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Tonic Sol-fa (a Cappella Group)
Tonic Sol-fa is an a cappella quartet from the Minneapolis–Saint Paul region. With a largely pop-music-oriented repertoire, their CDs have sold over 2,000,000 copies, and the group has toured throughout the US and abroad. History Tonic Sol-fa began at St. John's University in Central Minnesota and includes lead vocalist Shaun Johnson, tenor and vocal percussionist Greg Bannwarth, and bassist Jared Dove. Together the group reached national prominence with appearances on NBC's ''Today Show'' and in ''Newsweek'' magazine. Along the way, they have shared the stage with performers including Jay Leno, Jeff Foxworthy and Lonestar, and were part of Garrison Keillor's 30th anniversary celebration of ''A Prairie Home Companion''. From the group's onset, the members have overseen and operated the business of Tonic Sol-fa, with only a small team of driven supporters acting as managers, lawyers, and publicists, and has increased revenue from a few thousand dollars in their first year ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iowa
Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the east and southeast, Missouri to the south, Nebraska to the west, South Dakota to the northwest, and Minnesota to the north. Iowa is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 26th largest in total area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 31st most populous of the List of states and territories of the United States, 50 U.S. states, with a population of 3.19 million. The state's List of capitals in the United States, capital, List of cities in Iowa, most populous city, and largest List of metropolitan statistical areas, metropolitan area fully located within the state is Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines. A portion of the larger Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area, Omaha, Nebraska, metropolitan area ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Cappella
Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance music, Renaissance polyphony and Baroque (music), Baroque concertato musical styles. In the 19th century, a renewed interest in Renaissance polyphony, coupled with an ignorance of the fact that vocal parts were often doubled by instrumentalists, led to the term coming to mean unaccompanied vocal music. The term is also used, rarely, as a synonym for ''alla breve''. Early history Research suggests that singing and vocables may have been what early humans used to communicate before the invention of language. The earliest piece of sheet music is thought to have originated from times as early as 2000 BC, while the earliest that has survived in its entirety is from the first century AD: a piece from Greece called the Seikilos epi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Minneapolis–Saint Paul
Minneapolis–Saint Paul is a metropolitan area in the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States centered around the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi, Minnesota River, Minnesota, and St. Croix River (Wisconsin–Minnesota), St. Croix rivers in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is commonly known as the Twin Cities after the area's two largest cities, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, Saint Paul. Minneapolis sits mostly on the west side of the Mississippi River on lake-covered terrain. Although most of the city is residential neighborhoods, it has a business-dominated Central, Minneapolis, downtown area with some historic industrial areas, the Mill District, Minneapolis, Mill District and the North Loop, Minneapolis, North Loop area. Saint Paul, which is mostly on the east side of the river, has a smaller business district, many tree-lined neighborhoods, and a large collection of late-Victorian architecture. Both cities, and the surrounding smaller cities, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pop Music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop and Rock'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), , pp. 95–105. During the 1950s and 1960s, pop music encompassed rock and roll and the youth-oriented styles it influenced. ''Rock music, Rock'' and ''pop'' music remained roughly synonymous until the late 1960s, after which ''pop'' became associated with music that was more commercial, wikt:ephemeral, ephemeral, and accessible. Identifying factors of pop music usually include repeated choruses and Hook (music), hooks, short to medium-length songs written in a basic format (often the verse–chorus form, verse–chorus structure), and rhythms or tempos that can be easily danced to. Much of pop music also borrows elements from other styles such as rock, hip hop, urban contemporary, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Portage Daily Register
Portage or portaging ( CA: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ''portage.'' The term comes from French, where means "to carry", as in "portable". In Canada, the term "carrying-place" was sometimes used. Early French explorers in New France and French Louisiana encountered many rapids and cascades. The Native Americans carried their canoes over land to avoid river obstacles. Over time, important portages were sometimes provided with canals with locks, and even portage railways. Primitive portaging generally involves carrying the vessel and its contents across the portage in multiple trips. Small canoes can be portaged by carrying them inverted over one's shoulders and the center strut may be designed in the style of a yoke to facilitate this. Historically, voyageurs often employed tump lines on thei ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shaun Johnson (singer)
Shaun Terrance Johnson is an American vocalist. Johnson is the lead vocalist of the a capella group Tonic Sol-fa, and the lead singer and founder of Shaun Johnson and the Big Band Experience. Early life and education Johnson was raised in St. Joseph, Iowa. As a child, Johnson dreamed of becoming a famous singer, and his interest in music was encouraged by his parents. Johnson, a tenor, graduated from Saint John's University in 1994 with a major in history and political science. While in college, he met fellow student Mark McGowan, and both joined Tonic Sol-fa, an a capella group, in 1995. Johnson chose to join the band rather than attend law school, with law school being a fallback option in case the music career didn't pan out; his family was supportive of the decision. The band's name derived from a method of teaching choral singing used in England in the 1800s. College friends Jared Dove and Greg Bannwarth would later join the group. Career Tonic Sol-fa According to the '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Today (American TV Program)
