Jonathan Sears' RARB bio

My friends call me the j-shiznizzle ... J-Shiz for short. I do a cappella, and a cappella does me. I started down this path of no return when I decided to attend Elizabethtown College and audition for the all-male a cappella group on campus, Phalanx. After four swift years with Phalanx, I ventured out into the real world with a diploma in my hand and a bunch of a cappella syllables in my heart.

I moved to Philadelphia, PA and immediately started a semi-professional group called Scuba Steve. We Scuba Stunk ... and after five short months we parted ways and began to work on other musical projects. During my brief time away from a cappella I did my fair share of song writing and arranging for other groups, eating burritos, flossing my pearly whites, and trying to become a professional Ping-Pong player.

In the fall of 2002, with my a cappella motivation back in full swing, I set out on a quest to start a new vocal band in the Delaware Valley. With the help of five great guys, we have established Lunatic Groove as the premiere vocal band in the Philadelphia Area. The LGroove is excited about the prospects for a successful future, and we'd be thrilled to get an opportunity to sing for all of you. (so book us for gigs .. whaddaya waitin' for?)

So why am I a reviewer for RARB, you ask? Well, that's simple. Three years ago (when they were apparently desperate for reviewers) RARB gave me the opportunity to write reviews for them. At the time, I had four years of collegiate a cappella experience under my belt, a 2000 CARA Nomination for Best Male Arranger, and experience as the lead producer for two of Phalanx's most successful albums. Basically, I was (and still am) an a cappella geek, which made me perfect for the job.

I continue to work for RARB because, well ... it's fun. I get to share my opinions with the a cappella community and in return I get hate e-mail and no pay. What could be funner? (I know it's not a word ... follow the sarcasm) Seriously though, I have met some great people and heard some great a cappella because of RARB. My experience has been nothing but positive and I still look forward to each and every album that comes across my desk. I hope that groups and individuals learn something from what I've said about specific albums, so that they too can get the same enjoyment out of singing/recording/producing a cappella that I have.

