By Casey Rochette, news correspondent
The steps were packed tight, students overflowed onto the floor. Eventually there was standing room only. The second, third and fourth floor balconies looked like boxes in a theater. All eyes were fixated on the performers.
The fall a cappella showcase featured all six a cappella groups at Northeastern. Students began to gather in the Curry Student Center around 6:30 p.m., and the event was over by 9. The showcase gave freshmen and returning students a look into what a cappella is and how much talent Northeastern has.
One by one, cell phones raised into the air to capture a piece of the Nor’easters’ winning set from the 2017 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA). Saying that the audience was captivated was an understatement as their final chorus drew a round of cheers and applause.
One of the most well-known groups on campus, the Nor’easters is a co-ed group comprised of 17 members. They rehearse three times a week for two hours and, during competition season, up to five times a week for three hours.
They are easily identified by their all-black clothing. Anthony Rodriguez, a fourth-year, psychology major and president of the Nor’easters said the clothing reflects the songs they sing, powerful and dramatic.
The Nor’easters have a strong presence on campus and within the a cappella community. Although they are dedicated, intense and competitive they still seek to have fun while performing together.
“I think there is a stigma that our group is really intense and we only rehearse all the time but we also schedule in fun like going on a group retreat, going apple picking or alumni events,” said Sofia Berg, a fourth-year political science and communications major and business manager of the Nor’easters. “We do so much more than just work ourselves to the bone, and I think that’s a very common misconception.”
Being at a school in which most students graduate in five years, the ages of the members can be within a large range. The veteran Nor’easters often serve as role models to new members, offering them a first-hand look at what they can achieve as a Nor’easter.
“We are a family first,” Rodriguez said. “We work very hard to foster a good social environment.”
Another well-known group on campus and the first all-female a cappella group at Northeastern, Treble on Huntington, was founded in the fall of 2007 and is comprised of 10 women.
The group has a rigorous rehearsal schedule, practicing twice a week for two and a half hours. The women in this group are serious, but they still make time to have fun.
“The nice thing about being a small group is that we can goof around and still get things done,” said Ally Schulz, a third-year biochemistry major and the group’s music director.
Treble on Huntington looks for the total package. A large part of being in the group is wanting to spend five hours a week the same people. The new members need to blend both musically and socially.
Their executive board has tried to create friendships between the members which, they said, improved the quality of their sound exponentially. Focusing less on winning and more on each other has proved to be their best strategy.
“People misunderstand that piece,” said Natalie Jones, a third-year math and biology major and president of the group. “Interacting with us is equally as important as the singing.”
While Treble on Huntington focuses on relationships within their group, the Unisons, Northeastern’s only all male a cappella group, is focused on developing relationships within the a cappella community.
“In the past one or two years we, as a community, have been pushing for more group interaction,” said President of Unisons and fourth-year accounting major Cooper Kwiatkowski. “We’ve been trying to have more activities with each other over the weekend. We’re also implementing more activities to get people introduced to the group.”
The Unisons stay connected through a Facebook page for a cappella groups all over the world. They recently met a group from Bristol, England, the Bristol Suspensions, and are working on networking with them.
The Unisons aren’t afraid to be out there in terms of their music selection and choreography. They recently released a music video for their performance of “Confident” by Demi Lovato at the Best of the Northeast Region, an a cappella showcase. They try to choose songs by artists who they think are up and coming such as Ella Eyre.
“We had a lot more people try out than we were expecting,” Kwiatkowski said. “Being an all-male group is a very niche category of guys who accept wanting to sing and are publicly okay with it.”
The Unisons are releasing a new music video later this fall.
The newest, all female, a cappella group to Northeastern, Pitch, Please!, is an 11-member, semi-competitive group of women. They pride themselves on lifting women up and celebrating their own identities.
“We love music as a way for females to bond and become strong and confident,” said Isabelle Hahn, a second-year journalism major and president of the group. “I became a much more confident performer and singer being in the group. I learned so much. It’s just amazing to be surrounded by so many talented, strong and unique women during every rehearsal and performance.”
The group recently won an award at the Boston Sings A Cappella festival for best spoken word, a different way to get the story across that sometimes can’t be communicated through music. The set’s theme was shattering the glass ceiling.
The a cappella groups at Northeastern truly allow prospective members to find the group that best fits their individual wants and needs. Whether you are a professional singer, shower singer or strictly an audience member, a cappella at Northeastern has an arrangement for you.
