Tulane University THEM
Hurricane Katrina had a profound effect on America, devastating the area, costing nearly 2,000 lives and causing billions of dollars in damages. Among the colleges directly affected by this disaster was Tulane University. Rest assured, though, that collegiate a cappella is alive and well in New Orleans.
Elliot Hardy, the president of Tulane THEM, took the time to answer questions from A Cappella Blog co-founder Mike Chin.
A Cappella Blog (ACB): Your group has a simple, but distinctive name. How did the name come about?
Elliot Hardy (EH): The name "THEM" came from the suggestion of a friend of one of the founding members. I actually had the opportunity to meet this individual on one occasion and asked if the name had any special meaning to him. He said that it did not, and that he wasn't thinking of it as an acronym when he suggested it either. So, that's the story behind our name. We are simply THEM (although we do joke that it could stand for "Tulane's Hottest Ensemble Musicians."
ACB: Tulane University faced major challenges due to Hurricane Katrina. How has Tulane, and THEM in particular, rebounded following such adversity? What, if anything, is different now for the group?
EH: Post-Katrina, Tulane, and THEM as well, have rebounded quite nicely, I feel. Some academic changes were made to the school, but fortunately no one in the group was adversely affected by those to my knowledge. We nearly had one member opt to stay at the university that she attended in Fall 2005 when Tulane was closed for the semester, but she decided to return, citing, in part, that she would miss the group too much if she left. Otherwise, things for the group are pretty much the same as they were pre-hurricane. One idea that we have tossed around of late, however, is performing more in the New Orleans community to help lift the spirits of those who have returned to the city.
ACB: THEM has a tradition of performing "Soul To Squeeze." How did this song become such a favorite for the group?
EH: "Soul to Squeeze" is definitely a perennial favorite among the members of THEM. Ironically, the parts have to be passed on verbally to new members because the sheet music is handwritten and nearly impossible to follow. But I think the reason it has endured so well is that everyone loves their part on the song, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are always a well-known (and loved) group to cover for the audience. Another reason for keeping it in our repertoire year after year is that it was [performed by] the founding members of the group. "Soul to Squeeze" helps us hold onto our roots as well. It's a song that unites members past and present; furthermore, we often invite any old members that may be in the audience to join us for its singing.
ACB: What can listeners expect from your most recent CD, THEMOLITION?
EH: THEMOLITION is a compilation of selected songs that we have sung over the past 3 years (from Fall '03 to Spring '06). It contains songs from The Black Eyed Peas, Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Animals, Radiohead, Christina Aguilera, Pink Floyd, Modest Mouse, The Fugees, Billy Joel, Maroon 5, and a "mash-up" of Green Day and Oasis, to name a few. It also has several skits that we performed in various concerts to mix things up a bit. Overall, it's a very upbeat collection of a wide variety of music genres that display the musical talent of the group. But most importantly, it was really fun to make. Be on the lookout for another album in 2 years or so!
ACB: What can we expect to see from THEM in the future? Any new songs in the works? Any upcoming gigs of note?
EH: Each fall, we have campus-wide auditions to fill the spots left by members who graduated the previous spring. So, right now we are working on teaching and perfecting some of our old songs, but we have also thrown several new ones in the mix. We are currently working on three new songs--one never before performed--that we plan to record later in the semester by Garth Brooks, Counting Crows, and Radiohead. We have also commissioned two more pieces to be arranged by a former member of the group who arranged several of the tracks on THEMOLITION. So, we have lots of exciting new music to look forward to.
ACB: What drew you, personally, to collegiate a cappella in the first place?
EH: I actually sort of stumbled upon college a cappella, myself. I was headed back to my dorm after club soccer practice and saw signs for auditions; I decided to try out, and the rest is history! I have really been singing all my life, though. I grew up singing in my church and sang in the school choir in middle and high school. I was a member of the Louisiana Junior High and Louisiana High School All-State Choirs for several years and even auditioned for and scored a spot in the All-National Choir one year. In addition, I was the lead in the high school musical my senior year. So, I have always loved to sing, and college a cappella was just a natural extension of that. And, it has been some of the best times I have had in my college career.
ACB: Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers of The A Cappella Blog?
EH: I guess that pretty much sums everything up. I would tell readers of The A Cappella Blog to check out our site every so often as we try to keep it current with gigs and other goings-on. It's really the best way to find out about our group. Also, I would let them know that we are looking to possibly travel this year to competitions/group a cappella events, and to send me an e-mail (ehardy@tulane.edu) if they are interested in having us perform somewhere. We are a really fun group, comprised of people from all over the nation, and we love to sing!
If you would like to learn more about THEM, you can visit the group online at www.tulane.edu/~them.