Lucas Castillo-West, Contributing Illustrator
A centuries-long rivalry. Brotherhood, battles on a football field and an annual a cappella mixer. It’s the annual Yale-Harvard weekend. While the vast majority of students will be invested in The Game, the Ivy League subculture of a cappella groups will be participating in their own form of rivalry.
While much of our experiences with a cappella have undeniably been influenced by the — in our humble opinion — groundbreaking “Pitch Perfect” trilogy, we were curious to see if the real life rivalries were as dramatic as pop culture made us think. With complicated rushing processes, mysterious traditions and sister singing groups, the Yale-Harvard a cappella experience is one to watch. We would say it might even be a better show than the second “Pitch Perfect.”
The Yale-Harvard a cappella experience speaks to the dynamic of long-term rivals and contains traditions that only make sense to those intimately familiar with Ivy League a cappella. While some of our careers in a cappella ended after an unsuccessful fall rush, events and annual traditions abound for the few that made it in. Retreats, parties and initiations are just a few of said a capella activities — not to mention a rumored “riff-off” at the annual Yale-Harvard game.
While there is an organized Harvard-Yale A Cappella Jamboree, that is not the only opportunity to watch some of the most competitive a cappella groups perform.. Syna Mathod ’29 said her a capella group, Proof of the Pudding, “is really excited to sing with the Harvard Fallen Angels for our joint concert.” The Harvard Krokodiloes and Pitches and Tones will also be hosting concerts. That being said, the more interesting traditions seem to be the ones that don’t happen on a stage.
In a conversation with Timothy Leung ’29, a member of Doox — a tenor-bass group at Yale — we had a chance to ask him about what he’s most looking forward to as he begins his first Yale Harvard a cappella weekend. As per usual, we learned some new a cappella vocabulary.
The basic structure of the Yale-Harvard a cappella experience seems to be formed around their relationships with rival groups. Rather than explicitly competing, however, they come together in celebration of a shared musical community. When asked about Doox’s connection with their rivals, Leung explained that Doox is “mixing with the Harvard Opportunes for a concert.” And this “mixing,” in the a cappella world, implies the possibility of a “droncert” — a drunk concert.
But is this the aca-initiation we know and love? While the specifics of droncerts seem to be a little vague, the emphasis Leung placed on the experience was not on his potential inebriation, but instead on the general excitement around the tradition. He said he “is really excited to meet other people in the a cappella world.” Curiously, at no point in his interview did Leung mention the Yale-Harvard rivalry. Were we being lied to about our shared hatred, or is there something else at play?
Riff-off or not, there is no shortage of intriguing a cappella events planned for the Game weekend. Leung also mentioned a ritual event fondly dubbed the “Aca-Beer Mile.” According to Leung, this race — which involves members across all the Yarvard a capella groups — is where “the groups do a lap around old campus, and then drink beer, and then run another lap.”
Daniel Weintraub ’28 offered heartwarming insight into this tradition: “It is a chance for everyone to be able to meet and cheer on members of their group with a competitive spirit.”
To be entirely honest, we are not quite sure what beer and running laps has to do with a cappella or The Game. But these traditions reveal a sense of community within a subculture on Yale and Harvard’s campuses. Rather than simply being a way for musically inclined students to participate, these traditions create a dynamic entirely original to the Yale-Harvard weekend environment.
Weintraub recalls that he’s never been able to experience The Game at Yale, but his excitement remains fervent due to his previous experiences with Yarvard a cappella traditions. “Last year our sister group — the Veritones — was very hospitable and we had a great time getting to know them, so I’m excited to see them again,” he said.
What happened to the bloodlust? The danger? We were told coming to Yale meant hating Harvard — is this not true?
What is revealed in these a cappella traditions is not just the competitive nature of Ivy League students, but the sense of kinship created by The Game and its associated activities. On paper we are divided, but the singing group subculture reveals that we are far more connected than we think. Whether it’s the beer mile, the intensely competitive race to get into these schools or just our shared passions, the a cappella traditions reveal a fellowship that extends beyond just their subculture.
While we will not be participating in an Aca-Beer Mile anytime soon, we are excited to see the ways our community celebrates. And on that sentimental note: Go Yale, beat Harvard!
