If you’re a Tufts student, chances are you’ve met at least one member of an a cappella group — and didn’t even know it. Tufts is the proud home to 10 a cappella groups, each with a unique history, repertoire and membership. From Enchanted, which sings almost exclusively Disney music, to S-Factor, Tufts’ all-male group specializing in music of the African diaspora, Tufts offers no shortage of opportunities for students interested in entering the a cappella scene. Because of the sheer number of groups, each occupying its own musical niche, it can be difficult to grasp what a cappella culture actually looks like on campus. To find out, I decided to start at the source, and interview leadership from three groups on campus: the Jackson Jills, the Beelzebubs and Shir Appeal.
I sat down with senior Layla Hoffmann, president of the Jackson Jills, for a brief interview at The Sink where I learned a little bit about her experience entering the a cappella scene at Tufts and preserving the Jills’ legacy as a whole. Hoffmann’s passion for the Jills was infectious. From friendships with fellow members to fond memories from prior years, Hoffmann is immensely passionate about both a cappella and her leadership role, something that bled into every aspect of our conversation. She spoke at length about preserving the Jills’ legacy as the oldest femme-identifying a cappella group on campus — a history she sees as integral to its identity. This legacy of sisterhood bleeds into every aspect of their on and off campus presence, with their extensive alumni network playing an enormous role in the Jills’ culture. Hoffmann emphasized that the sisterhood created between members spans generations. “We do an alumni brunch meetup in the spring,” Hoffman said, “and members will come in from [the] Jills’ class of ’76 and I’ll just immediately have something to talk to them about.”
For the Beelzebubs — Tufts’ oldest a cappella group, although there is some friendly dispute between the Bubs and the Jills about who is ‘technically’ the oldest — legacy takes on a different meaning. Senior Anish Guggilam, president of the Bubs, acknowledges the role of both privilege and hard work in crafting the legacy the Bubs have on campus today. In response to a question about the Bubs’ legacy and its impact on how the group carries themselves, Guggilam resolves that “the Bubs have had kind of an iffy image on campus for a long time” — something that initially discouraged him from auditioning. However, “the pressure of thinking that [they’re] trying to ‘resolve’ the Bubs image” is simply too “macro — [too] hard to control.” For the Bubs, changing whatever mystique they might have across campus isn’t a priority — rather the music, the members and their passion speak for themselves.
By nature of their character as the three oldest a cappella groups — the Beelzebubs, the Jackson Jills and the Amalgamates, have a unique relationship — one that comes with annual traditions, extensive alumni networks and a distinct image on campus. Both Guggilam and Hoffmann cited this connection. Hoffmann highlighted annual apple picking with the Bubs and the Mates as a standout tradition. “A lot of [our] traditions involve the Bubs and the Mates, because we’re the three oldest groups on campus,” Hoffman said. “[These traditions] started up years and years ago, and we just continue them.”
Guggilam echoed that closeness, commenting that the Bubs “[have] a lot of friends in the Jills” who they hang out with a lot.
That depth of tradition and alumni connection is not limited to the oldest groups. Shir Appeal — Tufts’ all-gender Jewish a cappella group — also boasts strong traditions and alumni ties. Junior Henry Nova, business manager of Shir Appeal, proudly recounts a classic Shir Appeal tradition that occurs every autumn after they accept their new class of members: the Fall Retreat.
“Just after we accept the new baby class,” Nova explained, “we go for a weekend off campus to some members' home and just spend a weekend bonding. It's a really fun time where we get to know each other.”
As a myriad of a cappella groups have entered the previously Jills and Bubs dominated scene, the dynamics of a cappella culture have shifted. While Nova described relationships with other a cappella groups far less frequently than Hoffmann and Guggilam, he’s certainly friendly with members of all of groups. He told me that he and his fellow Shir Appeal members “definitely have friends throughout the a cappella community,” waving Hoffmann over with a smile to introduce us.
Guggilam agreed, finding that Tufts’ a cappella community is full of like-minded, fun individuals. “Joining the Bubs … introduced me to a whole different side of campus,” he said. This sentiment parallels Hoffmann’s thoughts on the social dynamics of the a cappella scene, which seem to growing closer as the years go by.
“The community just gets closer and closer every year. … The people that join every year are more and more outgoing and are wanting to build a community not just within their own group, but amongst each other,” Hoffmann commented.
Nowhere is that sense of unity more visible than the Riff-Off, Tufts’ annual a cappella competition. This academic year’s Riff-Off will be in the spring, so get excited — it’s a favorite for members and students alike. Guggilam finds that it’s “one of the only times, maybe the only time, that every group comes together and does something.” Seeing that each a cappella group on campus has roughly 10–15 members, events that host all 10 groups are few and far between.
Nova finds that “it’s a lot of fun collaborating with the other groups, not just at the Riff-Off, but [at] the other events that we do on campus.” Although there might not be many collaborative events, it’s a highlight for members across groups.
The entire a cappella scene seems to exist within its own realm on campus, from members maintaining secret traditions, representing with members-only varsity-style sweatshirts and generally existing within their own social scene at Tufts. These secret traditions seem to be fairly common — in my interviews, I prefaced with the fact that I don’t expect to be let in on any member-only traditions without even knowing if there even were any. To my surprise, both Nova and Hoffmann acknowledged the level of secrecy that exists within the a cappella groups. Nova notes that on their Fall Retreat, members “do lots of secret Shir Appeal traditions,” but didn’t let me in on any of them. Similarly, when asked about her favorite Jills traditions and their place in greater campus life, Hoffmann had to briefly pause. “I want to make sure I tell you the ones that I can tell you,” she said, before letting me in on a few. Ultimately, the a cappella scene at Tufts presents members with the opportunity to bond over a shared passion and create a tight-knit — and perhaps fairly exclusive — community.
Sitting down with Nova, Hoffmann and Guggilam enlightened me on what really goes on within the a cappella scene at Tufts. Although I had a vague grasp of the a cappella community prior to these interviews, my perception was far more removed. In each of our conversations, their passion for not only their art but their community shone through. A cappella appeared to be not just a bureaucratic student organization, but a tight-knit community of friends who all love to sing. More importantly, though, is the ever-changing nature of the a cappella scene as a result of the individuals that characterize these groups. As Hoffmann eloquently comments, “The culture of [a cappella] is able to live on despite the fact that it’s a constantly changing group. It still has that same core feeling to it.”
