All About A Cappella

Photo by Hoitt McAllister

Would you believe someone if they told you that the extremely popular McDonald’s Filet-o-Fish jingle was based off of a tune written by a member of a Connecticut College a cappella group?  Well, it’s true; a former member of Conn’s Co Co Beaux created this earworm.

Our small school takes pride in the popular a cappella groups on campus, but not many people know too much about them.  There are six groups total: three coed groups (the ConnArtists, Vox Cameli, and Williams Street Mix), two all-female groups (the ConnChords and the Schwiffs) and one all-male group (Co Co Beaux).  People who are not active in a cappella may not realize how much time and dedication goes into being an active member of one of these groups.

Kim McHugh ’11 of the ConnChords says that while the end result may sometimes seem relaxed and carefree, “it actually does take a lot of work and many rehearsals to learn, teach, and perfect songs.”

Bailey Bennett ’14 of the Williams Street Mix noticed right away that the groups “are very supportive of each other, and people have a lot of friends from other groups.”

When hopeful members of the freshman class arrived on campus, they were surrounded by a cappella music in Cro, concerts advertising the groups, meet-and-greets, and of course the “daunting row of sign-up tables,” as Shwiffs member Whitney King ’12 recalls.  Numerous group members loudly encouraged freshmen to audition, enticing them with music and candy.

Amidst the chaos, students must decide which groups they want to audition for, beginning with the decision of a single-sex or a coed group. Mike Gulotta ‘12 of the ConnArtists chose the coed route because he feels that “the sound of male and female voices together cannot be matched,” and he wanted a change of pace after participating in single-sex groups in high school.

On the other hand, McHugh opted for the ConnChords, an all-female group, because she immediately felt “the sense of friendship and solidarity” among the group members.

The audition process can clearly be stressful, but it’s worth it in the end.  Ross Peterson ’13 of Co Co Beaux is “very happy with his choice” of a cappella group, as most members are. Andy Savage ’14 auditioned for Vox Cameli because he, “felt really welcomed and was the most comfortable with them.”  Auditionees are typically expected to complete vocal exercises and sing part of a song of their choice.  Beyond that, some groups asked students to tell a joke, or recall their most embarrassing moment.

As a junior, Gulotta was a part of the selection process and had to help choose three or four people out of nearly seventy-five who auditioned.  This speaks volumes about the competitiveness of the a cappella groups here on campus; the members of each group were hand selected and have true talent.  Gulotta stresses that, “It’s a strenuous process and there are rarely any quick decisions made during this time.”

When it comes to choosing songs to sing, it seems that there must be competition when each group is selecting, but each group has its own style, and there is a formal “first come first served” policy in place to avoid disagreement.  When asked what happens when two groups want to sing the same song, Peterson joked, “we fight them and steal their lunch money.”  In reality, the leaders of the group usually handle this, and when a group decides on a song they want to sing, they send out a mass email to all of the other groups notifying of them of this decision.

McHugh notes that her group, “holds meetings where members are asked to bring forth their suggestions for which songs we would like to add to the group’s repertoire and who will arrange the songs.”  King adds that the members of her group, “aren’t very formal when it comes to choosing songs” and that they simply sing what they like.

The groups on campus each have their own individual style that stems from the personalities of the members, and these unique qualities can be observed in each group’s CD.  Members of Vox Cameli have recently performed Lady Gaga’s “Alejandro,” and are currently working on songs by Amy Winehouse and Feist.  Savage hopes to get a chance to arrange a song for Vox and, “might try arranging ‘Sweet Disposition’ by The Temper Trap.”

The members of Co Co Beaux are rehearsing “I’ll Make Love to You,” by Boyz II Men and “Jessie’s Girl,” by Rick Springfield. The ConnArtists have recently performed many songs from Ben Folds and Regina Spektor.  Regina Spektor shows up again on the Schwiffs’s album, along with Maroon 5, Natasha Bedingfield, and Oasis.  The newest CD from the ConnChords features popular songs from John Mayer, Alicia Keys, and Michael Jackson.  The Williams Street Mix sings “Spiderwebs,” by No Doubt, and Bennet notes that “Rock and Roll” by Eric Hutchinson is one of her favorites.

A cappella members have excessive pride in their groups, and King notes that, “the a cappella switch is always in the on-position.”  The groups often practice for at least six hours per week, which explains why their concerts are always impressive and extremely well put together.  Although Bennett is a new member of the Williams Street Mix, she already feels that her “group is really a family, which sounds cliché, but it’s actually true.” •

Interested? Here are some upcoming concerts in the Chapel:

December 10: Co Co Beaux

December 11: ConnChords

December 12: Williams Street Mix