Workshops

Confirmed A Cappella Workshops

We have compiled a robust curriculum for this year’s SMACC featuring notable professionals, performers, and researchers. Get excited - there is much to learn!

Track Color Chart

Saturday, April 2nd

Sunday, April 3rd

Click names for bios and headshots.

Confirmed A Cappella Speakers:

• Lo Barreiro (Acalosophy) - I Am Woman, Female Arranging, Experimental
  
  

  Lo Barreiro is a recent Boston transplant from Tallahasse, Florida where she studied voice performance and recreation management at Florida State University. While at FSU, Lo sang with and directed the AcaBelles, FSU's first and only all-female a cappella group. As a member of the group, Lo sang in the 2009 ICCA Finals and on the 'Belles latest CARA nominated album, Just Got Real, for which she received a Best Solo nomination. Since her time with the 'Belles, Lo has become a CASA contributor including a booklet on all-female arranging for CASAcademy, a commissioned arranger, led workshops, panels, and masterclasses at SoJam 2010, and became a team member of The Vocal Company. Lo's latest project is the all-female professional sextet Musae.
• Rachel Bearer (Sonos) - I Am Woman
• Brian Chambers
• Christopher Diaz (MouthOff Show) - Organic Arranging
• Freddie Feldman (Vocomotion) - The Current State of High Tech A Cappella
• Jessica Freedman (Sonos) - I Am Woman
• Christopher Given Harrison (Sonos)
• Mark Hines (The Vocal Company) - Serious Business

Mark caught the a cappella bug in 1998 when he joined the NCSU Grains of Time. During his tenure in the Grains of Time, Mark toured England, Scotland, Chicago, Toronto, Boston, Atlanta, and New York, and led the group to the ICCA finals where he won “Best Arrangement” for Homeward Bound. Since then, he has produced numerous award-winning albums, judged a handful of ICCA events, taken part in the SING series selection process, and has even served as Executive Producer of SoJam (the first to have the title), among other notable achievements. Recently, Mark, along with Nick Lyons, has formed his second production endeavor – The Vocal Company.
• Katharine Hoye (Sonos) - I Am Woman
• Alexander Koutzoukis (Plaid Productions) - Male A Cappella, Experimental
  
  

  Alexander was a computer science major at Tufts University and spent five years in the Beelzebubs, for two of which he was Music Director. He has worked closely with Ed Boyer and Bill Hare to record and produce two award-winning albums (Pandaemonium and Play The Game) and recently joined forces with Alex Green to start Plaid Productions. His arrangement of “All The Love In The World” received a 2010 CARA for Best Male Collegiate Arrangement and he was selected as runner up for Favorite Vocal Percussionist in the 2010 ACAs, just like the Bubs were runners up on The Sing-Off.
• David Longo (Sled Dog Studios) - Live A Cappella
• Ben McLain (Sonos) - Vocal Percussion
• Dave Sperandio (diovoce) - I Make Gold Records
  
  

  Dave Sperandio, or “dio” as he is sometimes called, has been working with a cappella music for 18 years as a performer, producer, and engineer, and his work has appeared on scores of CDs for clients from around the globe.

  Since founding the a cappella production company diovoce in 2000, his clients have appeared on numerous “best-of” compilations, including over 35 appearances on the BOCA, CAMO, Voices Only, and ‘Sing’ series. Dave’s work has received dozens of CARA nods, both as a performer and while “behind the glass."

  Dave is the founder of the Alliance for A Cappella Initiatives, and creator of the SoJam A Cappella Festival, as well as the internationally acclaimed ‘Sing’ vocal compilation.

  Dave has performed with numerous ensembles, directed the UNC Clef Hangers, and has toured the globe and recorded with vocal tonic, transit, and Almost Recess. His work has afforded him the opportunity to work with many talented recording artists, including Ben Folds, Brendan James, and Anoop Desai.

  In 2006 Dave partnered with several fellow producers to form VocalSource, which represents the most comprehensive network of vocal music studios in the world.

  In 2008 Dave merged the AACI with CASA, and is excited to join the CASA Board of Directors as Director of Events, managing SoJam, the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival (LA/AF), and a growing network of CASA festivals and events around the world.

