With nicknames like Eric “Love Shack” Miller, Joe “Fresh Prince” Royal and Sam “Birdfeeder” Allen, how could you not love Hawkapella? Hawkapella recently hosted an hour-long concert that alternated between vocal performances of popular songs and informational slides from a PowerPoint presentation that briefly summarized the history of a certain type of music.

An all-male a cappella group, Hawkapella is one of four UML a cappella groups that form the UMass Lowell A Cappella Society. A cappella groups are vocalists who sing without backing music. To produce sounds and make music, members beatbox or create their own sounds using their voices and mouths.

Photo by Lindy Reed.

The first song, “Light ‘Em Up” by Fall Out Boy, was a high-energy, modern pop introduction to the group. Hawkapella did not use any microphones, but their voices were powerful enough to reach every corner of the room. After they finished, they discussed the history of their group. Founded in 2009 by now alumni David Sam, Hawkapella performs at local schools, university events, churches and any other venue they can book.

The songs Hawkapella performed ranged from old-school jazz with Nat King Cole’s “L-O-V-E” to fun R&B mash-ups of ’90s rappers. They performed their “chair song,” a form of fundraiser where audience members pay one dollar to put their name into a drawing to be serenaded by Hawkapella. The selected person sits in a chair, surrounded by members who direct their affections towards the seated person.

“Can’t Help Falling in Love” was their chair song this time, and Hawkapella serenaded computer science lecturer and Honors College Speaker Series coordinator David Adams.

After the chair song, Hawkapella performed Maroon 5’s “This Love,” followed by a Disney medley. “I really enjoyed the Disney medley they performed!” said Kelsey Wyatt, a chemical engineering freshman. “It had so many familiar songs and I thought it was cool how they were able to arrange so many songs into one and make it flow so nicely.”

“We performed many songs of different styles…but my favorite song would have to be James Ham’s arrangement of ‘And So It Goes’ by Billy Joel,” said super-senior David Allen, music education major and theatre minor. “I love the choral style of the arrangement and the way that we breathe together, release together and sing together when we sing it. It further illustrates the sense that what we are singing is more than just a song, and its about more than just ourselves.

“This song is our alumni song and, although it may represent different things to each of us individually, it represents a higher identity as the unity and brotherhood that is Hawkapella.”

Humorous and spirited, Hawkapella was certainly entertaining. Their song selection was eclectic enough to appeal to young children and old grandparents, pop fans and blues junkies, and guaranteed to please any audience.

The diversity of the songs Hawkapella chose reflected the diversity of its members. From business majors to music majors, Hawkapella welcomes all students.

“I joined Hawkapella because I was interested in making a cappella music. I had no idea that this group would sing at so many different venues, share music and a cappella to local schools in meaningful ways, and become a brotherhood of my best friends. What started as an outlet to perform a cappella music has become so much more on a professional and personal level,” said David, speaking to the camaraderie and spirit of the group.

The members often acted out song lyrics, such as exchanging comical gestures of affection during appropriate parts of “This Love,” and snapping their fingers while making charismatic asides to each other during “Moon Dance” by Van Morrison.

Sim Dy, freshman physics and computer science double major, said his favorite performance was “Moon Dance.”
“I love jazz and their rendition was superb,” he said. “It was interesting because it showed the origins of a cappella and I didn’t realize that jazz was an inspiration for it.”

The last song Hawkapella performed, a Queen medley of “Fat Bottom Girls,”Under Pressure” and “We Are the Champions,” very fittingly rounded off the night. Hawkapella members channeled their inner rock stars with expressive pantomimes that included faux guitar strums and dramatic ’70s dance moves. In a symbolic action of unity and solidarity, Hawkapella linked hands and swayed side to side as they belted out the final notes.

“I really enjoyed the concert and was entertained the whole time,” Wyatt said. “They put on a great show. I also really liked Hawkapella! I had heard of them before, but had never heard them sing. They were very talented and they had such great musicality in each song. It was a very enjoyable experience!”