My Lovin': SSAA Choral Octavo

Deke Sharon's arrangement captures the signature smoothness and rhythmic sophistication of the original while remaining genuinely singable for SSAA voicings. The chart preserves what made this song a hit—those lush harmonies and groove-oriented approach—without requiring your singers to operate at a professional R&B session level. It's the rare contemporary arrangement that feels both true to the source material and genuinely rewarding for student choirs to perform.

Silky and controlled. The harmony sits close together, creating that warm, contemporary R&B texture where every voice matters to the overall color. There's an understated confidence to the arrangement; it doesn't oversell itself but rewards careful attention to balance and phrasing.

Strong intermediate to advanced choirs comfortable with contemporary R&B styling and independent part work. This arrangement works well for groups that have nailed basic blend and want to branch into modern commercial music with legitimate pedagogical substance.

• Treat rhythm and precision as equal partners; the groove won't land without clean cutoffs and attacks that match the recorded version's tightness.
• Balance the melodic line against the background texture by having your soprano section think 'lead vocal' while other parts anchor the harmonic foundation.
• Use the recorded accompaniment as a rhythmic reference during early rehearsals, then gradually reduce dependence on it to build your choir's internal clock.
• Shape the softer sections with articulation rather than volume alone; consonants define the texture as much as vowel tone does in this style.

Pair this with other contemporary a cappella selections to build a concert segment that speaks to student interests while maintaining musical credibility. It works equally well as a show closer that leaves audiences on a polished, contemporary note or as a centerpiece for a program exploring modern vocal music.

• Balancing foreground and background parts in contemporary harmonic textures
• Maintaining rhythmic precision and groove independence from a recorded track
• Shaping modern a cappella arranging with focus on blend and vowel consistency
• Applying stylistic interpretation to R&B and contemporary pop idioms