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A cappella groups at Syracuse University have adjusted how they rehearse, meet and record music during the fall semester.

Practicing together has become more difficult with social distancing regulations on campus.

Dan Wilde, the head of public relations for the a cappella group Otto Tunes, said the group practices primarily on the Quad to maintain at least six feet of social distance. Because tents on the Quad must be reversed, the group has experienced a decrease in practice time.

“One of the biggest things is that it affects our sound in rehearsal,” Wilde said. “If you’re not in an enclosed space, it’s a lot harder to hear one another and kind of just have a productive rehearsal.”

Laura Cote, a member of the all-female a capella group Main Squeeze, said her group has been following SU’s guidelines on social distancing. The members sing “thirty minutes on, twenty minutes off, thirty minutes on,” with shorter practice times and fewer days of practice as additional COVID-19 precautions, Cote said.

Main Squeeze holds practices outside on Monday evenings and inside at Hendricks Chapel on Wednesdays, and members break into smaller groups during rehearsals.

“Performances are set back because it’s hard to do any type of performance right now or prepare for one,” Cote said. “We have to air out the space. We’re singing for less time every week than we usually would so that limits how much we can learn.”

Juliette Milber, music director for Jewish a cappella group Oy Cappella, said the audition process was challenging this year. The first audition included a video submission of vocal exercises and a song of applicants’ choice. Those who received a callback met with Oy Cappella outside and socially distanced with masks.

“It was difficult,” Milber said. “I don’t think anybody was prepared for this type of an adjustment.”

Despite the changes in the audition process, Wilde was still happy with Otto Tunes’ turnout. The group had to postpone their annual concert “Cockappella,” a testicular cancer foundation fundraiser, to the spring though.

Oy Cappella, a Jewish a cappella group, has made none of their practices mandatory due to COVID-19. Courtesy of Juliette Milber

Safety among the groups has been a shared theme. Cote said safety and schoolwork are still their priorities this year for Main Squeeze, adding that group members sing 12 to 18 feet away from each other.

Milber said that Oy Cappella made an agreement only to come if they don’t feel sick and haven’t been exposed to COVID-19, and none of the practices are mandatory.

Another safety struggle is recording music in a studio. Otto Tunes released the EP “Welcome to Otto Tunes” in 2017 and then another EP, “Other Lover,” in January 2020. They are still optimistic about recording another EP this year and will do so by recording one member at a time in the studio, Wilde said.

Groups are attempting to provide some form of interaction with students on campus. Milber also discussed the possibility of a virtual concert this semester for Oy Cappella, in which group members would probably perform on separate video calls.

Other groups, such as Main Squeeze, are optimistic about their progress this year but do not see many possibilities for campus interaction such as live performances, Cote said.

“It all depends on what the school tells us we can do,” Cote said. “I think we all want to perform as soon as possible; it’s just if the school will let us.”

Published on September 30, 2020 at 9:12 pm