The Tufts basketball team may never be on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and our football team may never play in the Rose Bowl, but that doesn't mean that Tufts groups don't excel in what they do.
Just take the Beelzebubs, the all-male a cappella group that recently swept the National Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA), which are presented by the Contemporary A Cappella Society (CASA). Tufts students may know that the Bubs are great, but they may not know just how renowned the group is nationwide.
This year, the Bubs took home four major awards: Best College A Cappella Album (2005's "Shedding"), Best Soloist (junior Andrew Savini), Best Arrangement ("Everybody Wants to Rule the World") and Best Song ("Let's Get it Started"). This is an impressive list, but it certainly isn't the first time the Bubs have received national acclaim.
The Bubs were founded in 1962, before most a cappella groups were recorded on albums, so they developed a style grounded in performance early on. "The group was based in performance," said Beelzebub sophomore Doug Terry. He said the Bubs earned a place in the a cappella world through their emphasis on good live performances and making audiences happy.
However, it wasn't until the late ''80s that the Bubs really changed the state of a cappella music, reinventing the genre by becoming the first group ever to record songs with vocal percussion. Their 1991 album, "Foster Street," became one of the best-selling a cappella albums of all time, and even professional a cappella groups began trying to reproduce the Bubs' distinct style.
Over the years, the group has stayed sharp, expanding its musical horizons while staying true to its motto, "Fun through song."
"We work really hard, but we never take ourselves too seriously," said senior Eric Fuerstein, president of the Bubs.
An element that sets the Bubs apart is their charity, the Bubs Foundation. Run entirely by Bubs alumni, the foundation works to start up music programs in schools that don't have the funding or haven't had the opportunity to create strong music programs in the past. The Bubs also perform at some of these schools throughout the year.
The Bubs are lucky to have a strong alumni association: Famous former Bubs include Guster's Adam Gardner and actor Peter Gallagher.
"We have a really close relationship with all our alumni, and that's helped us a lot," said junior Bub Andrew Savini. "We have a great capacity for networking, so we've performed in all different sectors."
The Bubs have performed for many different audiences, from elementary schools to hospitals to college campuses. They've also performed in all different places, traveling around Europe and the United States. Most recently, the Bubs went on tour in Turkey, where they performed, among other places, at the opening of a new Tufts alumni chapter.
But despite their huge range of audiences, for the Bubs, there's still no place like home. "Our favorite audience is definitely the college crowd," said Terry. "They know our music, and they get our humor."
The Bubs also take their roles as representatives of Tufts very seriously. "We don't just do this for ourselves; we do it for the entire Tufts community," Savini said. "The recognition we receive is good for us, but it's also good for the University."
All of the recognition that the group has received comes at a price for current Bubs, who must balance many hours of practice per week and about 80 shows per year with a life outside of the group.
"When I first got into the group last year, I dove in uninhibited and let it consume my life," said Terry. "Since then, I've branched out and realized how important it is to have other friends and other things I'm involved in."
Nevertheless, being a part of the Bubs is something that most members wouldn't trade for the world. "It's given me an opportunity to go to places I've never been, and to meet people that I ordinarily wouldn't have met," Fuerstein said. "I've been part of something completely unique, and it's been a great rollercoaster ride."
For five of the Bubs, that ride will come to an end soon. Their last Tufts show of the year will be their annual "Bubs in the Pub" concert this Friday night in Dewick. The show will include skits, songs, costumes and goodbyes to all of the graduating singers.
But for the seniors, graduating doesn't mean an end to their relationship with the Bubs. Many alumni still come back for concerts (about 30 alums will be returning Friday night) and work with the foundation. This goodbye to the graduating seniors also means a hello to new members; the Bubs will be looking to fill four empty spots next year.
Think you're up for it? Being in the Bubs means lots of travel, lots of practice and lots of singing. But it also means being part of a group that has changed - and continues to change - the genre of a cappella music through their talent and energy.
"When we perform up there, the energy and passion is real," said Terry. "We're not pretending - we really love what we do."