Confirmed Social Media Speakers

• Headliner: Peter Shankman
  
  

  PR Week Magazine has described Peter as “redefining the art of networking”, and Investor’s Business Daily has called him “crazy, but effective”. Peter Shankman is a spectacular example of what happens when you merge the power of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with pure creativity and a dose of adventure, and make it work to your advantage.

  An entrepreneur, author, speaker, and worldwide connector, Peter is recognized worldwide for radically new ways of thinking about Social Media, PR, marketing, advertising, creativity, and customer service.

  Peter is perhaps best known for founding Help A Reporter Out, (HARO) which in under a year has become the de-facto standard for thousands of journalists looking for sources on deadline, offering them more than 125,000 sources around the world looking to be quoted in the media. HARO is currently the largest free source repository in the world, sending out over 1,200 queries from worldwide media each week. HARO’s tagline, “Everyone is an Expert at Something”, proves over and over again to be true, as thousands of new members join at helpareporter.com each week.

  In addition to HARO, Peter is the founder and CEO of The Geek Factory, Inc., a boutique Marketing and PR Strategy firm located in New York City, with clients worldwide. His blog, which he launched as a website in 1995 at http://shankman.com, both comments on and generates news and conversation.

  Peter’s PR and Social Media clients have included the Snapple Beverage Group, NASA, Sprint, Haworth, The US Department of Defense, Walt Disney World, Abercrombie and Kent, The Ad Council, American Express, Discovery Networks, New Frontier Media, Napster, Juno, Dream Catcher Destinations Club, Harrah’s Hotels, and many others.

  Peter is the author of Can We Do That?! Outrageous PR Stunts That Work and Why Your Company Needs Them (Wiley and Sons 2006) and a frequent keynote speaker and workshop presenter at conferences, and tradeshows worldwide, including The Affiliate Summit, South By Southwest, The Public Relations Society of America, The International Association of Business Communicators, CTIA, CTAM, CES, PMA, OMMA, Mobile Marketing Asia, and the Direct Marketing Association. Peter’s second book, Customer Service: New Rules for a Social-Enabled World (Que Biz-Tech 2010) comes out in the fall of 2010.

  Peter sits on the advisory boards of several companies, including ScotteVest, and TrustCloud, and is honored to sit on the NASA Civilian Advisory Council, as well. He was appointed to that position by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.

  A marketing pundit for several national and international news channels, including Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC, Peter is frequently quoted in major media and trade publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Daily News, The Associated Press, Reuters, CNN, FOX News, and USA Today.
  Peter does some of his best thinking in molecule chambers.

  Peter does some of his best thinking in molecule chambers.

  A proud Boston University graduate, Peter started his career in Vienna, VA, with America Online as a Senior News Editor, helping found the AOL Newsroom and spearheading coverage of the Democratic and Republican 1996 conventions, which marked the first time an online news service covered any major political event.

  Born and raised in New York City, Peter still lives there with his two psychotic cats, Karma and NASA, who consistently deny his repeated requests to relinquish the couch. In the few hours of spare time Peter has per month, he’s a frequent runner, with 13 completed marathons, seven Olympic distance triathlons, two half-Ironman triathlons, and one full Ironman Triathlon to his credit, as well as a “B” licensed skydiver with over 220 jumps.

• Sean Branagan
Sean Branagan is a serial entrepreneur, technology marketer, consultant, educator and speaker
on marketing, online and digital media and technology startups.

Sean is Director of the Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship at the Newhouse School at
Syracuse University. He is also CEO and eVangelist of Digital Vertical Marketing, a search and
social media marketing firm serving companies in key vertical industries; founder and president
of Communigration, Inc, a technology marketing firm working with companies worldwide; and
General Partner of C3 Strategic, LLC, a management consulting and venture firm for early-
stage tech companies.

Sean is a recognized expert in interactive marketing, primarily with technology and business-
to-business companies. A graduate of the Newhouse School of Public Communications at
Syracuse University, Sean’s experience with the Internet and World Wide Web began in
1993 at a national super computing center. Since then, he has engaged in online strategy
and interactive marketing for all kinds of organizations, including Bulova Watches, ClearBlue
Technologies, Cutco Cutlery, The DuPont Registry, Global Marine Systems, Ltd., Indium
Corporation of America, Lighthouse International, NaviSite, New Era Cap Company, Rack
Room Shoes, Syracuse University, Time-Warner/Road Runner, Welch-Allyn, Wilton-Armetale,
UTC/Carrier and Zogby International.

