ACB Interview:Northwestern Law Habeas Chorus

Habeas Chrous is a group composed entirely of students from Northwestern Law School. Kat Kunz, the president of this unique collection of musicians, took the time to answer questions from A Cappella Blog co-founder Mike Chin.

A Cappella Blog (ACB): What motivated the creation of Habeas Chorus? How long has the group been around?

Kat Kunz (KK): The group has only been around about 6 years, but I'm not entirely sure what the motivation was. I think some a cappella alums from undergrad groups decided to try to get something going in law school and we've managed to keep it running ever since.

ACB: Given the busy schedules that members of your group keep as students at Northwestern Law, how do you find take part in this ensemble?

KK: Well, the kicker for me was how little we rehearse: only about an hour and a half over lunch once a week (a far cry from the 8-10 hrs/ wk my undergrad a cappella group rehearsed). We also have a "retreat" (several hours of weekend rehearsal + potluck dinner) once a semester, generally in preparation for our biggest concerts. Our repertoire is, thus, not nearly as varied, but we don't perform all that often, so it's not really that big a deal. And, fortunately, we've got some really talented musicians in the group who can pick up the music really quickly, so we sound pretty darn good nonetheless.

ACB: Collegiate a cappella groups typically consist of men and women, roughly 18-22 years old. Given that your group draws from a pool of individuals enrolled in law school, do you find a larger span of ages? If so, how does this affect the dynamics of the group?

KK: We do find a larger span of ages, especially since Northwestern Law prefers applicants who've worked for a year or two before they apply to law school. I would say that our group ranges from 22-30. I don't think it has too great an impact on our dynamics, though there's a certain maturity that comes by virtue of being in a graduate/professional school environment, so we all get along fairly well and the older members respect the group leadership, even if the leadership is younger than they are.

ACB: Were many members of your group involved in a cappella groups during their undergraduate careers?

KK: I know I was (Yale's Whim 'n Rhythm), and I think a few others were, as well, but many of our group members just enjoy singing and/or come from choral/musical theater backgrounds.

ACB: How does your group go about deciding what songs to add to its repertoire? Who is responsible for arrangements?

KK: One of our present directors has arranged two songs for us in the last two years, and hopefully he'll keep doing so. Otherwise, we just try to pick songs that interest us and aren't too complex, since we don't have endless amounts of time in which to rehearse them.

ACB: What is your favorite song to perform with Habeas Chorus?

KK: Toto's "Africa."

ACB: Are there any unique traditions or rituals associated with your group?

KK: Well, our alumni song is "Love the One You're With," though we're also known for singing Van Morrison's "Crazy Love" nearly as often. Otherwise, I think our group is too new to have much in the way of traditions (yet)!

ACB: Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers of The A Cappella Blog?

KK: Just to say that it's totally do-able to be in law school and an a cappella group at the same time, and I heartily encourage anyone who enjoys singing to continue to pursue it in some way, shape, or form, no matter how busy you get. It's absolutely worth it--we have a great time together, and many of our group members are on law review, so we must be doing something right!