Hullabahoos

The Hullabahoos

The 2012-2013 Hullabahoos
Background information
Origin University of Virginia
Genres A Cappella
Years active 1987–present
Website hullabahoos.com

The Hullabahoos are a student-run, all-male a cappella group at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. The group was founded in 1987 by Halsted Sullivan and has recorded 15 studio albums[1] as of early 2007 and performed at the 2004 Republican National Convention,[2] Washington Nationals baseball games, Good Morning America,[3] the Philippines,[4] weddings, and private parties. Other performance requests have included invitations from the White House, the Kennedy Center,[5] and NBC's The Today Show.

History

The group was founded December 8, 1987 when a couple of friends at the University of Virginia got together and said, "Hey, let's sing other people's songs without instruments, and wear robes while we do it". So they did. And they still do. The group's history has taken them all around the globe and allowed them to record multiple studio albums in what they refer to as Hullabasound (as stated on their album inserts).

The Hullabahoos are typically 13 to 18 members (although this figure varies from year to year), and auditions for newcomers are held every fall and occasionally in the spring.[6]

The Hullabahoos Logo

The current Hullabahoos logo was first drawn in Fall 2003 by Morgan Anderson, a student at Williams College, in promotion of the Hullabahoos' visit to her school. The poster was later scanned into a computer and emailed from a girlfriend in Massachusetts to her boyfriend in Virginia, and it slowly crept its way onto more and more Hullabahoos paraphernalia, gradually overtaking the traditional but less distinctive Uppercase H logo.

Fall Roll

In addition to concert performances and other similar gigs, the Hullabahoos typically reserve their Fall Break weekend at the University of Virginia for a road trip up the East Coast, stopping and performing at various colleges (e.g. Dartmouth College, Boston University, University of Connecticut, etc.) along the way.[5] They currently refer to this annual excursion as Fall Roll.

CD Production

The Hullabahoos have been producing studio albums since 1991's Full Glottal Stop,[7] and spent the majority of their early album-making career recording with accomplished sound engineer Paul Brier, formerly of Virginia Arts Recording Studios in Charlottesville, VA. However, with 2004's release of Jacked, the Hullabahoos began to transition over to a new sound engineer/producer—Dave Sperandio of Diovoce, hiring him to handle the album's final mixes and mastering. Dave, with his proficiency in Hip-Hop and Pop-type production, quickly built himself a solid reputation in the a cappella world, and his work has been commended by the Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB). With the Hullabahoos' 13th CD release, a cappella producer and UVA alum, James Gammon, of his self-titled James Gammon Productions was added into the production mix, doing almost all of the Hullabahoos' recording as well as mixing "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" and recording and mixing the album Varsity Sing Team in full.

The Hullabahoos of 2000-2001, wearing their robes

Robes

The Hullabahoos, although around since 1987, were not the first all-male a cappella group at the University of Virginia. That title instead goes to the school's Virginia Gentlemen, founded in 1953.[8] Historically, the Virginia Gentlemen, or VG's as they are sometimes called, wear tuxedos or coats and bowties whenever they perform. So when the Hullabahoos came on the scene, they decided to differentiate themselves with a more laid-back style by adopting the use of uniquely patterned robes[9] that have been noted to somewhat resemble the official garb of the Eli Banana,[10] one of the many Secret Societies at the University of Virginia.

Each member goes to Mr. Hank's Fabric Store in Charlottesville, VA to pick out his own desired robe pattern.[9] This gives the group a sense of relaxed individuality, making the Hullabahoos stand out amongst the more typical glee club-style college groups.

Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory

New York-based writer Mickey Rapkin followed the Hullabahoos in 2006 and 2007 and profiled the group in his book, Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory. This "behind-the-scenes look at the bizarre, inspiring, and hilarious world of competitive collegiate a cappella"[11] was released on May 29, 2008 by Gotham Books.

The group also makes an appearance in the film adaption of the novel, released in 2012. They appear during the ICCA Finals as a participating group performing The Final Countdown.

Discography

Awards and recognition

CARA wins and nominations

Albums selected as "Top Picks" / "Honorable Mentions" by the RARB

Album tracks selected for BOCA

Album tracks selected for Voices Only

References

  1. ↑ "Hullabahoos Albums". Hullabahoos (home page). Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  2. ↑ Lee, Youyoung (2004-04-09). "The Hullabahoos: Unrobed For Your Pleasure". Cavalier Daily.
  3. ↑ Milberger, Michael (2008-09-28). "College A Capella Groups Breaking Tradition, Hearts". ABC News.
  4. ↑ Batten, Stephanie (1999-09-20). "Hullabahoos take their show on the road". Cavalier Daily.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Kennedy Center: Millennium Stage Artist Details for The University of Virginia Hullabahoos". Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  6. ↑ "So you want to be a Hullabahoo?". Hullabahoos (home page). Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  7. ↑ "Full Glottal Stop (album)". Hullabahoos (home page). Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  8. ↑ "Virginia Gentlemen (home page)". Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Wood, Teresa (2005-04-11). "Loud Robes". Cavalier Daily.
  10. ↑ Jacob, Katie (January 2004). "Looking back at years of Bananas, Ravens". A&S Online.
  11. ↑ Rapkin, Mickey. "Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory". Archived from the original on 2008-05-25. Retrieved 2008-06-18.

External links