Sean has served as Senior Director of Marketing for a $125 million Internet services company in
Boston’s Route 128 technology sector, head of e-commerce strategy and interactive marketing

for a New York City public company, and corporate communications manager for a public
traded distribution company. For five years, Sean taught a graduate-level course in interactive
marketing and advertising at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, and today teaches
courses in Interactive Marketing and Electronic Retailing and a new course: “What’s the big
idea” at Syracuse University. He is also Entrepreneur in Residence at the Syracuse Technology
Garden, helping start-up and early stage technology companies in the Greater Syracuse area
and serves on various boards and community groups in his hometown of Syracuse, NY.

Sean has presented at seminars, conferences and trade shows in across the country, including
Internet World in San Jose, CA.

• Adam Britten
  
  

  Adam Britten is a senior studying Marketing Management at Syracuse. He works as a social media strategist for Syracuse, as one of four students that run @SyracuseU, the official Twitter of the university. He is attending Hult International Business School in London next year in pursuit of a Master of Digital Marketing. He has written guest blog posts for several organizations, including USA Today. He blogs, tweets and pokes like a pro.
• Shannon Bowen
Dr. Shannon A. Bowen is Associate Professor in the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications,
Syracuse University. Bowen specializes in communication ethics, strategic communication management,
issues management, dominant coalition decisions, public relations theory, social media and digital
engagement, and the intersection of organizational culture with ethics.

Bowen’s Ph.D. (2000) is from the University of Maryland in communication (with the Grunigs) and
business management (marketing). Her dissertation on the pharmaceutical industry, “A theory of ethical issues
management: Contributions of Kantian deontology to public relations’ ethics and decision making,” won the International
Communication Association’s (ICA) Public Relations Division Outstanding Dissertation Award for 2000-
2002. Her MA specializing in Corporate Crisis Management (automotive industry) is from the University
of South Carolina, and her BA is from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in both Journalism
(advertising) and Sociology (quantitative methodology).

Bowen is the 2010-2011 Chair of the Media Ethics Division of AEJMC, sits on the Board of Directors of
the non-profit International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC), serves several journal editorial
boards, and is a Contributing Editor of Media Ethics. Bowen is a member of the Commission on Measurement
and Evaluation, and is Chair of the Task Force on Ethics and Standards in Research in Measurement for the
Commission.

As a quantitative research analyst for the polling firm American Viewpoint, Bowen designed research
and strategy for clients including Philip Morris, Dow Corning, Monsanto, The Century Council, for two
presidential campaigns competing in the 1996 election, and for numerous gubernatorial, congressional,
and senatorial candidates, as well as crisis-intensive corporations. She was responsible for client data from
conception through completion, including instrument design, overseeing phone houses for c.a.t.i. data
collection and the “People Meter” system, analyses of statistics, and the writing and presentations of strategic
reports. Later in her research firm years, Bowen also assumed responsibility for qualitative data collection and
focus group moderation across the U.S., as well as work on bi-partisan and pro-bono initiatives, such as the
World Wildlife Fund and the Cancer Research Foundation of America. She also served as a consultant analyst
to Lake Sosin Snell and Perry Research on political candidates, the Children’s Defense Fund, and grocery
stores. Prior to her years as a research analyst, she worked on Capitol Hill as a public relations specialist
for Congressman Floyd D. Spence, (R-SC) Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on
National Security. Her professional research background helped her earn the ability to conduct participant
observation research in the two of the world’s leading pharmaceutical firms as part of her doctoral study in
ethics and issues management.