''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'') is an American breakfast television, morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was the first of its genre on television in the United States, American television and in the world, and after years of broadcasting it is fifth on the list of longest-running American television series. Originally a two-hour program airing weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., it expanded to Sundays in 1987 and Saturdays in 1992. The weekday broadcast expanded to three hours in 2000, and to four hours in 2007 (though over time, the third and fourth hours became distinct entities). ''Today''s dominance was virtually unchallenged by the other networks until the late 1980s, when it was overtaken by American Broadcasting Company, ABC's ''Good Morning America''. ''Today'' retook the Nielsen ratings lead the week of December 11, 1995, and held onto that positi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev Pragad, the president and chief executive officer (CEO), and Johnathan Davis, who sits on the board; each owns 50% of the company. In August 2010, revenue decline prompted Graham Holdings, the Washington Post Company to sell ''Newsweek'' to the audio pioneer Sidney Harman for one US dollar and an assumption of the magazine's liabilities. Later that year, ''Newsweek'' merged with the news and opinion website ''The Daily Beast'', forming The Newsweek Daily Beast Company, later called ''NewsBeast''. ''Newsweek'' was jointly owned by the estate of Harman and the company IAC (company), IAC. ''Newsweek'' continued to experience financial difficulties, leading to the suspension of print publication at the end of 2012. In 2013, IBT Media acquired ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir Leno ( ; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, and writer. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tonight Show'' from 1992 until 2009 when Conan O'Brien took over as host. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, ''The Jay Leno Show'', which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time Zone, ET, also on NBC. O'Brien turned down NBC's offer to have Leno host a half hour monologue show before ''The Tonight Show'' to boost ratings amid reported viewership diminishing, which sparked the 2010 Tonight Show conflict, 2010 ''Tonight Show'' conflict that resulted in Leno's returning to hosting the show on March 1, 2010. He hosted his last episode of his second tenure on February 6, 2014. That year, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. From 2014 to 2022, he hosted ''Jay Leno's Garage,'' and from 2021 to 2023, hosted the revival of ''You Be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jeff Foxworthy
Jeffrey Marshall Foxworthy (born September 6, 1958) is an American comedian, actor, writer, and radio and television host. He is a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, with Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, and formerly Ron White. Known for his "You might be a redneck" one-liners, Foxworthy has released six major-label comedy albums. His first two albums were each certified triple Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. He has written several books based on his redneck jokes, as well as an autobiography entitled ''No Shirt, No Shoes... No Problem!''''From Essex England to the Sunny Southern USA: A Harris Family Journey'', Robert E. Harris, Genealogical Press, 1994, page 870. Foxworthy has also made several ventures into television, starting in the mid-1990s with his own sitcom called ''The Jeff Foxworthy Show''. He has also appeared alongside Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy in several Blue Collar television specials, including '' Blue Collar TV'' for The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lonestar
Lonestar (formerly known as Texassee) is an American country music band from Nashville, Tennessee. The band consists of Drew Womack (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar), Michael Britt (lead guitar, background vocals), Dean Sams (keyboards, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals), and Keech Rainwater (drums). Britt, Sams, and Rainwater co-founded the band in 1992 with original lead vocalist Richie McDonald and bass guitarist John Rich. Rich exited the band in 1998 and went on to join Big Kenny as one-half of the duo Big & Rich. Since his departure, Lonestar has relied alternatingly on session and touring musicians for bass guitar accompaniment. McDonald exited the band in 2007 to record as a solo artist, and was replaced by former McAlyster vocalist Cody Collins before returning in 2011. After McDonald left a second time in 2021 to join the Frontmen, he was replaced by Womack, formerly the lead singer of Sons of the Desert. Lonestar has charted more ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Garrison Keillor
Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (; born August 7, 1942) is an American author, singer, humorist, voice actor, and radio personality. He created the Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) show ''A Prairie Home Companion'' (called ''Garrison Keillor's Radio Show'' in some international syndication), which he hosted from 1974 to 2016. Keillor created the fictional Minnesota town Lake Wobegon, the setting of many of his books, including ''Lake Wobegon Days ''and ''Leaving Home: A Collection of Lake Wobegon Stories''. Other creations include Guy Noir, a detective voiced by Keillor who appeared in ''A Prairie Home Companion'' comic skits. Keillor is also the creator of the five-minute daily radio/podcast program ''The Writer's Almanac'', which pairs poems of his choice with a script about important literary, historical, and scientific events that coincided with that date in history. In November 2017, MPR cut all business ties with Keillor after an allegation of inappropriate behavior with a freel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
