The Back Row, Colorado College’s only all-male a cappella group, has moved into a new “golden age,” according to first-year member Rory Lowe. In their annual spring concert on April 29, the group hopes to “change it up,” by bringing more alumni onstage, having smaller groups of people perform shorter group songs, and other changes from their previous status quo.
When asked about their name, the boys explained that the founding members were all exceptionally tall, and were always required to sit in the back row of school events.
The group’s members have come from all different musical backgrounds, but Lowe and junior Tierre Allenr, along with sophomore Joshua Zambrano and first-year Ben White, were all inspired to sing a cappella by their respective NSO concerts. “Seeing them perform on stage in Armstrong was what really inspired me to audition,” said Zambrano. “After I got in I completely fell in love with it.” While some of the Back Row singers also auditioned for the co-ed a cappella group, they are all certain now that they chose the right group for them.
The Back Row auditions consist of a verse and chorus from a song of the singer’s choice, followed by scales and tests on oral recall. “We play some notes for them to see if they can sing them back correctly.” They always finish by having them tell a joke or funny story, “to see if the singer would mesh with the overall vibe of the group.” In recent years, 10-15 percent of the people who tried out have been accepted.
Zambrano, the current president of the group, says that the “a cappella atmosphere has completely changed” since he first started at CC. “Last year there was a lot of ‘aca-drama,’ but now the relationships between the groups are good and we have mixers. They’re really fun,” said Zambrano. Both he and Allen agreed that the past negative vibes between the different groups before this shift definitely had an adverse impact on their experiences.
There are changes being made within The Back Row as well. Their old method of picking and assigning songs “got to be a problem, because the same people were always getting the solos,” said Zambrano. “Our new system has the freedom to allow people to choose and pick the songs they wanted to sing. Of course, ‘Africa’ and ‘Cecelia’ are done at every concert—those are songs from the original group.”
“Block-breaking” together has become a Back Row tradition, and is among all of the members’ fondest memories from their time in the group so far. On their most recent trip, they “made over $400 singing together on the street. [They] taught some of the new members their really old songs, and even improvised a little.”
“‘Pitch Perfect’ has kind of ruined a cappella, honestly,” said Zambrano. People expect groups to be able to improvise on the spot, without recognizing the careful time and dedication that goes into the arrangement and rehearsal of each song. On one of their Block Breaks, “an older lady came up to us and asked us to sing an Eagles song,” said Zambrano. “So we kind of fumbled our way through ‘Hotel California,’” which White had used as his audition song.
This time spent together off-campus is one of the things that makes the members of The Back Row so close. Allen says that he didn’t feel “truly comfortable in the group until after [his] first block break.”
For Lowe, the most memorable Back Row experience so far has been the ‘A COppella’ event at DU, an a cappella festival that attracts groups from all over the state. “It was really fun to get the chance to hang out with and hear other a cappella groups sing,” he said. White was also excited about the event, because it allowed them to connect with Back Row alumni living in the Denver area.
“The Back Row has literally changed my life,” said Allen. “I now have two jobs in the Music Department, and music as a whole has become a huge part of my life. None of that would’ve happened without The Back Row.” Zambrano has had a similar experience, and is now considering pursuing a Music minor because of The Back Row. “I was always drawn to music, but I wasn’t actively practicing it,” he said.
“The best experiences are just being onstage for the concerts,” said Zambrano. “It’s incredible being up onstage with a group of guys that you really love. This semester there’s a really special, fun song we’re doing, which we’re really excited about. We’re also planning on bringing some really sensual choreography.”
All of this and more will be on display at The Back Row’s spring concert on Friday, April 29 at 7 p.m. in Armstrong Theater.