On Dec. 2, Lexington High School’s a cappella groups performed their first jamboree, also known as jam, of the school year.
LHS has a total of seven a cappella groups, including Rock Paper Scissors, Euphoria, Guacamole, Onomatopoeia, Mixed Nuts, Peanut Butter & Jelly, and Noteworthy, each with around ten to 15 members. All groups perform at the three a cappella jams during the school year, and many participate in gigs as well.
For a night filled with singing and high energy, a significant amount of time has to be put into practice leading up to the performance. In preparation for jam, each group had two practices a week with their own routine process.
“We meet up for two hours, it’s usually from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., and it’s pretty chill most of the time. We get into parts for our songs, and we always have snacks,” Kyuri Lee, a sophomore in Euphoria, said.
A key part in preparing for jam entails selecting songs to perform. During jam, each group performs three songs, which are arranged by the group members.
“Everyone submits two songs to one of the leaders, and then we make a giant playlist, and we’ll have a song selection. We vote on each song after we listen, and we ask who doesn’t like the song, and if we get more than 50 percent, then we’ll vote it out. But if not, then we’ll have a talk after about which ones we like the best, and we’ll eventually find three songs that we like,” Ashlyn Zhu, a senior and co-leader of Euphoria, said.
Noteworthy, another a cappella group, has a different voting system from most other groups.
“We don’t pick songs, we pick arrangements. So people will arrange a song first and then propose it. And basically then we’ll do our top song, our second song, and people will vote on that, and then those will be the songs that are picked,” Mrigank Dhingra, a junior and co-leader of Noteworthy, said.
Because the a capella program is student-led, group leaders play an essential role in ensuring that rehearsals are both engaging and productive, which isn’t always an easy task.
“It definitely is kind of a challenge because you want to be everyone’s friend, you want to be really fun and bubbly, but at the same time it is really crucial that you do need to step in sometimes and stay disciplined with time management,” Zhu said.
However, through hours of hard work, groups can create lasting memories, melodies, and strong connections with students they wouldn’t have met otherwise. Fostering these friendships within a group can improve the group’s dynamics and overall experience during jam.
“Something I’ve noticed through being in Euphoria, is that because of all the time that we spend together, we really have a tight bond, and it reflects on stage. We’re able to have fun and it’s not just like ‘oh, pretend to smile’ or ‘fake it till you make it’; we really enjoy singing with each other and I think that’s so important,” Zhu said.
For future performances, these a cappella groups hope to build off this past jam and not only bring out their best music, but also the rich singing culture at LHS.
“The singing is a big part of it, but I think the community that comes with it is even bigger,” Dhingra said.
