After a turbulent two semesters for student orgs, Smith a cappella groups are coming back in full swing this spring. From the oldest historically women’s a cappella group in the country (The Smiffenpoofs) to Blackapella (for Black diaspora Smithies) to Crapapella (the “alternative” a cappella group), Smith genuinely has an a cappella experience for everybody. For many in the Smith community, a cappella is an irreplaceable source of community, inclusivity and beautiful music on campus, even during a global pandemic.
After Smith went remote last March, a cappella groups have had the difficult task of acclimating their activities to the confines of the digital world. There were varied responses to going virtual – some groups chose to take a hiatus, others held less frequent rehearsals and/or virtual performances and some adopted the music video as a new method of showcase. Groove A Cappella was one of the only ones that operated almost normally, accepting three new members in the fall, learning and recording five songs (two of them new) and holding a virtual end-of-semester jam. Hannah Polokoff ’21, one of the pitches (musical directors) of Groove, said that it was “challenging at first to adapt auditions and rehearsals into a virtual format, but it ended up proving to be worth it and the technical difficulties were minimal.”
This spring, a cappella is almost entirely up and running again, albeit still virtually. Even though a majority of students are back on campus, groups can’t practice or perform in-person because singing holds a high transmission risk, even outside. Regardless, The Vibes, The Smiffenpoofs, The Smithereens, The Notables, Crapapella and Groove have all, in conjunction with one another, found ways to audition new members this month. The Vibes used Zoom for auditions last week, which, according to co-musical directors Clara Malekshahi ’21 and Molly McGehee ’21, “rarely had freezing issues, and we could hear people just fine.” Both The Vibes and Groove formatted their auditions to emulate a normal, in-person experience by sending prospective members audio recordings and instructions via email at the beginning of their slot.
Each of these groups have found their footing and are looking forward to an exciting, busy semester. The Vibes have already done “Virtual Vibentines” for which they sent each other individualized Valentine emails, and both The Vibes and Groove are planning final virtual jams in May. The Smiffenpoofs are organizing the release of a compilation album with three years of recordings in addition to twentieth-century Smiffenpoofs records converted from cassette, vinyl and CD. Blackapella is on hiatus this semester, but will likely be back next fall.
Because there are more a cappella groups than there are operating dining halls right now, if you have any interest in singing you should definitely check out their performances and plan to audition next semester. Here are some messages from members who would love for you to join:
Clara Malekshahi ’21 and Molly McGehee ’21, The Vibes: “WE ARE FAMILY! The Vibes put each other first. Coming to rehearsal feels like going to a family dinner. We show up for each other and we love singing together SO MUCH.”
Check out The Vibes on Youtube here.
Hannah Polokoff ’21, Groove a cappella: “All of the groups on campus create beautiful music, but if you’re looking for a supportive atmosphere, irreplaceable friendships, Hungry Ghost bread breaks, cuddle puddles, countless oreos, general silliness, and the flexibility of joining the youngest group on campus too, you should audition for Groove.”
Check out Groove a cappella on Youtube here.
Bella Yaguda ’22, Business Manager of The Smiffenpoofs: “Students should definitely consider auditioning next semester: The Smiffenpoofs are the oldest historically womens a cappella group in the nation, and in the fall of 2019 (in the before times) performed and traveled more than any other on campus group. We also love our Noho community, and are so lucky to get to collaborate with our other Smith and Five College aca-siblings to make our community a better place — the other Smith acapella groups are crazy talented, y’all, and any prospective members can reach out to any group’s leadership for more information on how to audition in the fall.”
Check out The Smiffenpoofs on Youtube here.
