Inclusive. Fun. Diverse. These are the three words that Melatones co-leader Sophia Diomande ’19 used to describe Choate’s new multi-racial a capella group, which aims to specialize in performing and celebrating music composed by artists of color.
“We’re a diversity group, not an affinity group,” co-leader Alice Volfson ’19 said. “You can look onstage and relate to one of us by race, ethnicity, ability, gender, and other attributes. We’re more about creating a space that is accepting of everyone than creating a space about perfecting music.” She continued, “People might be afraid of how they might be perceived on stage and auditions by other people. In Melatones, we tell people that’s not what we’re looking at. We’re not looking at if you have the most beautiful voice in the world. We care about what you in particular can add to the group.”
More specifically, the Melatones will focus on supporting communities in broader New England and assisting in various charity events. “We want to benefit communities other than the Choate community. We want to help with charity. We hope to sing for a couple of charities and raise some money in fundraisers and such,” Diomande said. The Melatones’s first performance onstage will be during Parents’ Weekend. Next will be Acapalooza. Presumably, more charity and affinity events will follow in the wake of those a capella events.
Diomande shared how the idea for the group formed. “We were talking about how the music scene was very exclusive, so we wanted to create something that a lot of people could be a part of and have more exposure to different kinds of music,” she said. “We felt like there were a lot of things missing from the a capella atmosphere — different types of people, different types of music … and we just wanted to add that element to the Choate community.”
The students submitted a proposal form last winter, and they received permission to start the group at the end of spring term last year. Clearly, the prominence of their ideas was clear, indicated by their club’s quick turnover from theory into actuality. This club is a testament to Choate’s dedication to diversity and inclusion in every realm.
“We’ve just accepted new members this past weekend, so we’re excited for the future,” Diomande said. “The Choate community is a little cautious of Melatones. One of Choate’s favorite a capella groups, the Kaprophones, has been absorbed into Maiyeros, so a lot of people think that we’re the cause of that, but really, that was in the works before we had thought of becoming an a capella group.”
“We just got together as a group of girls that wanted to create something different … It’s definitely been tough getting to where we are now. We faced a lot of pushback, but we persevered and we are now officially an a capella group,” Diamonde stated confidently. “Hopefully, after our first performance, people will warm up to us.” Look out for the Melatones soon.
