Analysis Essentials Series: Pentatonix | "The Sound of Silence"

Tim Welch is a Voice Teacher, Performer, and Music Producer who has worked with performers from broadway stars to Grammy winning artists. Over the course of Tim's 20 year private vocal instruction career, he has taught at least 20,000 voice lessons in virtually every style of singing. Tim received his master of music degree in vocal performance from the University of Illinois. Shortly after receiving his degree, he worked professionally in opera and musical theatre both in the United States and abroad. Even though Tim has extensively studied classical voice, his experience is far from limited to the classical music world. Each week Tim works with: Singer/Songwriters, Electronic Musicians, Hip Hop/R&B performers, Church Musicians and Jazz singers wearing the hat of vocal instructor, music producer or musical mentor. Tim is also a critically acclaimed performer, who is constantly honing his skills in singing Musical Theatre, Jazz, Classical and Contemporary Styles. He also actively pursues songwriting and composition. During the summer of 2012 Tim started Sojourn Society an 80's inspired electropop band here in NYC. In addition to "Sojourn Society" Tim launched a solo indie dance project in January 2015 called Volf Yunge which recently had tracks signed to Australian record label Hi-Tech Records.

Rachel Hardy is a Canadian composer, vocalist, and cover artist. As a composer, she recently co-composed the soundtrack for Clockwork Labs’ MMORPG BitCraft Online alongside Grammy-nominated and two-time BAFTA-winning composer Austin Wintory. She also worked as a music supervisor for Hidden Path Entertainment on the development of an unannounced AAA Dungeons & Dragons RPG.   She has lent vocals to a number of video games such as Eternal Strands, Absolum, and Last Epoch, and has amassed a dedicated audience on YouTube, where she creates covers of songs from video games, film, and television franchises. Please welcome Rachel Hardy.

Andi Deris is singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known through his work with German power metal band, Helloween. Helloween is formed in 1984 in Hamburg by guitarist Michael Weikath, bassist Markus Grosskopf, drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg, and guitarist/vocalist Kai Hansen. The band’s early Keeper of the Seven Keys albums helped define the European power-metal sound with soaring melodies, dual guitar harmonies, and anthemic choruses. Over time, Helloween navigated personnel changes, stylistic shifts, internal tensions, and even tragedy with the loss of Schwichtenberg, yet they remained one of the most enduring and influential names in metal. In 2016, the group reunited its classic and modern lineups under the banner Pumpkins United, bringing together former vocalists Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen alongside the current members for a world tour and a self-titled album celebrating their decades-long legacy. Andi Deris joined Helloween in 1994, following the departure of Michael Kiske. Before that, he co-founded the melodic metal band Pink Cream 69, earning recognition for his vocal power, range, and songwriting skill. Deris ushered Helloween into a new creative era with albums such as Master of the Rings, The Time of the Oath, Better Than Raw, The Dark Ride, and the modern Pumpkins United projects. His warm yet commanding vocal tone and dynamic stage presence helped stabilize the band through the shifting tides of the metal scene, and his compositional contributions have been central to Helloween’s continued evolution as one of the genre’s defining forces.

Mark Garrett is a professional vocal coach, voice teacher, singer, and songwriter, specializing in harsh vocal techniques, and teaching through his vocal program, Kardavox Academy. Mark has spent 15 years as a metal vocalist, fronting Kardashev on Metal Blade Records, releasing eight studio projects, and performing internationally. His methods for teaching blend real-world experience with vocal science, and has earned him a place as a research subject in a study on extreme vocals carried out by The Charismatic Voice and The University of Utah. Mark has helped thousands of singers remove strain and find their own sound. Please welcome Mark Garrett.

David Kahn is a bass singer, songwriter, and traveling musician, known widely throughout the bass and gospel communities for performing numerous double low Cs in live performance with The Stamps Quartet. David initially rose to notoriety through YouTube, where he showcased his unique vocal range, demonstrating down to F#1 in subharmonics all the way through tenor high C (C5) in chest voice. In addition to touring with The Stamps (and performing JD Sumner's double low Cs night after night), David has been independently touring internationally with his own music. He is connected with many of the great basses of this modern generation, including Bobby Bass, Big Brev, and numerous others from the professional acapella community. Please welcome David Kahn. 

Logan Alexandra is a professional singer, songwriter, and social media sensation, best known for her viral choir memes. She has over 650,000 subscribers on YouTube, and an entire discography of original music with accompanying music videos. Logan and Peter are both in the YouTube Creator Collective program in Arizona, along with creatives like Elizabeth Zharoff, Kardovox Academy, Pink Shirt Girl, Demibaby, and many more. Please welcome Logan Alexandra.

