Mickey Rapkin's recent book, "Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory," drew widespread attention for exploring the subculture of one of college's biggest and most perplexing phenomena, that of a cappella groups, which feature hoards of students across the country who sing for crowds without instrumental accompaniment.
After doing extensive field research in the world of collegiate a cappella, including a stint with Tufts' own Beelzebubs, Rapkin set out to examine all aspects of the trend: its appeal, its massive popularity and its relative nerdiness.
Had Rapkin, whose book came out this summer, waited just a few more months, he would have learned that another group at Tufts is jumping on the a cappella bandwagon, but their goal is to poke fun at the music.
The recently formed Tufts A Cappella Collective (TAC) describes itself as the following: "Tufts' only, oldest, co-ed, green, queer-friendly, non-religiously-affiliated, non-auditioning a cappella group with questionable musical ability and KILLER good looks."
Their mission: to make fun of all campus groups in general, with a special emphasis on a cappella. Senior Glenn Katz, one of the coalition's founders, said he drew inspiration from a similar group at Brown University.
"We kept joking around about creating this group and came up with some great ideas for it. Soon, it just became too good to just simply joke about, and we had to actually turn our words into action," Katz said.
Along with fellow senior Laura Herman, Katz ran with the idea and launched the collective, whose general interest meeting garnered about 30 interested attendees, the majority of whom were female.
"We could use some more males and beat boxers, but overall turnout definitely shows us that there is more interest than we originally thought, which is great," Herman said.
During one of its initial meetings, the TAC enforced its comedic focus by brainstorming a longer list of adjectives to describe the group, some of which included toned, hypoallergenic, fierce, fun-sized and habit-forming.
And the coalition's constitution consists of just three tips: Keep it real, be chill and rock out.
One of the group's newest members, junior Jackie Thomas, said rejection can be turned into a positive experience through the TAC.
"This collective is a wonderful outlet for people who have been rejected from a capella [groups] and don't want a large time commitment," she said.
While the TAC looks to attract members from diverse backgrounds, including those involved in other musical groups, this aspect does not overshadow its comedic offerings. In fact, many members claim to have no singing abilities whatsoever.
"I am very excited for this comedic group. Since I can't sing, I'll be able to show off my French horn skills," freshman Michael Bernstein said.
When performance time rolls around, an eclectic combination of a cappella and comedy will be paraded through the musical arrangements of senior Jeff Hamilton, and shows are likely to include renditions of R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet," Ace of Base's "I Saw the Sign" and Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl."
Not a single satirical or unconventional rock will be left unturned. The TAC will not be seen in a large or traditional concert hall. Instead, the group will perform on the library steps or in the campus center, and will work to shred any semblance of musical seriousness.
"Founding this coalition, we wanted to set realistic goals and shoot low to not have failed expectations," Herman said. "We're not even officially a TCU club because we're not looking for money since we're financially self-sustaining. Maybe down the road we'll go through that process, but it's not currently a priority."
"What is important to us is to build and sustain the coalition," Herman and Katz added. "We're confident that members will pursue many of the leadership opportunities available to continue the coalition after we graduate, since we're both seniors."
