There are many a capella groups on campus, and although I’m not in any, my friend Christina is. Her group is called the Sirens, and this past weekend, they performed their final concert of the semester. As soon as she invited me, I knew I had to go!
I first met Christina in biology lab last year. Some labs let you pick your partners while others assign them to you. She was a great partner, so this year, when we saw each other in our physics lab, we decided to pair up again.
One day, in physics lab, she mentioned her group was performing and told me I should come. I’ve been to two other concerts on campus, and both were really fun. They feel like a scene out of “Pitch Perfect,” because all the music is created by the singers; there aren’t any background tracks or instruments.
The Sirens is one of the larger a capella groups on campus, and it’s made up entirely of girls. They sang some songs that are trending now, Disney mashups, and some I’d never heard of. Since the concerts are performed in the larger auditorium classrooms on campus (this one was actually held in my physics classroom), the singers decorate the blackboards to make the room look more exciting. They usually draw everyone’s names and the songs they’re going to sing. At this concert, they also had balloons.
One of my favorite things about the singing groups is they each have unique traditions. At a past concert I attended, some of the senior members compared the new recruits to fruits—and they literally handed each person some fruit! Every year, the Sirens make a music video with their new members. In the video, everyone introduces themselves and they add in a lot of humor. It was a hilarious video and everyone in the crowd was laughing.
At every concert a guest a capella group will perform in the middle. The guest singers at this concert were called Take Two. It’s really cool to see how the performing styles of each group differ. No matter what, you’ll always see a little dancing and everyone getting into the music.
At the first concert I went to, I was a little surprised by the ending. There was no announcement or final bow, and the singers simply walked out of the room. What I didn’t realize was this is actually a tradition. Everyone in the crowd starts chanting “one more song” until the singers run back out and sing their last song of the night.
This one had a particularly humorous ending where everyone ran out wearing sunglasses and the lead singer had a bald cap on to mimic Pitbull. It was a super fun ending to a great show. But my favorite song of the night had to be the one Christina sang as a duet. It was a fun surprise to hear her do a solo—plus, she’s a great singer!
I highly recommend everyone attend at least one a capella concert during their time at Hopkins. The excitement in the air is infectious and it’s neat seeing all the unique customs that make up each performance. I can’t wait to attend more of Christina’s concerts, and I already know she won’t let me miss one because we’re gonna be physics lab partners again next semester!
