The Brown Derbies

The Brown Derbies have been a major force on the collegiate a cappella scene for a long time. In fact, they are currently in the middle of celebrating their 25 year anniversary. The all-male group has dazzled audiences, thrived in competition, and had a lot of fun along the way.

Brown Derbies director Zack Langway took the time to answer questions from A Cappella Blog co-founder Mike Chin.

A Cappella Blog (ACB): The Brown Derbies have the unique benefit a long and storied history, since their inception in 1982. From your own experience and knowledge about the group, how has it changed over the years?

Zack Langway (ZL): Most people--even our biggest fans--don't know that the Brown Derbies actually started as a literary organization. From there, the members began writing some comedy. The comedy turned into comedy and parody songs and by the 80's the Brown Derbies were established as an a cappella group. The group definitely had much more of a comedy focus, and we have become more musically serious over the years. Comedy is still an important element of our shows, but our first priority is to be musically solid. But we've always been a group of ridiculous idiots that like singing, so not that much has changed. We really let loose and have a great time performing, and I think that really comes across to our audience and draws them in to share in the fun.

From what I know, The Brown Derbies chose vests and derbies for a turn of the century look when they were recreated in 1982. I guess it just kind of stuck from there. The derby itself has always been incredibly important to the image of the group and has even been used as a prop during some songs.

ACB: Historically, The Brown Derbies have had their share of success in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, including a trip to the finals in 1997. Could you tell me a little bit about why the group has chosen not to compete in recent years?

ZL: There really are two main reasons we haven't competed in almost a decade. To compete would be to imply that there are winners and losers in a cappella. As a group, we don't really believe in that. Each group has its strengths as well as areas that need work, and we really are in it to make music and have fun. I don't know about past members of the group, but for us it's more important to just put on a great show than to try to out-perform other groups in a competitive format. I think we can be a good group without trying to be better than anyone else. That's not to say that we don't like the competitions; we hosted an ICCA event at Brown last year that had some amazing talent. It's just more fun for us to have a good time and not worry about winning or losing.

ACB: Walk me through a typical Brown Derbies rehearsal. How does the group operate behind the scenes? Does the nature of rehearsals change before a big show?

ZL: Rehearsals are anything but typical if you ask me. My experience in other settings has been that rehearsals are the least enjoyable part of participating in a performance group. In the Brown Derbies, it is entirely different. Each rehearsal is not only an opportunity for the group to come together musically, but to enjoy the company of close friends within the context of something we are all passionate about.

Rehearsals always start with warm-ups, ones that the Derbies have been doing as long as anyone can remember. We get right into the songs after that, taking breaks when we need them. Each director has a little different philosophy on the best way to run a rehearsal, but I try to take my cue from the group. You can tell when everyone is bored with a song or getting worn out from a power song and you move on to something new. We work hard in rehearsal, but we have a good time.

ACB: What would you say is the most important element to having a successful collegiate a cappella group?

ZL: You need to have fun. It is so important to find a group of guys that not only enjoy singing, but enjoy singing together. Really, if we aren't in rehearsal you can probably find at least a couple of us hanging out; some of us even live together. We all take our music seriously and work hard, but we are all goofs and you just can't take yourself too seriously. When you stop having fun, rehearsals and performances suffer, and it all rolls downhill from there.

ACB: What song in the Brown Derbies' repertoire was your personal favorite from last year?

ZL: Right now we are wrapping up recording and production of a new album. I would say that my favorite tracks on the album are a cover of Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah" and one of Ben Folds' "Army," both arranged by Kevin Scott '06. "Hallelujah" is quite possibly one of the best and most creative interpretations of a song that I have ever heard. The melody transitions through the voice parts and the harmonies are incredibly tight while providing a contrast between powerful emotion and tender reflection. As for "Army," it is definitely a power song with 9 voice parts (not including the soloist and vocal percussionist) singing different melodies and harmonies at the same time. It is a classic, especially to any Ben Folds fan, and it translates wonderfully to a cappella.

ACB: What Brown Derbies performance or trip stands out the most memorable to you?

ZL: The Brown Derbies have, for a number of years, been touring nationally. The past two years, the group toured in Florida. Our tour this year took us to several great places in Florida, including the University of Florida at Gainesville and a Florida Marlins game in Fort Lauderdale. Singing the national anthem for a Major League Baseball game was incredible. It was a rush to be on the field with fans looking down at you and hearing your music reverberate throughout the stadium. More than that, the entire tour was a great opportunity for us to bond as a group as we spent time relaxing on the beach and even visited Disney World.

ACB: There are a number of successful a cappella groups at Brown University. How do the different groups co-exist? Is there any friendly rivalry between the groups? How often do the groups perform together?

ZL: Honestly, the groups exist together very nicely. Each group has its own distinct style; there are all-male, all-female, and co-ed groups that focus on a wide range of music, including jazz, madrigal, and pop/rock. We all have a lot of respect for each other and support each other whenever possible. Sure, a friendly rivalry exists, but that's it. Oftentimes you will see two groups performing together on campus or being invited to the same festival.

ACB: What can we expect to see from your group in the future? Any new songs in the works? Any upcoming gigs of note?

ZL: We have a great year ahead of us. We have a solid group of guys coming back to the group for 2006-2007 and a strong set of gigs scheduled or in the works. Our newest album features some really hot new tracks, including two of my personal favorites. You can expect to hear some great new arrangements on this album which includes everything from country (Kenny Chesney's "There Goes My Life) to rock (Barenaked Ladies' "Alcohol") and from punk/pop ("Time is Running Out" by Muse) to classic a cappella ("Change in My Life" by Rockapella).

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

ZL: Our newly renovated website (thank you to the webmaster, Olin Gay '08) has our complete discography, including the re-release of some older albums. We also keep our schedule up there, so check it out at www.brownderbies.com. Feel free to hang out with us at shows, we love meeting people that think we're cool before they meet us and realize we're not.