for learning their harmonies and can no longer get away with letting others do the work for them. Where solos are a privilege for those who have dedicated themselves to the group. Where students would get more live performances offered than any other program in Los Angeles and would guarantee advancement in ability if they dedicate themselves to the program. She wanted a vocal team where the students could feel valued and proud, where they could grow and perform at professional levels, learn to lovingly support each other, and all while managing to stay clear away from the toxic me me me mentality that runs rampant in the city of Los Angeles and music biz.
A cappella requires all of the above. Those who turn up with a strong solo voice but have never worked in a cappella before are floored at how hard the technique is but it works. For those who start at the beginning (Pop Squad), it is an incredible way to start learning to sing. As you go up the levels you will be required to take private lessons in order to advance your own personal voice (either with LJMA or privately)
How does it work?
Squad Harmonix is split up into 4 different training levels. Each Squad increases in difficulty as well as the performances they are eligible for.
All Squads require students to audition in order to be accepted and as students progress through the levels, the work demand increases as do the performances and opportunities that are offered to them. To advance to different squads students must pass the required criteria for singing/beatboxing music theory, and sight reading.
Pop Squad
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Vocalists:
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Must be able to match pitch, sing in chest voice comfortably and be able to repeat simple rhythms via clapping
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Beatboxers -
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must have taken and passed our 8-week beatboxing beginner class or attended our vocal intensive summer camp as a beatboxer to learn the basics.
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Suggested ages: 7 - 16 (groups are split up)
Junior Squad
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Vocalists:
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1 - 2 years of vocal training in choir OR private lessons.
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Should be comfortable holding their harmony alone in a three-part harmony song.
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Beatboxers:
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Must have taken our Beatboxing Basics class, understand and be able to manipulate the five main beatboxing sounds, and be able to hold a consistent beat for 3 minutes without deterring from the tempo.
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Suggested ages 9 - 14
Senior Squad
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Vocalists:
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Suggested - 2 - 4 years of vocal training in a choir as well as private voice lessons with an in-depth understanding of breath control, dynamics, style, and articulation.
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Must be able to sing in all three voice types - belt, mix, and head with control and understanding.
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Sing while dancing in formation.
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Beatboxing:
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Must be able to recognize, memorize, and set tempos correctly for multiple songs.
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Maintain tempos throughout entire songs with multiple tempo changes.
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Beatbox while dancing in formation.
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Suggested ages 12 - 16
Varsity Squad
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Suggested 4 - 6 years of vocal training in choir AND private lessons.
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Strong sight reading skills
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Suggested ages 15 - 18
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All new members must complete at least one semester at the Senior Squad level before being accepted into the Varsity Squad to prove they can keep up with the schedule and expectations.
Officialy released Albums!
We release two professional albums (EPs) every year (Pop and Holiday) as part of our vocal training. Those in Junior, Senior and Varsity Squad will have the opportunity to record the songs they have been working on in the semester in a professional studio with Squad producer Greg Johnson. Our tracks are then mixed by Ed Boyer (Pentatonix mixer) and released on all streaming platforms (Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, etc)
Music Videos
Check out our official Youtube page with over 10'000 subscribers and over 1 mil views!
Now we are fully restored back from Covid we are excited to announce we are now offering in - person music videos each semester for our Junior, Senior and Varsity Squad members. Squadlings LOVE the process of filming a music video which includes outfits, make up artist, camera crew and a professionally edited music video that is released on our YouTube channel alongside our upcoming EP. Excellent for those that want to build up professional looking portfolio but also great for learning how to act and perform in front of the camera! Music Videos are a firm favorite with our Squadlings.
AUDITION FOR SQUAD
For information regarding auditioning for Squad Harmonix please visit our AUDITION PAGE
For registration please click HERE
Fringe Festival, Scotland, August 2024