#student workshops

[jules-has-notes]

2012 VoicePlay fall tour shenanigans

From September through mid-November of 2012, VoicePlay traversed most of the continental U.S., sharing their music and silliness. But not all of the fun happened in front of live audiences. Fortunately for us, though, the guys captured some of the behind-the-scenes hijinks and highlights, and posted them online. I've collected a bunch of my favorites here.

YouTube videos:

The Van Down By The River (VoicePlay's channel) — putting their signage on the tour van before setting forth

fake apple bite (Eli's channel) — Snacks in the travel cooler may not be what they seem.

before & after Earl eats a 32-oz. steak (Eli's channel) — and reportedly still feels great. Doing various restaurants' eating challenges was clearly A Thing on the road.

kids at a student workshop sing Happy Birthday to Paul the sound guy (Eli's channel, Layne's channel) — a sweet gesture to balance out some of the teasing he endures

Happy Fun Time with Layne and Earl (VoicePlay's channel) — late night supply runs sometimes become ridiculous

Can't take these goobers anywhere when they're overtired.

Video Response to Ino-Ogo School (VoicePlay's channel) — the guys answer fan mail from attendees of a student workshop a month before

The first rule of VoicePlay is: "Not the face!"

Tony is bigger than Elvis (VoicePlay's channel) — but he's not entirely certain how he feels about being a heartthrob to middle schoolers (headphone warning: contains excited tween shrieking)

Intermission (VoicePlay's channel) — Geoff and Layne play a pencil snapping game to amuse themselves backstage

tour van before coffee (Eli's channel) — a fun bit of animation practice from our resident digital effects geek

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Instagram photos:

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Twitter tidbits:

Part of their tour prep involved a trip to Build-A-Bear for fuzzy doppelgangers that they used for an audience participation bit.

Somebody at the Universal Studios "Beetlejuice" show (presumably Kathy) got Geoff and Tony a send-off cake.

Sometimes during student workshops, the guys arrange themselves by height.

And they're good sports during post-show photos. (If you know, you know. If you don't, stay tuned.)

Traveling musicians are sustained by coffee, soda, snack cakes, chain restaurants, and local diners.

One of their East Coast tour dates was postponed because of Hurricane Sandy. :( So they acquired some adult beverages on their way to their next hotel and hunkered down for an unexpected night off.

All told, the tour spanned "11 weeks. 20,000 miles. 62 performances." That sounds both exhausting and incredible.

[international-assignments]

Workshops: Learning Beyond Classrooms in 2026

Imagine a classroom where students don’t just listen-but build, create, and solve real problems. That’s exactly what Workshops bring into modern education. As industries evolve rapidly, students need more than theoretical knowledge. They require hands-on experience, and this is where well-structured workshops for students play a vital role.

Unlike traditional lectures, workshops encourage active participation. Students can collaborate, experiment, and apply concepts in real-time. At Takeoff Edu Group, workshops are designed to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry expectations, helping students gain practical exposure.

The Shift: From Theory to Practical Learning

Education in 2026 focuses more on application than memorization. Workshops support this shift by:

Turning concepts into real-time projects

Encouraging problem-solving and innovation

Making complex topics easier to understand

Building confidence through hands-on practice

This approach ensures students are not just learning—but actually doing.

What Makes Workshops So Powerful?

The strength of Workshops lies in combining multiple skills in one experience:

👉 Technical skills – coding, tools, emerging technologies 👉 Soft skills – communication, teamwork 👉 Analytical thinking – solving real-world problems 👉 Creativity – exploring new ideas

Takeoff Edu Group integrates all these elements into its workshops, ensuring students gain both technical knowledge and practical skills.

What Students Expect from Workshops in 2026

Student expectations have evolved significantly. They now look for:

✔ Real-world project-based learning ✔ Trending technologies like AI, IoT, and Machine Learning ✔ Guidance from experienced mentors ✔ Interactive and engaging sessions ✔ Certifications that add career value ✔ Flexible learning options (online & offline)

Takeoff Edu Group focuses on delivering these outcomes through structured and industry-relevant workshops.

How Takeoff Edu Group Supports Students

Modern workshops for students should go beyond basic teaching—and that’s exactly what Takeoff Edu Group offers.

Key highlights of Takeoff workshops:

Hands-on training with live projects

Industry-relevant curriculum

Expert trainers with practical experience

Support for academic and final-year projects

Career-oriented skill development

These workshops help students gain confidence, improve technical skills, and prepare for real-world challenges.

Conclusion

In today’s competitive world, Workshops are essential for building future-ready skills. They provide practical learning, industry exposure, and career clarity. With the right guidance from platforms like Takeoff Edu Group, workshops for students become a powerful tool for academic and professional success.

