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Side Note

Award-winning Bay Area a cappella since 2014

Vocals only, and a whole lot of joy. Award-winning arrangements for weddings, office parties, festivals and every stage in between.

Book us for your event → ▶ Hear us
Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival honors
2024
National FinalsAudience Favorite · Best Arrangement
2024
Regional1st Place · Audience Favorite · Best Arrangement
2022
National FinalsBest Original Song
2022
Regional1st Place · Audience Favorite · Best Arrangement
2016
RegionalBest Arrangement · 3rd Place
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chapter one

Meet Side Note.

who we are

Twelve years of singing it our way.

Side Note is a contemporary a cappella group from San Francisco. We started in 2014 as a handful of friends who missed singing together, and we've since grown into one of the Bay Area's most decorated groups.

We take the music seriously and ourselves a lot less so. Every arrangement we sing is written by someone in the group, and we rehearse every week to keep the sound tight.

Side Note: Ben, Hahns, Laynee, Richman, Roi and Juan Carlos
12 yrs
singing together since 2014
100+
live performances
90+
songs arranged in-house
11
Harmony Sweepstakes honors
how we sound

Press play. Turn it up.

Three moods from our 2024 National Finals set, plus more of our favorite videos.

Big & stompy

Born This Way

Lady Gaga, full volume.

Tender

Brave

Sara Bareilles, slowed way down.

Soaring

Shine

Emeli Sandé, built to lift the room.

♫On Spotify
▶More videos
what we're known for

Award-winning arrangements.

Mashups and medleys are our specialty. We've set “Uptown Funk” to the Super Mario theme, packed 26 extra songs into the bridge of “2002,” and taken a Christmas medley on a detour into death metal.

We sing everything from blues to EDM, musical theater, jazz and funk, and we love flipping a song's energy on its head.

our current set list
    Past repertoire
      ★ marks our original mashups and medleys.
      Request a custom song
      the people

      Six voices, one group chat.

      By day: an architect, a nurse, a therapist, a consultant, a QA tester and a code enforcement officer. By night: a lot of opinions about key changes.

      Richman Neumann
      Vocal percussion

      Richman Neumann

      Architect by day. 12 years in the group.

      Featured soloCelebration (Kool & the Gang)
      Juan Carlos Martinez
      Tenor

      Juan Carlos Martinez

      Code enforcement officer by day. 11 years in the group.

      Featured soloHappy (Pharrell Williams)
      Ben Cachapero
      Baritone

      Ben Cachapero

      Nurse by day. 5 years in the group.

      Featured soloBrave (Sara Bareilles)
      Roi Matalon
      Tenor

      Roi Matalon

      Consultant by day. 5 years in the group.

      Featured soloFeelin’ Good (Nina Simone)
      Hahns Shin
      Bass

      Hahns Shin

      QA tester by day. 4 years in the group.

      Featured soloYour Man (Josh Turner)
      Laynee Daniels
      Soprano

      Laynee Daniels

      Therapist by day. Our newest voice, 1 year in.

      Featured soloThe Weather (Lawrence)
      2
      chapter two

      Gigs & bookings.

      why book us

      The part of the night people talk about.

      Live a cappella works almost anywhere: a ballroom, a backyard, a festival stage. No band to load in, no stage to build, and a sound you can't get from a playlist.

      🏆

      Award-winning sound

      Eleven Harmony Sweepstakes honors, including three at the National Finals.

      🎼

      Songs made for you

      We arrange in-house, so your first-dance song or company anthem can join the set.

      🔊

      Easy setup

      We sing fully acoustic, plug into your sound, or bring our own gear. Either way, we arrive ready.

      🎈

      We read the room

      Tender for the ceremony, big and loud for the dance floor.

      events we sing at

      Made for your kind of event.

      More than 100 performances, from living rooms to festival stages. A few we still talk about:

      💍
      Weddings

      Their first-date song

      We sang the song a couple listened to on their first date, live for their 100 wedding guests.

      🦌
      Holiday parties

      Caroling next to real reindeer

      We were flown to Los Angeles to carol at a celebrity's holiday party, beside a snow machine and actual reindeer.

      Los Angeles
      🎶
      Festivals & concerts

      A double bill with The House Jacks

      We shared a double feature with The House Jacks at the Mendocino Music Festival.

      Mendocino
      🎄
      Community events

      The Tree Lighting Ceremony

      We sang for the crowd at San Ramon's annual Tree Lighting Ceremony.

      San Ramon
      💐
      Private parties

      Flash-mob engagements

      We've stepped out of the crowd for surprise proposals, and sung at bar mitzvahs and birthday parties.

      Napa
      🚌
      Touring

      Featured artist in Yreka

      We toured to Yreka as a featured cultural artist, bringing live performing arts to a rural community.

      Yreka, CA
      We also sing atCorporate eventsOffice holiday partiesFundraisers & galasBirthdaysAnniversariesStreet fairsSchool eventsSomething else? Ask us →
      good questions

      Booking FAQ.

      Something we didn't cover? Ask in the form below.

      How far in advance should we book?

      We recommend booking at least 6 weeks ahead. Weekends in November and December fill up first.

      How long is a set?

      Anything from a three-song surprise (about 10 minutes) to a full 45-minute set. Longer events can include two sets with a break.

      Do you need a sound system?

      Not always. For smaller rooms we sing fully acoustic. For big spaces or noisy crowds we'll bring or plug into a PA.

      Can you sing a specific song?

      Yes. Pick from our repertoire, or ask for a custom arrangement of something new.

      How much does it cost?

      Most events start around $2,000 plus travel, and nonprofit discounts are available. Pricing depends on set length, travel, whether we need to bring amplification, and custom arrangements.

      Do you travel?

      Yes. We perform all over the Bay Area and have been flown to Los Angeles. Travel costs are included in your quote.

      book side note

      Let's make your event sing.

      Tell us about your event and we'll get back to you with ideas and a quote.

      1
      Tell us about your event

      Fill in the form. Two minutes, no commitment.

      2
      Get options

      We reply with set ideas, a quote and answers.

      3
      We show up and sing

      You enjoy your event. We handle the music.

      Booking us is as easy as do-re-mi!
      What type of event are you planning?

      3
      chapter three

      Auditions!

      we're auditioning for new members

      Your voice could be our next color.

      If you love to sing, want real audiences, and like your rehearsals with a side of laughing, come audition this winter.

      Sopranos Altos Beatboxers
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