Scott Romeyn ’18 performs a solo during the Maiyeros’s interpretation of The Lion King
On April 23, 2016, The Whimawehs, Lilith, The Maiyeros, The Kaprophones, and Bellacanto demonstrated that music can change lives. The a cappella groups competed against each other in Acapallooza, an event to raise money for the piano scholars program in an elementary school in the South Bronx, which the Choate Chamber Chorus visited over spring break. The performance also included guest a cappella groups from our peer schools Hotchkiss and Loomis Chaffee.
Acapallooza has been an annual event at Choate for five years. Started by Mr. Michael Levine, a Choate alumnus who worked at the SAC, it has always been a competition between a cappella groups, but last year it turned into a fundraiser. Before then, PS 154, the elementary school, did not have a musical program. Choate raised three thousand dollars last spring to create an “expanded day program” at the school, allowing their students to study music and take group keyboard lessons after school. According to Hakeem Angulu ’16, who visited the school in person, “The kids there are amazing. They are excited since because of previous budget cuts, they didn’t have a music program, but they really loved music.” This year, Acapallooza raised more than double last year’s earnings: an impressive six thousand and five hundred dollars.
The Whimawehs won the competition with their exhilarating performance of “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone and “Forget You” by CeeLo Green. Preparation for the pieces began this term. Asha Merz ’16, co-president of Whims, explained, “We have arranged the songs and basically been working on tuning and finding the right soloists for each one, as well as a little bit of choreography.”
Katie Angel ’16 claims that Whims’s strongest asset is sisterhood: “I think each one of the Whims is passionate about being a Whim, and not only passionate about singing, but singing together. Everything we do is at one hundred and ten percent — a lot of love, a lot of heads clashing. Nothing we do is only half of our potential. We are super passionate about everything we do, and we definitely have a stronger relationship with each other than I see in any other a cappella group. That’s what makes Whims super special.”
Lilith also gave an amazing performance. They performed a mashup of “Hold On, We’re Going Home” by Drake and “Latch” by Sam Smith, as well as Etta James’s “At Last.” Drew Springer-Miller ’16 stated, “Acapallooza is a really fun way to raise money, and it increases the competition. Even though it is technically a competition, we just want the groups to do well because that means raising more money for the school.”
The Maiyeros performed a wonderful Disney medley, along wih a mashup of “Love Lockdown” by Kanye West and “Sail” by AWOLNATION. The Disney meldey was accompanied by enjoyable choreography, such as mimicking lifting Simba in The Lion King.
The Kaprophones performed lively renditions of “Ignition (Remix)” by R. Kelly and “Dark Times” by The Weeknd. Yoonjong Lee ’16, co-president of the Kaps, said, “We chose those songs because I think they fit our group the best in terms of character. We hoped to create some laughs and smiles.”
Bellacanto sang a touching performance of “Roses” by The Chainsmokers and a Coldplay medley of “The Scientist,” “Fix You,” and “Viva La Vida.”
In addition, the Hotchkiss Blue Notes and Loomis Acapelicans wowed the crowd with their talent, and their schools even brought their students to contribute to Choate’s fundraiser.
Ms. Alysoun Kegel, choral director, a cappella supervisor, and the event organizer stated, “I hope it brings the groups closer together so that they feel like they are collaborating, that they are a community, and that they can work on something larger rather than just competing with each other.”
Acapallooza was an inspiring event overall. Ms. Kegel remarked, “I hope people find it inspiring to be able dedicate what they love to do to a good cause. We could sing just for ourselves to be competitive, but I think if you can do something with your talent, use it to help the world.” Acapallooza was not only fun, but it also proved how you can change the lives of others by just doing what you love.