Bowen is now Joint Editor of Ethical Space: The International Journal of Communicaiton Ethics. Bowen has also
won numerous top faculty paper awards, and published research in Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Public
Relations Research, Journal of Public Affairs, Public Relations Review, Journal of Applied Communication Research, Journal
of Communication Management, International Journal of Strategic Communication, Ethical Space, P.R. Journal, and so on.
She served as an editorial advisor to the Sage Encyclopedia of Public Relations, and wrote numerous entries for
the two-volume set. She was contributing author to the 9th edition of Cutlip, Center, and Broom’s (2005)
Effective Public Relations, and authored the book An Overview of the Public Relations Function, (with Brad Rawlins
and Thomas Martin), and is writing a major textbook on public relations for Pearson Allyn & Bacon. Bowen
has also authored numerous book chapters on topics ranging from teaching public relations, to ethics in
issues management, authenticity, health communication in the SARS outbreak, the ethics inside Enron, John
W. Hill, and the ethics of terrorism reporting by the media.

Bowen was principal investigator on a $30,000 grant from The International Association of Business

Bowen Bio–2

Communicators (IABC) Research Foundation on business communication ethics. A book-length grant report
named “The business of truth: A guide to ethical communication” (2006) and a several journal articles and professional
(trade press) articles stemming from this research have also been published.

Bowen also reaches out to the professional community. She has lectured on communication ethics in
Germany, Hong Kong, Beijing, the UK, and domestically. She has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal,
Business Week, The Howard Eskin Sports Show, The Fred Thompson Show, and many other television, newspaper,
radio, and online sources. In her consulting work, Dr. Bowen conducts ethical analyses and ethics training for
organizations, executives, and public relations professionals.

Bowen’s research in the last few years focused on the social media and the ethical implications of how it
is employed in marketing, advertising, and public relations. A book proposal on the social media is under
way and professional communicators are the target audience of the book. Bowen has twice attended the
invitation-only Edelman Digital New Media Academic Summit. At the 2010 NMAS, Bowen facilitated a
focus group of educators for Edelman Digital on teaching social media, and helped them to develop teaching
guidelines for the NMAS website. Further, Bowen helped design (and supply real clients for) the first Social
Media course in the Public Relations Department at the Newhouse School. A social media component is a
required and graded portion of all of the courses Bowen teaches.

Bowen is speaking on digital engagement at the Syracuse University “Social Media and A Cappella” Conference,
along with Peter Shankman of HARO, on April 1, 2011. She has a forthcoming article on social media in
a high-impact-rating AEJMC journal, in additional to professionally-oriented publications discussing social
media. She is also involved in a project with Cision North America (http://us.cision.com/) to explore how
journalists use social media, how social networking sites change their generation of news, and how they can
better respond to the fragmented news and public relations landscapes. That research will result in both
academic and professional publications on social media.

Bowen enjoys Tweeting, following the political impact of digital empowerment, and providing media
commentary. She regularly offers analysis for reporters and especially enjoys television and radio appearances.

• Bernard P. Brooks
• Dan Klamm

Dan Klamm is the Outreach & Marketing Coordinator at Syracuse University Career Services. In this role, he is in charge of building awareness of career events and services among campus and external populations. This includes managing the Career Services department’s website, social media presence, marketing campaigns, news communications and publications, as well as developing relationships with media outlets and other stakeholders. In addition to his work at Syracuse University, Dan contributes articles to The Post-Standard and Mashable on the subjects of career development, social media, and university engagement strategies. Dan received his bachelors degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University in 2008.
• Harrison Kratz
  
  

  Harrison Kratz is an emerging PR entrepreneur from Philadelphia. A sophomore at Temple University.

  Harrison started his entrepreneurial ventures with the founding of Kratz PR & Management, a Philadelphia based Gen Y Social Media Consulting firm. Having worked with over 15 clients in the past year, the company has grown greatly since its inception and well beyond the limits of Philadelphia. Since starting Kratz PR, Harrison has become a blogger for Kidult.com, the host of the #PRStudCast; a social media based podcast for the online PR student community, and the founder/host of Public Relations TV, a new online series dedicated to highlighting the top PR professionals and campaigns.

  In addition to those distinguished ventures, Harrison's biggest accomplishment has been The 2010 Holiday Tweet Drive, a social media driven toy drive that Harrison created from the ground up. The Tweet Drive used social media to organize charity tweet-ups in over 25 cities throughout the country and collected over 2,000 toys for homeless and needy children for the holidays. To build upon the success of the toy drive, The Tweet Drive will be an annual initiative moving forward.

  With all of these projects, Harrison is establishing himself as a determined and influential young entrepreneur in the PR industry that continues to focus on influencing and giving back to the communities around him.

