Pitchcraft is an event collective founded by two audio engineers with a shared passion for sound, community, and creative exploration.
Our work centers on immersive music retreats and workshops designed to bring artists, producers, and curious minds together in inspiring environments.
Whether you’re refining your craft or discovering it for the first time, we’re here to help you connect, experiment, and grow.
Angela Ugolini - Co-Leader
Angela Ugolini began her a cappella career at Florida State University, where she directed the award-winning all-female group, AcaBelles, and led the ladies to ICCA Finals at Lincoln Center in 2009 as the South Regional Champions. After graduating, Angela relocated to New York City and studied audio production at SAE Institute of Technology. There, she also sang with, The Red States, and co-founded the all-female group, Empire.
Angela currently lives in Boston MA, where she spends her time singing with Musae, playing with her dogs, and training for marathons. She is also the CEO of the a cappella production company, Aurum Productions. Her vocal production work has been nominated for over 400 Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards and has earned compilation placements on SING, BOCA, BOHSA, and Voices Only. Her vocal editing work was also recently featured on the film “Downsizing” starring Matt Damon.
Mel Daneke - Co-Leader
Mel Daneke is an award-winning, internationally recognized producer, performer, arranger, and educator based out of Austin, TX. As a producer through her company, Viridian Productions, she has produced hundreds of albums, with over 125 nominations and 30 Contemporary A Cappella Awards, including 15 A Cappella Video Awards. Her production and arrangements can be heard on compilations like Sing, BOHSA, BOCA, and Voices Only. She has been a voting member of The Recording Academy since 2022. With degrees in Vocal Performance and Music Technology, she specializes in vocal and electronic production and has served as a featured educator at nationally recognized a cappella festivals and ACDA conferences.
Mel performs with two internationally renowned and award-winning vocal bands. Musae (as a Beatboxer + Live Electronics/Playback) and Six Appeal (as a Vocalist). Mel has performed at Lincoln Center and the Strathmore. She’s traveled extensively, headlining and performing at festivals across Europe, Asia, and North America, at events such as the US Open and the Oscars, sharing the stage with Pentatonix, Jay Leno, Pink Martini, The Swingles, and New York Voices.
Upcoming Events
Pitchcraft Retreat:
Vocal & A Cappella Production
Join us in Austin for three and a half immersive, music-filled days dedicated to the art and craft of vocal production. This retreat is designed for producers who want to sharpen their technical skills, expand their creative instincts, and collaborate within an inspired community of peers.
Hosted by award-winning producers Angela Ugolini and Mel Daneke, the Pitchcraft Collective Retreat blends focused instruction with hands-on experimentation. Think part masterclass, part sonic laboratory, and part creative summer camp — all grounded in practical tools you can immediately bring back to your own productions.
Together, we’ll explore advanced recording techniques, nuanced mixing strategies, editing tips, and the subtle production details that transform a good track into something truly extraordinary.
July 2027
Pitchcraft Virtual Workshop:
A Cappella Live Sound Panel
Join us for an engaging and insightful a cappella live sound panel featuring David Shane and Andris Briga, experienced voices in the world of live sound. This session will dive into the unique challenges and creative opportunities of engineering for a cappella performances.
The instructors will walk through their personal live sound boards, explaining how they structure their mixes, manage balance, and adapt to different group sizes and performance spaces. Through a mix of guided discussion and audience Q&A, instructors will share practical tips on EQ, compression, effects, and feedback control—tailored specifically for a cappella settings.
Pitchcraft Virtual Workshop:
Basic Synthesis and Sound Design
Dive into the fundamentals of digital sound synthesis and studio sound design in this informative panel featuring Mel Daneke. Designed for both beginners and those looking to strengthen their foundation, this session breaks down the core principles behind how sounds are created, shaped, and refined in a studio environment.
Mel will guide attendees through the basics of synthesis—covering waveforms, oscillators, filters, envelopes, and modulation—while demonstrating how these elements come together to build everything from simple tones to complex textures. The workshop will also explore essential studio sound design techniques, including layering, effects processing, and creative experimentation across digital audio workstations.
January 2027