A Capella presidents Eben Cook ’18, Tristan Jamidar ’18, Scott Romeyn ’18, and James Rose ’18 (center).
There is something about the people who create melodies, harmonies, and entire ensembles only utilizing their voices that make students stop and put on hold any activity, thought, or assignment at hand. It is undeniable that a cappella is an important, if not essential, part of campus and student life here at Choate. The previous a cappella groups were the Whimawehs, Lilith, Bellacantos, Kaprophones, and the Maiyeros. For years, these five groups have made up the community of a cappella vocal groups here on campus. However, this fall, the list is adjusted due to the merging of the two all-male groups: Kaprophones and Maiyeros, and the creation of the Melatones.
The male group is now synonymously known as the Maiyeros. The change in name was an intentional effort. James Rose ’18 said, “Because the Maiyeros were an older group with more history and alumni under it, we have decided to join the two groups under this name.” However, there is one element that is not going away. “We are keeping the bow ties, ” Rose added jokingly.
Due to the combining of the two groups, the a cappella group has four presidents: James Rose’ 18, Scott Romeyn ’18, Eben Cook ’18, and Tristan Jamidar ’18. Each are in charge of managing different aspects of the group. This was also a big change because traditionally most a cappella groups would have, at most, three presidents. However, this modification was unquestionably wise. Rose said, “With such a big group of guys, there is an issue of managing them. Being able to share responsibilities with three other people will make it easier for all of us.” Romeyn echoed this notion, stating, “It will be fun, having the four of us teach music, schedule rehearsals, and even sending out emails.”
The new Maiyeros has been in the works for a long time. Rose, who initiated the merger, said, “I wanted to combine the two groups since sophomore year.” His reasoning came from the shortage of male singers willing to take the stage. He stated, “My junior year marked a very low point in the history of both groups. There were not enough singers and the people who could sing either had no interest or simply did not want to join because it is not considered masculine.” The goal of the merger was to create the best a cappella group possible. However, this did not align with the groups’ core beliefs. Romeyn stated, “We realized that the most inclusive approach was to simply combine the two groups, not selecting vocalists who are considered ‘the best’.”
Currently, there are fifteen official members of the Maiyeros. However, there is always room for more. Rose said, “We are anticipating four new members.” Although this seems like a small increase in number, Rose said, “It is hard to manage a large group, but it is even harder to fit everyone on stage.”
There is a lot to look forward to, in terms of performances, from the Maiyeros. Due to the larger group, they will be able to create a more dynamic performance, with more vocal depths, notes, and tunes. In past years, the Maiyeros and Kaprophones have been very distinct in holding to their original styles. The Maiyeros were more traditional, while the Kaprophones were more interactive with the crowd. Rose stated, “The Kaps were known as being solid performers. We were able to get a lot of audience engagement. But the Maiyeros were known for being musically pristine. The benefit of merging is that we get to incorporate those two elements together.” Rose added, “I am, and was, president of the Kaprophones. As much as I love the group, it was obvious that we were not as musically exceptional. For all the performances, the gimmicks, the great things we did and made people happy, the music itself was always under the things the Maiyeros could do, at the time.” However, it seems that it was the opposite for the Maiyeros. Rose said, “In contrast to the Kaprophones, the Maiyeroes did not have any choreography. Being able to put those two things together will make a solid performance that we hope with reach the collegiate level. This is a very exciting prospect.” Romeyn agreed, stating, “I am just very excited to make music with this new group of singers.”
Although a cappella auditions have just ended, the Maiyeros already have exciting events and opportunities for the future of the group. Rose said, “The most major performance, for every a cappella group, is going to be on the Paul Mellon Arts Center steps during parents weekend.” However, that is not all that the group is planning to achieve this year. Rose elaborated, “With all the Kaprophones’s repertoire and the old Maiyeros’s repertoire, we have upwards of forty different songs with different arrangements.”
This school year will mark a new era in Choate’s a cappella history. With all the talents in the Maiyeros this year, it is a highly anticipated debut.