[jules-has-notes]

2014 VoicePlay fall travels — school tour, and festivals, and cruising, oh my!

VoicePlay didn't have an extended tour scheduled for the autumn months, but that doesn't mean they were just sitting at home. (They did get some time at home, though, which is a good thing.) Their adventures were simply shorter and more varied.

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RPI homecoming show

As part of Resselaer Polytechnic Institute's homecoming weekend in upstate New York, VoicePlay and pal Emoni Wilkins headlined "An Evening of A Cappella" with the university's student a cappella groups, Duly Noted, Partial Credit, The Rusty Pipes, and the Rensselyrics. Before the show, they were the guests of honor at a meet-and-greet for alumni of the student groups and the RPI glee club.

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Pennsylvania school tour

When VoicePlay performed at APAP in January 2014, they caught a number of eyes, including those of executive director Rob Steele from the Williamsport Community Arts Center in Pennsylvania. He sought out their booth at the convention, and was impressed by their commitment to educational outreach.

So when mid-October rolled around, VoicePlay and Emoni set off for a whirlwind week of workshops at all eight school districts in Lycoming County. They visited two schools per day, culminating with a Friday student matinee and an evening concert at the Williamsport CAC. Since filming the fourth season of The Sing-Off the previous summer and the ensuing tour in the spring had greatly reduced the guys' ability to schedule time with students for nearly a year, they were excited to have some concentrated kid time.

Monday

morning in Muncy, afternoon in Loyalsock

Tuesday

morning in the Jersey Shore School District, afternoon in Montoursville

Wednesday

morning in South Williamsport, afternoon in Hughesville

A local reporter attended the Wednesday morning workshop, and did a very nice write-up for the Williamsport Sun-Gazette.

Thursday

morning in Chester Springs, afternoon in Williamsport

During the final workshop, Layne laid down some beats for a student to dance to.

Friday

all dressed up and ready for showtime

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Bridgeport show

After bidding farewell to Emoni, the guys made a quick jaunt to Bridgeport, CT for one more show — complete with a theater pooch and tiled dressing room — before heading home.

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Home time

After eight days of shows and workshops, flights and van rides, the guys got to enjoy two weeks at home with minimal interruptions. They did pop down to Miami for a charity event (with some very cool decor) that happened to coincide with Earl's birthday. In a belated anniversary celebration, Earl and Nick got tattoos of each other's voice waveforms. And, of course, they had to celebrate Halloween.

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Cruising

At the beginning of November, VoicePlay hit the road — and the skies and the seas — once more. They fit in a quick Caribbean cruise gig before heading back north.

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Kettering National A Cappella Festival

When they got off the ship, the boys jetted up to Dayton, Ohio for one of the biggest student a cappella festivals in the country. After headlining the Friday night concert, they spent Saturday running master class sessions with various high school groups. The Saturday night concert was headlined by Street Corner Symphony, who the guys would soon get to know better on the upcoming 2015 Sing-Off tour.

A member of Marlington High School's Dukes of Harmony documented the weekend in video, including a couple clips and photos of VoicePlay.

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Back and forth

The boys popped home for a few days to do a couple corporate gigs — one of which will get its own post — before returning to Ohio for another weekend of shows and workshops. (Though Geoff did get a little concerned when a TSA officer at the Orlando airport recognized him after so many frequent trips.)

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Wittenberg University show

VoicePlay performed a concert as part of the Wittenberg Series, with collegiate groups Just Eve and Wittmen Crew opening for them. The next day, they held a master class workshop for the students, who then followed them down the road to the next festival.

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Ohio Wesleyan A Cappellooza

The second annual A Cappellooza brought together collegiate vocal groups from across the state. Participants included Denison University, Oberlin College, Wittenberg University, and the University of Akron, in addition to OWU itself. Given that year's theme of Disney music, VoicePlay were a natural fit as professional headliners for the night.

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Celebrating love at home

The guys escaped the frozen north, and capped off November by playing local weddings on the last two weekends before finally taking some time off to spend the holidays with their families.

[jules-has-notes]

2013 VoicePlay spring tour roundup

VoicePlay's spring 2013 tour was shorter than their previous fall tour – just five weeks – and mostly stuck to the southeastern part of the country, but that didn't stop them from packing in the fun. They made up the concert postponed by Hurricane Sandy, visited family and friends along the way, and documented a lot of their downtime on social media. Some of the guys were particularly excited about a new short-form video platform called Vine.

Showtimes:

They started close to home with a student workshop and a concert in Lake City, FL.

Geoff and Eli got up early to chat with the local access morning show folks in Cullman, AL and promote their concert that evening.

