HISTORY
It all started with just one tweet…
A Cappella Academy co-founder, Avi Kaplan had a simple idea: to create a summer camp where talented young musicians could come to learn and share his love of vocal music. Seeing the prophetic tweet, Sing-Off arrangers Robert Dietz and Ben Bram immediately reached out to Avi and joined his effort to make the camp a reality.
The plot of land has become a college campus, and the log cabin has become classrooms and dormitories, but the dream remains the same: to build a family, learning and working together to create world class a cappella music.
Founders Rob Dietz, Avi Kaplan, and Ben Bram at their first A Cappella Academy planning meeting in 2012.
2014
Performances: The Filharmonic, m-pact, ARORA, and Pentatonix
Special Guests: Dave Stroud, Kevin Olusola
Activities: Capture the flag, Bonfire at Dockweiler Beach, Talent Show
2015
Performances: APU Chamber Singers, Pentatonix, Julia Easterlin, m-pact
Special Guests: John Henny, Andrew Kesler, Reggie Bowens, Roger Treece
Activities: Campfire, Pitch Perfect 2 screening and Q&A, Lasertag at Laser Island, Talent Show
2016
Performances: Pentatonix, Julia Easterlin, Accent, Level
Special Guests: John Henny, Kevin Olusola, Edie Lehmann-Boddicker
Activities: 4th of July BBQ and movie night, Beach night and taco party, Talent Show
2017
Performances: Pentatonix, Tori Kelly, RESOUND, The Filharmonic
Special Guest: Legacy, Vince Cannady, Matt Bloyd, and Mario Jose
Activities: Perform with Pentatonix at The Hollywood Bowl, 4th of July BBQ, Talent Show
2018
Performances: Avriel & The Sequoias, Women of the World, Groove for Thought, m-pact
Special Guests: KRNFX, Jeffrey Allen
Activities: Beach night + taco party, 4th of July BBQ, Talent Show
2019
Performances: Resolve, Nomadic, RESOUND
Special Guest: Amy Chapman
Activities: Scavenger Hunt, Beach night + taco party, 4th of July BBQ, Talent Show
2020 (online only)
Performances: Spiderhorse, Jacob Collier
Special Guests: Alexander Lloyd Blake, NOVA WAV
Activities: Online Scavenger Hunt, Online Talent Show, Virtual Showcase
2021 (online + cohorts)
Performances: Trousdale, Women of the World
Special Guests: Kaila Mullady, Kenny Urban, Citizen Queen
Activities: In-Person Cohorts, Online Scavenger Hunt, Online Talent Show, Virtual Showcase
2022 (resumed in-person)
Performances: Sheer Element, Trousdale
Activities: Disney Villains Scavenger Hunt, 4th of July BBQ, Beach Night + taco party, Talent Show
2023
Performances: Somebody’s Favorite, Trousdale, Rachel Gonzalez, Tim Reynolds, Julia Gartha, Astyn Turr
Activities: Musical Icons Scavenger Hunt, Mt. Baldy Hike and BBQ, Talent Show