The Brown University Jabberwocks

The Jabberwocks are a talented all-male group out of Brown University. Jabberwocks Music Director George Conklin took the time to answer questions from The A Cappella Blog.

The A Cappella Blog (ACB): The Jabberwocks kicked off last summer with a trip to Europe, performing in London and Paris. What was this experience like for the group?

George Conklin (GC): We went to London and Paris for 10 days in June, just after graduation, and I know the entire group had a great time. For those of us who hadn't traveled much before, we had a chance to walk around those two amazing cities, and even if the guys had been there before, being there with that particular group of Jabberwocks made it special. You can't come away from an experience like that without feeling so much closer to every other guy in the group. We spent our last night of tour in Paris, on the Eiffel Tower, singing and drinking and saying goodbye to the seniors. And after descending from the Tower, we finished the tour with an impromptu 30 minute show directly beneath it, singing for one last time as the 07-08 Jabberwocks. That night defines for me what it means to be a Jabberwock, and everyone who was there will always have that "hey, do remember that last night in Paris" to share with the other seventeen guys. It's the kind of thing that lasts your entire life.

ACB: The Jabberwocks enjoy a long and storied history, dating back to 1949. How does this long history affect the group?

GC: I think there are really two ways our history impacts the group. There are the obvious advantages of having Jabberwocks all over the world who are willing to help us with tours, places to stay, or money for recording. Because of those members we can go to London, Paris, and Hong Kong fairly regularly, and still record CDs and have tours in the US as well. The history, and the fact that this group means so much to sixty years of Jabberwocks, means that we always have someone willing to help us out. But perhaps even more importantly, during that time the group has built an identity of what it means to be a 'Wock. It necessarily changes every year, at least a bit, because you lose seniors and get new guys, so guys from four years ago might have trouble recognizing us at first. But we hold true to the things that make us love singing a cappella, and we perform our songs with the passion and the same sense of brotherhood that every Jabberwock can recognize. We have a tradition of excellence and friendship, and in that informs everything we do today.

ACB: How do the Jabberwocks go about recruiting new members?

GC: I just got done singing in our four newest members at 4AM this morning, so it's a good time for this question. The audition process at Brown is coordinated so all of the groups schedule their auditions, callbacks, and also the selection process so that there are no conflicts. But that's just the process. Having just gotten all four guys that we wanted to take (a streak which extends back to the last thirty Jabberwocks chosen), the most important part of recruiting is making the perspective 'Wocks realize what we offer that other groups may not. And certainly our touring and recording and performances all serve to help lure new guys, but what it comes down to, and I heard this all night long for each of the new guys, is that we make it known that the community and friendship you find in the Jabberwocks is stronger than any other. We take the guys out to dinner and have talk to them in one-on-one settings, then have a callback audition where we grill food, play frisbee and football, sing a bit, but mainly show them what it'll be like in the group. They're basically a Jabberwock for the night. And I know all the groups try to do this, but I think that our record shows that more important than sounding good or having cool tour destinations is creating a place where for four years in college, and then for the rest of your life, a guy will be with the best friends he'll ever have. Ask any of our four new guys, and they will all tell you they know what it means to be a Jabberwock, and that is why they chose us.

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

GC: Coming into every year we want to get some hot songs from the summer into the set quickly. This year we put "Forever" and "Viva la Vida" into the set in the first three weeks. Those were roughly decided by the group, and by time considerations, and the fact that we had them previously arranged. Now that we have our new guys and regular rehearsal times, we will have a listening session where everyone brings in a song, we listen to them all, and vote for the three or four we would like to see done by the group. We have five guys in the group right now who have already arranged a song the group has performed, and others who have some interest, so whoever thinks they can do a good job on a certain song can take a shot at it. We try and have a balanced set, and we have both a hot set and business set, so we need to have enough songs on hand that are appropriate for a gig at any location, and that is definitely a consideration when choosing. Basically, if the group likes a song, and someone is willing to arrange it, we do it.

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

GC: Success is now measured in so many ways, especially with the explosion of legitimate recording groups, but since my love is for live a cappella, I have to say that performing a cappella with passion, whether on the stage or off, is key. The reason that BYU's Noteworthy and Vocal Point, Divisi, the Bubs, the Aires, and FSU's ANY are my favorite live groups is that they don't ever seem to be content with just singing. You know the Beelzebubs are good, everyone knows that. But I'm not sure you can fully realize their true brilliance until you see them live. The Jabberwocks performed with them twice last year, and both times the thing that stood out the most was that they never took a break from the song. There was no hesitation. Even if they weren't sure on their notes, or missed a chord, it didn't matter. They didn't show it. All they did was perform the hell out of each and every song. That level of performance carries over to everything they do, and that is something I want for the Jabberwocks. If you enjoy singing that much, and dedicate yourself to that extent in order to get it right, while having fun with your friends and entertaining an audience, then success will come to you in its many forms. The Jabberwocks have tasted a measure of success, I think we've established ourselves firmly here at Brown, and now we're aiming higher using the same passion that got us this far. Whether you want to be known on campus, to be the best on campus or in the country, or to be known throughout the a cappella community as a force, all of that demands you love what you do.

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

GC: Sing more, continue to push a cappella forward, and have fun performing. Oh, and shameless self-promotion time, if you ever want a gig at Brown, or need a guest group of fifteen really nice guys, look us up.

You can learn more about The Jabberwocks at their official website here.