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The Jabberwocks Hit All the Right Notes During Their Visit to Gilman

As part of its winter break tour, the Jabberwocks, the oldest a cappella group at Brown University, made a special visit to Roland Avenue in mid-January. Fifteen men and women, including four-year Traveling Men alumnus Anay Agarwal ’23, performed five songs for a captive audience of Lower School boys in grades 2–5 in the Stevens Room.

“It’s a little weird being back,” Agarwal said as he introduced the group. He reflected with a smile that “everything seems smaller … even though I didn’t get much bigger.”

Their repertoire featured a variety of songs, from the unfamiliar like “Me and the ‘Wocks” (a Jabberwocks original) to the more well-known like Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida.” The singers incorporated simple but fun choreography. A highlight from their rendition of “Pure Imagination” (Willy Wonka) was one member’s beatbox work.

After the concert, the Jabberwocks moved on to music teacher Amy Cyman’s classroom where they were joined by the Treble T’s, an audition ensemble that comprises 34 Gilman students in grades 3–5. After the vocal groups shared warm-up practices with each other, the boys had a chance to ask questions of their more experienced peers. Topics included the group’s collective range (five octaves), what instruments they played (a variety), and the number of “grades” represented in the group (five, since there are five-year programs at Brown). Cyman asked the Jabberwocks to share with the boys about their experiences when their voices changed since that is a challenge the Treble T’s will face in the coming years. One piece of advice: Work with the change; don’t fight it. Another: Simply “Keep singing!”

“It was a pleasure to have Anay back in the Lower School to inspire other young singers who might, one day, bring their own a capella groups to Gilman,” said Cyman. “The Jabberwocks visit was a full-circle moment and brought joy to many of Anay's former teachers who are so proud of the new adventure that is unfolding for him.”

The Jabberwocks are a completely student-led organization with members holding roles such as music director, business manager, tour manager, and social media manager, which is Agarwal’s current job. He says that his time in the Traveling Men at Gilman prepared him for his Jabberwocks experience “in every possible way,” specifically pointing to the way Vocal Groups Director Robby Ford led rehearsals and got students involved. Agarwal also mentions the close relationships among the Traveling Men as similar to what he has now with the Jabberwocks. “You can only sound as good as you are friends.”

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Follow the Jabberwocks on Instagram. Their newest album, “Picture of Us,” came out on January 17.


 

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