God Speed,

Reviews by Jonathan Sears

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	Fifth Element - Welcome To The Show [08 Aug 2004]
	The Buffalo Chips (State University of New York at Buffalo) - Vowel Movements [30 Jul 2004]
	Sixth Wave - It Will Come to You [19 Jul 2004]
	The Bison Chips (Bucknell University) - Appalling and Ridiculous [19 Apr 2004]
	Three 5 and 6 - Urban A Cappella [12 Mar 2004]
	The Magnets - Another Place [10 Mar 2004]
	Academical Village People (University of Virginia) - Scantily Plaid [26 Jan 2004]
	Rhythm & Blue (Duke University) - Adios, Kansas [20 Jan 2004]
	Redefined (University of Wisconsin - Madison) - Redefined [14 Jan 2004]
	Chanteuse - It's A Good Day! [09 Dec 2003]
	Penn Masala (University of Pennsylvania) - Soundcheck [07 Dec 2003]
	Last Call (Cornell University) - Vestosterone [09 Nov 2003]
	Boston College Acoustics (Boston College) - Vintage Denim [15 Oct 2003]
	The Toons (MIT / Wellesley College) - All Jokes Aside [17 Sep 2003]
	Juxtaposition (Virginia Tech) - Homespun [26 Jun 2003]
	The Madison Project - Rock Star [14 Jun 2003]
	The Bostonians (Boston College) - In The Office [05 Jun 2003]
	Harvard Callbacks (Harvard University) - 9 to 5: The Late Sessions [31 Mar 2003]
	The Real Six.Pack - Right About Now [15 Mar 2003]
	Moosebutter - see dee [13 Mar 2003]
	The Harvard Din & Tonics (Harvard University) - The Green Album [05 Mar 2003]
	Various Artists - GASP - gabe's a cappella studio projects [28 Dec 2002]
	Tar Heel Voices (University of North Carolina) - Two Weeks From Today [21 Dec 2002]
	Lumen Valo - Gravity [07 Dec 2002]
	AHQ - Lookin' Up [04 Nov 2002]
	Boston College Dynamics (Boston College) - No Service [26 Sep 2002]
	Kaskeset (Binghamton University) - Made From The Best Jews on Earth [24 Sep 2002]
	Voices In Your Head - On Point [29 Aug 2002]
	Madhatters & Tangled Up In Blue (University of Wisconsin - Madison) - State Street [23 Aug 2002]
	Blind Man's Bluff - BMB [14 Aug 2002]
	The Ambassadors of Harmony - Applause [25 Jun 2002]
	Essence (Tufts University) - At Last [21 Jun 2002]
	Ensemble Amarcord - Hear the Voice [19 Jun 2002]
	Starving Artists (Brandeis University) - Stay for the Party [14 Jun 2002]
	Concordia Choir - Your Heart Shall Rejoice [08 May 2002]
	Four Shadow - Flake [22 Feb 2002]
	Dilemma - Dilemma [16 Feb 2002]
	Academical Village People (University of Virginia) - Room Zero [27 Dec 2001]
	InDEciSIon? - Well -- Maybe! [16 Dec 2001]
	Ball in the House - The Way It Has To Be [24 Nov 2001]
	Five Live - Take Two [28 Sep 2001]
	Academical Village People (University of Virginia) - Gracias, Por Favor! [22 Aug 2001]
	The Toons (MIT / Wellesley College) - Holding Our Own [08 Aug 2001]
	Sixth Wave - Sixth Wave [24 Jul 2001]
	Penn Masala (University of Pennsylvania) - 11 PM [11 Jul 2001]
	The Harvard Din & Tonics (Harvard University) - Freshly Squeezed [27 May 2001]
	Xtension Chords (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) - XAppeal [25 Apr 2001]
	The Magnets - Giving It All That [13 Apr 2001]
	Carol Ponder - Little Journeys: A Cappella Ballads and Folk Songs [26 Mar 2001]
	Off the Beat (University of Pennsylvania) - Tribulation [20 Mar 2001]
	Mary Schmary - Hidden Agenda Items [07 Mar 2001]
	Little Big Men - Little Big Men [27 Feb 2001]
	Harvard Callbacks (Harvard University) - Don't Look Down [22 Feb 2001]
	Various Artists - CARAs 1998 [12 Feb 2001]
	Voice Male - Hooked [29 Jan 2001]
	Various Artists - Urban Harmony - R&B A Cappella [30 Dec 2000]
	Various Artists - CARAs 2000 [30 Dec 2000]
	The Douglas Frank Chorale - The A Cappella Singer [30 Dec 2000]
	Four Shadow - Where Have You Been [30 Dec 2000]
	The Bostonians (Boston College) - Quarter Past Nine [30 Dec 2000]
	The Class Notes (Cornell University) - Break the Silence [24 Dec 2000]
	Off the Beat (University of Pennsylvania) - Animal 57 [24 Dec 2000]
	Off the Beat (University of Pennsylvania) - Patio [20 Dec 2000]
	Joker's Wild - More of the Different [09 Dec 2000]
	Kaskeset (Binghamton University) - Shir Pleasure [07 Dec 2000]
	Yellowjackets (University of Rochester) - Common Time [12 Nov 2000]
	Bear Necessities (Brown University) - Circus People [23 Oct 2000]
	Gregorian Chant Schola of St. Meinrad Archabbey - Gregorian Chant for Advent & Christmas [17 Oct 2000]
	The Persuasions - Frankly A Cappella - The Persuasions Sing Zappa [16 Oct 2000]
	Various Artists - Best of The Harmony Sweepstakes [14 Jul 2000]
	Rock N' Rhythm - Havin' A Party with Rock N' Rhythm [03 Jul 2000]
	Random Association - Random Association [28 May 2000]
	Various Artists - BOCA Humor: Wasting Our Parents Money [13 Apr 2000]

73 total reviews