• Kelly Lux

An employee of Syracuse University since 2007, Lux joined the iSchool June 30 as its online community and relationship manager. She will provide guidance and assistance across the iSchool on how best to use online and social media strategies to further evolve our relationships with employers, alumni, development prospects, and potential and current students. Lux also serves on the iSchool’s Communications/Reputation Management Team, which seeks to expand the public’s awareness of the school, creates and delivers content for a variety of print, electronic, and online media, fosters communication among iSchool community members and its audiences, and tracks and reports the effectiveness of these efforts. She is also a key member of the team supporting the University’s campus-wide social media project, which is led by iSchool Assistant Professor of Practice Anthony Rotolo. Lux's new role enables her to build on the skills she developed through engaging with alumni and job-seeking students via social networks as alumni programs coordinator at SU’s Career Services. Prior to that, she served as assistant to the associate vice president of Syracuse University Student Affairs and as community relations coordinator at Anheuser-Busch. She earned a B.S. in psychology and master’s in elementary education from SUNY Oswego.
• Ulf Oesterle


Ph.D., Syracuse University
Ulf Oesterle is an assistant professor in the Bandier Program for Music and the Entertainment Industries. Before arriving at VPA, Oesterle was a visiting professor in the advertising department at SU and adjunct professor in communications at LeMoyne College. Ulf earned his Ph.D. from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at SU in 2007 with a dissertation that focused on creative control in the independent sector of the music industry. His continuing research interests focus on the independent record labels and the use of emerging technology within the music business.

Oesterle is both an academician and practitioner. He owns and operates an independent record label, which he founded in 2003 as a doctoral student, and programs and produces a weekly indie rock radio program for KRock in Syracuse. He has produced live events in Central New York and New York City with notable stages, including the Emerging Artist Stage at the Taste of Syracuse and at the New York State Fair. He is also a former stage manager for the Syracuse Jazz Fest, the largest free jazz festival in the northeast. Prior to starting the label, he spent time working in lifestyle music marketing as the CNY representative for The Street Syndicate and worked in radio as a producer for Citadel Communications and briefly as an account executive at Clear Channel Communications.

Ulf lives in East Syracuse with his wife Lauren and their children Jonas and Helena.

• Greg Rubin
• Gretchen Schroeder
Gretchen Schroeder is public relations master’s student at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. She is a member of the University’s social media team, and tweets on behalf of Syracuse’s Twitter account (@SyracuseU). She has also helped local businesses integrate social media into their communication strategy. Schroeder graduated cum laude from Cornell University in 2010 with a B.S. in communication. In her free time, she enjoys cheering on the St. Louis Cardinals, spending time with friends and family, and playing with her dog, Mocha.
• Darren Sanefski
DMS Design Studio's founder, has an extensive news design, consulting, teaching and marketing background. He received his Bachelor's degree from Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts with a degree in Visual Communication and has recently completed his Master's degree in Multimedia and Interactive Design at SUNY Oswego.
Darren is an Assistant Professor at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and teaches graduate and undergraduate students print and multimedia information design and designing interactivity.
He runs DMS Design Studio, which is a marketing and graphic design business, where Darren designs for local and national companies on a variety of projects. His current and past clients include, Boeing, Pacificare, Syracuse University, LeMoyne College, the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce and Perimetek Pest Management. Darren has won numerous national and international awards for his images and designs.
• Nick Shin
Nick Shin is an online marketing strategist specializing in social media, SEO, paid search, and website analytics. He currently works at Marketwire in Los Angeles as a Search Engine Marketing and Social Media Specialist. Prior to Marketwire, he was a Marketing Analyst at Sears Holdings Corporation in Hoffman Estates, IL. In addition to his work, Nick contributes articles to the Social Media Examiner. Founder of the weekly Twitter chat #smmeasure on Thursdays covering social media measurement and analytics, Nick also runs a blog on online marketing at marketingshindig.com. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management with an emphasis in Marketing from Purdue University. When he isn’t collaborating or consulting on marketing strategies, you can find him on the tennis court or volunteering for the United States Tennis Association. He can be reached at marketingshindig@gmail.com or on Twitter @shinng.

Note: All workshops offered on a first come, first served basis and are subject to change without notification.