DEKE SHARON (Vocal Arrangements). Heralded as "The Father of Contemporary A Cappella," (Entertainment Weekly), Deke Sharon is responsible for the current sound of modern a cappella, having created the dense vocal-instrumental sound in college, subsequently spreading it around the world. Deke produces "The Sing-Off" worldwide (USA, Netherlands, China, South Africa) and served as arranger, on-site music director and vocal producer for Universal's Pitch Perfect & Pitch Perfect 2 starring Anna Kendrick & Rebel Wilson. Deke founded the Contemporary A Cappella Society while in college, and is responsible for many seminal a cappella programs. He is also contemporary cappella's most prolific arranger, having arranged over 2,000 songs, with many of them in print worldwide with Hal Leonard/Contemporary A Cappella Publishing. He has written 3 books "Acappella Arranging" (2012), “A Cappella” (2015) and “The Heart of Vocal Harmony” (2016). As the founder, director and arranger for the House Jacks for almost 25 years, the original "Rock Band Without Instruments," Deke shared the stage with countless music legends, including Ray Charles, James Brown, Crosby Stills and Nash, Run DMC, The Temptations, LL Cool J and the Four Tops, and performed for luminaries including President Bill Clinton. He has produced dozens of award winning a cappella albums (including Straight No Chaser, Committed, Nota, Street Corner Symphony and the Tufts Beelzebubs), created a cappella groups for Disneyland and Disneyworld, and frequently tours the world teaching students and professional singers. His voice can be heard in commercials and video games, including "Just Dance Kids 2.” He is one of only 20 honorary members of the Barbershop Harmony Society since 1938, as well as an honorary member of BYU Vocal Point, and received CASA's lifetime achievement award in 2016. You can see him on television on Lifetime’s “Pitch Slapped” (aka “Pitch Battle” in the Philippines, “A Cappella Battle” in Israel, and “Batallas A Capella” across Latin America).        

Ruth Mappes is the Coordinator of Choirs and Performing Arts Department Chair at The Miami Valley School in Dayton, Ohio. In addition, she also serves as the Director of Music Ministries at Southminster Presbyterian Church. She graduated from Wright State University with her bachelors in Vocal Performance and Music Education.  In addition to directing Ars Nova, she directs all the choirs at The Miami Valley School grades 4-12 and teaches music technology and history of pop music.                

Ars Nova is a fresh group from Dayton, Ohio that was created in 2015. Ars Nova is Latin for “New Art”, and as such they are the first a cappella group to emerge at The Miami Valley School, rising up with their colorful spark. They made it to the ICHSA Midwest Semifinals last March and performed at Camp A Cappella in June 2016. In addition to their performance and competition schedule, Ars Nova is also working on their debut album and music video.