Some venues have extensive backstage areas with unexpected benefits.

Some… not so much.

No matter what, though, there's always some waiting involved.

Which can be alleviated by creating your own silliness, or fended off by middle schooler screams (headphone warning).

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On the road:

The boys left a sticker on the giant sparkplug at the South of the Border tourist attraction in South Carolina, as is traditional.

Long drives might get tedious after a few weeks, but the scenery can be very pretty.

The aromas aren't always so nice, though, especially with six guys (and occasionally a dog) in the van. So if you've ever wondered what the VoicePlay fellas smell like, apparently sometimes it's "vanilla and moonlight".

The theater kids of a cappella enjoy a bit of dress-up wherever they can find it, even if that's in the toy department during a supply run on their day off.

Tony's adorable terrier Fletcher went along for the middle leg of the tour to El Paso.

The cuteness didn't stop the guys from getting goofy during the long stretches of driving or late night shopping excursions, though.

No trip through Texas is complete without a stop at a Buc-ee's for provisions. (Which prompted Eli to give a shoutout to former 4:2:Five member Matthew "Bucky" Buckner who's been making cameos recently.)

The boys popped home for a few days just in time to see Rachel Potter in concert (with friend and future VoicePlay collaborator EJ Cardona). Layne and his then-girlfriend got a little tipsy and silly.

Fewer shows on the tour might have been easier on their vocal cords, but it also meant more long stretches in the van between gigs. At least it had a video game setup.

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Feeding the beasts:

○ Earl doing restaurants' eating challenges continued to be A Thing.

Earl hot wing challenge (Layne's YouTube) The "blazin' challenge" at Buffalo Wild Wings (a dozen spicy wings in under 6 minutes) was no problem, even playing injured. He was awarded a t-shirt and the onlookers' respect.

(Eli's Vine) He polished off another 32-ounce steak at a Texas Roadhouse.

(Eli's Vine) A tex-mex plate and beer-rita on Cinco de Mayo was easy peasy. (Followed by much silliness from everyone.)

(VoicePlay's Twitter) He was only defeated by the 72-ounce steak at The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo. He gave it a solid try, though.

○ This one's more of a not-eating-everything-at-once challenge, but when your percussionist's little sister is a professional baker, you've gotta visit and stock up for the road while you're in town.

○ Lunchtime ambience is important, no matter where you are.

○ It's good to acknowledge the fans, no matter how famous you get.

○ And sometimes you just need to share your thoughts with the world, no matter how banal. (That's what social media is for, after all.)

[jules-has-notes]

Titanium — VoicePlay live performance

When VoicePlay goes on tour, they don't just perform concerts. A big part of their travel involves educational outreach, giving student workshops tailored to everyone from elementary school munchkins to competitive collegiate a cappella groups. I think it's great that they do that, especially since their original members started singing together in middle school.

They recorded this audience-view video at one such workshop toward the end of their 2012 fall tour. The raw audio picked up by the camera isn't as good as their studio recordings, and (headphone warning) there's quite a lot of youthful exuberence at the beginning and end. But it's still pretty cool to see the guys sing to a live audience.

(If you'd like a clearer listening experience, VoicePlay also recorded the audio from their microphones, mixed it properly, and uploaded it to their SoundCloud.)

Details:

title: Titanium

original performers: David Guetta, featuring Sia

written by: Sia Furler, David Guetta, Giorgio Tuinfort, and Nick "Afrojack" van de Wall

arranged by: Geoff Castellucci

performance date: 7 November 2012

release date: 8 November 2012

My favorite bits:

those opening harmonies and swells, so pretty

Layne's tasty percussion line, starting simple and increasing in complexity

transitioning between choruses and verses by delaying the word "proof" in the harmony lines and leaving off the final consonant — ♫ "I am bul-let… proo-oo-oo-aah" ♫

the bell chords at the start of the bridge (Seriously, listen to the SoundCloud version.)

Earl's soaring, laser-like high notes in the final chorus

all of the guys attempting to get the audience on the beat at various points by means of emphatic snapping

"Come on, kids. You can find the rhythm. We believe in you."

"Yeah, you. (We appreciate the enthusiasm, though.)"

Trivia:

○ Geoff may have had feline assistance in his arrangement process.

○ This was recorded at Mohave High School's Performing Arts Center in Bullhead City, Arizona.

○ The more polished audio version was released a week later. That's a pretty impressive turnaround for post-production considering that during that time they also:

gave another workshop

performed five concerts in five different cities

drove more than 3200 miles covering about a third of the country — from western Arizona, across southern California, up the coast to north of the Bay Area, then all the way down to southern Texas