Last week, after conducting some thorough research, I made a shocking discovery: There are non-a cappella music groups at Tufts. Some of these groups even play musical instruments. Curious, I decided to investigate this matter further and stumbled upon a lively ensemble of skilled percussionists.
I call them percussionists instead of drummers for a reason; drums aren't quite their preferred choice for a good bang. I'm talking, of course, about Tufts' wildest percussion group, B.E.A.T.s (Banging Everything At Tufts). And by everything, they mean everything: buckets, teakettles, postal service scratch boxes, ladders, traffic cones, water jugs, chairs, street signs, sinks, even bicycles.
"We're not really so much a percussion group as we are a trash liberation group," sophomore Jack LeMay said.
What this means is that, unlike most other performers, they don't have to dish out hundreds of dollars at a music store to acquire the proper instruments. A simple, fun and completely free trip to an alley or trash dump will suffice.
"Where some people see trash, we see a potential instrument. Junkyards hold trash hostage. We rescue it," junior Anna Gilmer said.
But members don't just limit themselves to just the dumps. There's also Home Depot (or Treasure Island, whichever way you want to look at it). Places like this are a bangin' time if you learn to see the musical potential in their seemingly commonplace products.
"We all hang out for a bit together and then go to Home Depot, and we bring drumsticks with us. And we see serious shoppers, checking out cabinets for their homes and whatnot, but we're just banging on buckets and trashcans and anything metal in the store. It's a dope time," senior Alisa Healy said of the instrument search process.
So in case you haven't figured this out yet, a unique culture and attitude permeates the spritely B.E.A.T.s musicians. At first glance, they could be classified as "street musicians," but even this broad and generalizing term cannot fully encompass the music they make. There's ultimately no way to stick a label on these guys (other than "awesome") because there's not much they won't play music with — regardless of whether they find the materials in their friends' kitchens or in a deserted parking lot.
"No household object is safe," group president Jodi Bosin, a sophomore, said. Bosin is also a photo editor at the Daily.
These daring percussionists draw from a number of environments, transcending the boundaries of "street art" by simply playing their music anywhere they want (in- or outdoors), with anything they want. B.E.A.T.s prides itself in overcoming certain cultural and financial restrictions on what music is "supposed" to be.
"What we do brings access to anyone who wants to play music," Gilmer said.
"Our music is for everyone," sophomore Ben Silverstein, the troupe's most recent addition, added.
While this is true for the music itself, the group still maintains a high standard of quality, holding rigorous auditions once or twice a year. On average, in the fall, around 75 students try out for the group, but only three or four make it in. This is partly in an effort to keep B.E.A.T.s at a relatively low membership so that things don't get too disorganized.
Still, auditions are a fun time for everyone, even if you don't get in, LeMay said. Though members keep hush-hush about the specifics of the audition process, they revealed to me that each round gets more intense. As they progress from stage to stage, auditioners go through additional questioning and testing that may or may not be related to percussion.
As for the final selection criteria, this as well is a matter of utmost secrecy. But what the members can say is that it varies and depends on each individual person.
"Sometimes," LeMay said, "we care more about the person's personality and how they would function within the group, and other times we care more about their percussive abilities."
"It's definitely not just about how good your rhythm is," Healy added.
Once auditions are over, a lucky few new percussionists go through a period of initiation, rife with undisclosed rites of passage that only the B.E.A.T.s members know. One of the results of these rites, however, jumps out from the mist of secrecy and shines brightly for all mankind to enjoy: the newly assigned nickname.
This serves as an important component of the group's dynamic — each member possesses his or her own special nickname. To name a few: Buckwheat, Pumpkin, Slugnutz, Soupz, Beaches and Peter. During practices and events, and pretty much any other time, members tend to refer to each other by these names.
"The nicknames, I feel, are a part of this awesome B.E.A.T.s story and tradition that's been developing over the years," Peter, who declined to reveal his real name because "Peter" comprises his true identity, said.
According to the group's website (tuftsbeats.com), "The confidential process of naming is not open for discussion, but it is said that a strange combination of free association, drawing, sing and dance, and meditation is involved."
To shed some light on the folklore, the group was formed relatively recently, in October of 2002. After meeting every Wednesday and putting together a few songs, the original members performed their first show in January 2003 at an AIDS outreach event in Dewick MacPhie dining hall. From then on, the banging only grew louder, especially with the occurrence of the following events:
1. The fall 2004 discovery of the Mukanda nation, a supportive motherland for all B.E.A.T.s bangists that unified the group in unprecedented ways.
2. Soon after, their first performances at the International Orientation and Gantcher Center shows propelled them to their current stardom.
3. The first ever 4/20 show in 2005, perhaps the most monumental of B.E.A.T.s events in history. Every year on April 20, they bang away in Dewick to celebrate how beautiful life on this lush, green hill really is.
"The 4/20 show is the most defining moment of the year for B.E.A.T.s," Gilmer said.
With each year, the show adopts a new theme — past ones include "B.E.A.T.s Birthday Party" and "Welcome to the Stoned Age." (They've kept this year's theme under wraps thus far.) Members have been working extra hard to bring Tufts its best 4/20 yet, actively rehearsing and writing new material in preparation for the big day.
"I can't wait to see what they've come up with for this year's show," sophomore Annie Callaway, who attended the celebration last year, said. "Each time I see them, they've evolved or branched out in some way. They always have something new and original to share."
Nevertheless, these great results don't come without great effort. The songwriting process can be a long one, but also an exciting and fulfilling one.
"We jam in our closet for awhile, and after we find a few key parts of the song, we take just those parts into another room. We do it sort of measure by measure," LeMay said.
An innate tension between fluidity and order fuels much of the writing. Jamming gets the creative juices flowing, and then an actual structure and rhythm begins to balance them out.
"It's a struggle between trying to organize people and just, like, letting it go," Healy said.
The sound and structure of B.E.A.T.s songs can vary quite a bit, according to the number of instruments and musicians involved and the thematic content. During shows, the group frequently alternates between larger and smaller groups of people playing together, using different materials depending on the song. But there are some objects the audience can always count on seeing (and hearing), including the teakettle, which is important for keeping time, and chairs, important for sitting purposes, but also for making various noises.
"Some people play certain instruments more than others," Bosin said. "But we do usually switch it up depending on the song or jam," she said.
And switch it up they have. At the Issue as Muse show last Saturday, the ensemble surprised the audience in two distinct ways: first, by incorporating rap and freestyling into their typically instrumentals-only music, and second, by rapping proudly in favor of horsemeat as a legal food.
"We were supposed to go and perform for this environmental group, but they seemed wishy-washy and we changed our minds," Healy said. "Instead, we argued for the consumption of horsemeat. We talked about something valuable to the community at large."
The standout line of the night, Silverstein said, was, "What's on the menu? Horsemeat, brisket/ side of mashed potatoes for your buttered Seabiscuit."
We had a great time," he said.
Judging from this, I am incapable of telling what B.E.A.T.s will do next. But here's what I can tell you: After sitting with some of these bold musicians in Soundbites for just over an hour, I am indubitably converted. Free the trash! Eat the horses! And most importantly, bang on everything you can — you never know what song is waiting to happen.
