When Schwa was first formed, according to senior music major Blake Saunders, things started off a bit rough. Now the ensemble is one of the most popular musical groups on campus.
The group creates a “dynamic sound” and is dubbed the “premier co-ed a capella group” at Whitman College, said Saunders.
With their broad range of sound, Schwa is able to create a capella music based on songs from nearly every musical genre. Songs range from country to pop, rock to R&B and even to electronica sounds such as Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.”
“We have a different sound than [Testostertones and Sirens of Swank] because we have both men and women. It’s harder to make the sounds blend together, but it gives us a larger musical diversity,” said Saunders.
While multiple co-ed a capella groups have started and ended in Whitman’s musical history, Schwa has lasted nearly five years. The group meets three days a week to work on new music and polishing their old songs, and they have a lot of fun.
“I joined Schwa my freshman year,” said senior Megan Duffy. “I knew I wanted to be in an a capella group and I chose Schwa because when they performed you could tell everyone was having an absolute blast.”
“Although I did a lot of group singing in high school, I like the a capella setting much more,” said first-year Kyle Scott. “Being in a smaller group where each individual is invested […] creates an unparalleled ambiance.”
Each semester the group hosts auditions to replace members who have graduated, transferred, or are studying abroad. The audition process is, according to Duffy, standard, but rigorous. Students must prepare to sing back scales and recognize pitches, as well as prepare a 30 second song clip.
The group, much like Testostertones and Sirens of Swank, is an entirely student-run organization. Saunders acts as the musical director this year by getting rehearsals started as well as organizing music and teaching songs.
Recently, the rehearsals have shifted towards preparing for one of the ensemble’s most important events of the year: the Whitman College Choral Concert. Most of the group’s energy will be devoted to the event rather than creating new songs, according to Duffy.
For Saunders, his main concern is what will happen at the end of the year when the seniors graduate.
“There’s six or seven of us,” said Saunders. “So we want to prepare the juniors and underclassmen to take over. We’re having many [underclassmen] arrange songs. They’re good leaders, so the group won’t be as decapitated as [the seniors] thought at the beginning of the semester.”
When asked about what Schwa is planning for the future, Saunders and Duffy were ambiguous.
“No idea,” said Duffy. “Plus, we like to keep our new songs a secret.”
“We have new stuff planned,” said Saunders. “But you’ll have to wait and see.”