Join Bass Singer Academy! https://basssingeracademy.com/ American bass-baritone and social media influencer, Daniel Brevik, is praised for having "a massive, focused, rich, warm timbre." Boasting an impressive following of over 500,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and 488,000 followers on TikTok. Brevik's singing and teaching channel extends even further, with a staggering 930,000 followers on Instagram with over 60 million views which have amassed over 15 years of total stream time, effectively captivating audiences on a global scale. A recipient of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis‘ Richard Gaddes Career Grant, and the Wendy Shattuck Presidential Scholarship from the New England Conservatory, Brevik was hailed by The Washington Post for having “an impressive, sonorous voice" while Opera Today claimed he could "rattle the rafters one moment and be lullingly conversational the next." Brevik was featured on the cover of Opera News for creating the role of Ernest Hemingway in the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's Twenty-Seven. The album recorded with the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra is available on all major music platforms. Brevik later reprised his role with the orchestra of St. Luke’s in his New York debut at City Center Theatre, and then again at Intermountain Opera in Bozeman, Montana. Notable venues Brevik has performed in include Boston’s Symphony Hall, St. Louis’ Powell Hall, Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Civic Opera House, Amarillo Texas’ Globe-News Center, Venice Italy’s St. Marks Cathedral, and the Vietnam Opera and ballet in Hanoi Vietnam. In a recent collaboration with Bobby Bass, their cover of “Hoist The Colours” garnered over 13 billion streams on TikTok, 12 million streams on Spotify, and 7 million views on YouTube. In 2022, Brevik was showcased on stage in concert with Pentatonix legend Avi Kaplan in Boston, MA. Brev opened for Dustin Lynch in winter of 2024 to help fundraise for St. Jude's Children's Hospital for iHeart Radio's Unwrapped and Unplugged fundraiser. He looks forward to performing alongside his good friend Tim Foust at his “9th quasi annual birthday” bash at City Winery in Nashville this July. As a teacher and vocal coach, he's guided vocalists of all ages in multiple styles to free up their voice and hone their unique instrument for over ten years. In 2024, Brev was one of three selected to judge at the VanderLaan competition through Opera Grand Rapids. Brev co-runs a world-wide online vocal studio, StudioBrev, with his lovely and musical wife and vocal coach: Jen. Outside of singing, Brev loves weight lifting and spending time training his golden retriever, Wyatt.

Johanna Kurkela is the lead singer of progressive folk group, Auri. If you open heart and ear to the mesmerizing, hauntingly beautiful soundscapes of AURI, you might find a beacon of light inside a sonic realm untouched by today’s often scary, grim realities; a dreamscape that can be profoundly uplifting. On their third studio album, III - Candles & Beginnings' the stars have aligned yet again. Propelled by the unique and celestial voice of Johanna Kurkela, the magical textures of Nightwish mastermind Tuomas Holopainen and the almost unlimited musical palette of Nigtwish multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley, Auri have presented a world to be unlocked with the senses, blending folk, progressive and symphonic elements, world music, pop and avantgarde.     Right after completing Nightwish’s 2024 monument Yesterwynde, the songwriting for the third chapter in Auri’s musical adventures started in 2023, with Troy writing in Yorkshire and Tuomas and Johanna working their creative magic in Kitee, Finland. By Autumn 2024, a 10-song demo was complete, setting the stage for what would become another breathtaking Auri journey. The band and their trusted engineer Tero "Teecee" Kinnunen took the mixing process to sunny Spain, letting the Andalucian vibes infuse the music whereas in March 2025 mastering was wrapped up by Tim Oliver at the legendary Real World Studios - a ground-breaking recording complex started by Peter Gabriel in 1989. The album is a tapestry of emotions - each song a world of its own, touching on childhood memories, vivid life experiences, and even a nod to one of the group’s most beloved places on Earth - The Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge, a historic spot nestled in the North York Moors and one of the most remote pubs you will ever find. Visually, the cover artwork by Pete Voutilainen, layout and watercolors by Mikko Pankasalo plus calligraphy by Johanna Kurkela provide wonderful illustrations perfectly capturing Auri’s unique musical visions. With guest musicians like Frank Van Essen (strings), Jonas Pap (cello), Juho Kanervo (basses), and the incredible drumming and percussion courtesy of Nightwish’s Kai Hahto, Auri III - Candles & Beginnings is as lush as it is atmospheric and provides astonishing dynamics. Having been a studio endeavour in the past, Auri is finally going on tour with their first-ever live European trek kicking off in August 2025, followed by summer festivals in 2026, allowing you to hear, see and feel songs from their previous two albums, as well as brand new pieces from III - Candles & Beginnings (such as the atmospheric new video's ‘Shieldmaiden’ and ‘Museum Of Childhood’). Its been a long time coming, but coming it is...

Lucie Burns is an Industry Leading Performance Coach, Speaker, and bestselling Author of "The Art of Live Performance Unlocked". She is the Founder of Stage Ready Artists and Host of The Singing Buddha Podcast. She was named 'A performance coach to follow' by LA Weekly, and has been featured on two TV documentaries, showcasing her transformational work with musicians. Lucie believes in creatively nurturing the person behind the performer, working holistically and intuitively, focusing on the connection between mind, body and emotion.   With nearly 30 years in the industry, Lucie’s unique approach makes her a go-to expert for those looking to own the stage and transform their craft. She is also known as the artist, songwriter and music producer Lazy Hammock. She has achieved 4 x #1s, released 11 self-produced albums, and amassed over 25 million streams. Her music has been licensed to TV shows and major labels including Sony BMG, Ministry of Sound, Hed Kandi, and EMI. 

Cesar De La Rosa is a singer, most well-known for being the baritone member of the a cappella group VoicePlay. In his city of Orlando, Florida, he’s recognized as a singer-songwriter and special events producer, with his ten toes in countless shows year-round. In his friends’ circles, Cesar is known as a mystical and deeply silly elf, with a dark sense of humor and an awful sense of style. Finally, in his mother’s eyes, Cesar is just her youngest baby boy—who loves to sing.