"... and then she sang 'den' instead of 'din' and it was so embarrassing!" joked Shir Appeal's Music Director and Tufts senior Eliza Gordon-Lipkin.
To the average student, it doesn't make for the greatest punch line, but to any member of what Jackson Jills president senior Emilie Pinkham called a tight-knit Tufts a cappella "community," it will inspire knowing chuckles across the board.
Described by their group leaders as "dorks" and "goofballs," a cappella singers here at Tufts lead double lives that usually fall somewhere on the fringes of the mainstream performing arts scene. As a result, they fall victim to quaint barbershop quartet stereotypes.
Take it from the Jackson Jills, a fixture of the Tufts a cappella scene and a group that sticks to its motto of "cutting edge a cappella."
"We strive in many ways to not be the typical a cappella group," Pinkham said.
And she ain't kidding.
The girls boast a vast array of musical influences that range from Jimmy Eat World to Sarah McLachlan to Seal, and this eclectic approach has a very positive effect on their performances. Tomorrow's "Is There a Problem, Officer?" is no exception, as it mixes Blondie ballads with Guster golden oldies in a fun-filled program that will charm even the most variegated audience.
Aside from the music itself, the Jills liven up their stage performance with interlude skits and senior tributes that simultaneously tickle funny bones and tug on heartstrings. Carefully planned choreography spices up the musical numbers to, as Pinkham says, "give the audience something to watch as well as listen to," and a guest appearance by the talented CocoBeaux of Connecticut College will balance the show's gender appeal.
"We have a great group this year," said Pinkham. "Good dynamics, really, really talented, and - I don't want to jinx it - but everything just seems to click!"
In fact, the 42-year-old, all-girl group is coming off a banner year that includes performing for Senator John Kerry and releasing their latest album last fall. A joint venture by the 2003 and 2004 Jills, "Headcase," earned the ladies a runner-up award from the Contemporary a Cappella Society for Best Female Collegiate Arrangement and a spot on the latest A Cappella Music Organization compilation disc.
"We've had a really strong year," Pinkham said. "I'm so satisfied with what we've done. There is no doubt in my mind that when I visit in
September, these girls will make me proud."
On the other end of the spectrum, another Tufts a cappella group, Shir Appeal, is a fledgling ensemble by comparison, as it prepares for its 10th Anniversary Spring Concert on Saturday, April 16.
However, Gordon-Lipkin looks at this concert as more than a mile marker; it is a sign, she says, that Shir Appeal has entered the realm of "established" Tufts groups like the Amalgamates, Beelzebubs, and Jills.
The comparison is certainly a fair one. Like the Jills, Shir Appeal released its fourth album, "Transliteration," in the fall of 2004 to much acclaim, and was the first Jewish group ever to be included on the Best of Collegiate a Cappella compilation disc for the 2005 edition. Like the Jills, Shir Appeal also had a year packed with highlights, from their February gig at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City to their Winter Break tour of Florida.
The comparison, however, must stop there. As Tufts' only distinctly Jewish a cappella group, Shir Appeal is able to carve out a very unique niche within the campus a cappella community.
"We are as much a part of Hillel as we are of the larger Tufts arts movement on campus," Gordon-Lipkin said. "This can close some doors to us occasionally, but it also gives us greater access through others."
As a result of this access, Shir Appeal can take advantage of a rich musical heritage that is virtually unknown in the world of collegiate a cappella. This ensures that Shir Appeal's "songs become more ours," Gordon-Lipkin said, "because they are new to the audience when we introduce them, and so our listeners don't get caught up in trying to compare us to the original artist."
At first, audiences might balk at the idea of an exclusively Jewish repertoire, but the amount of experimentation that can take place within this category will surely astound even the harshest skeptic.
Their spring concert will demonstrate the greatest breadth of Shir Appeal's talent, featuring a groundbreaking hip-hop style rap that Gordon-Lipkin described as the "Jewish version of 'Jump Around,'" adding, "it's fun; it's goofy; it's got attitude! This [performance] is our opportunity to show everyone that Jewish/Israeli music can be cool, can have a beat."
Students looking to break into the a cappella "community" themselves can audition for the Jills later this month or Shir Appeal next fall, but until then, you'll have to check out their concerts if you want to learn the difference between a 'din' and a 'den.'
