The Cornell Daily Sun (https://cornellsun.com/tag/a_cappella/)
In preparation for their end-of-semester concerts, Cornell’s a cappella groups have spent time practicing intensely during the rehearsal period that the a cappella community calls “Hell Week.”
A Cornell University a cappella group, The Class Notes, has made history by becoming the first ever Ivy League a cappella group to advance to ICCA Finals.
Cornell’s a capella groups enjoyed their first live concerts since 2019 throughout this November, celebrating a return to community with song.
A cappella groups hastily put their senior arch sings together after classes were abruptly suspended on March 13. These concerts showcased seniors and gave the groups one last chance to sing together.
All students have seen the Ho Plaza chalkings, the Balch and Gothics “arch sings” and the quarter cards. Given the fact that the movie Pitch Perfect was largely based off the experience of Cornell a cappella alumnus Mickey Rapkin — of the banished Cayuga’s Waiters — it is not surprising that the Cornell a cappella audition process is intense.
Over their half-century on campus, The Hangovers have had both undergraduate and graduate student members, in addition to having members follow the paths of their fathers or brothers, showing how important being a member in The Hangovers is to an alumni’s relatives.
The Emergency Cornellians Aiding and Responding to Employees Fund provides financial assistance to members of Cornell’s faculty and staff experiencing unexpected financial hardship.
Loquacious in personality and modest despite his numerous achievements, Ian Goldin ’12 has experimented with nearly every musical instrument designed, plays in the Percussion Ensemble, sings in the Cornell University Glee Club and is a member of The Hangovers. And if that wasn’t enough, he’s also recently been elected Musical Director of The Hangovers, a rare honor for a freshman. As he begins by quipping “Ian Goldin needs a haircut; make sure you put that in!” this “Superhero” talks about his interests in music and what it means to be a member of The Hangovers.
Sun: Ian Goldin the Superhero. Tell me how you got that title?
A cappella has long been popular on college campuses across the nation, and Cornell is no exception. The University alone is home to fifteen different groups, each with an individual sound.
Jay Emelen, the office manager of a-cappella.org, explained the appeal of the genre to college students.
“Audiences love it. It’s interesting because the music is so familiar, usually a cappella groups are singing pop music and jazz standards that everyone knows,” Emelen said. “It looks like so much fun because everyone is smiling and moving around. Generally the music is memorized so there is a lot of interaction with the audience and the groups aren’t staring with their heads in the music.”