Dave Bernstein's RARB Bio

Dave Bernstein was the founder of New York University's first male a cappella group Mass Transit back in the golden year of 1997, when people still had to carry CDs (compact discs) around in order to listen to their music in a portable manner and the only way to get most a cappella albums was through mail order or an a cappella catalog. The next year, he transferred to the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, where he joined the Potsdam Pointercounts as the group's first vocal percussionist (and occasional bass). After three semesters as music director (out of five semesters with the group), Dave graduated with a Bachelor's of Music degree in Music Business and started a small recording studio which recorded four a cappella albums and a variety of small projects before going under. After trying a few other unrelated careers (sales/service for Samson Technologies!), Dave went to law school and obtained his J.D in 2006. He currently represents the indigent on criminal and civil appeals at a public defender's office in the New York City suburbs, and writes a blog called "Acatribe" devoted to global contemporary a cappella music. The blog features concert and festival reviews, interviews with assorted a cappella personalities, and occasional analysis of arrangements, a cappella strategy, and other random topics that do not involve music instruments.

Though he has tried to start several post-collegiate a cappella groups, none has lasted beyond the "5" threshold of five songs learned or five months of rehearsals. He still sings bass classically with local groups such as the Collegiate Chorale, the Long Island Masterworks, and Long Island Philharmonic Chorus, and has performed in the past few years at venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts.

Recently, he has taught his young children to simulate percussive syllables with emphasis equal to or greater than that placed on actual linguistic skills, a task which will likely result in the first public school classroom designation of ESL (English as a Second Language)- ACA.

Reviews by Dave Bernstein

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	DeCadence (University of California, Berkeley) - Just in Capes [23 Apr 2013]
	Fermata Town - Hold That Thought [26 Mar 2013]
	Sympathetic Vibrations (Georgia Institute of Technology) - Seriously. [01 Mar 2013]
	Ladies In Red (North Carolina State University) - empoweRED [15 Feb 2013]
	MICappella - MICappella [05 Feb 2013]
	Chi Rho (Wake Forest University) - in reach [29 Jan 2013]
	Juxtaposition (Virginia Polytechnic Institute) - Young at Eight [25 Jan 2013]
	Bathtub Dogs (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) - Yao Lissen [22 Jan 2013]
	Unsung Heroes - Radioactive [18 Jan 2013]
	Simply Put - Simply Put [11 Jan 2013]
	Face - I Hear the Bells [24 Dec 2012]
	June Caravel - The A Cappella Sessions [27 Nov 2012]
	The Cocktails (University of South Carolina) - Another Round [13 Nov 2012]
	Treblemakers (Northwestern University) - Definition [18 Sep 2012]
	The Blue Notes (Wellesley College) - Ear Candy [11 Sep 2012]

15 total reviews