OBERLIN COLLEGE'S MEN'S AND NON-BINARY A CAPPELLA GROUP
MEET THE 'TONES!
Today's Obertones are some of Oberlin's finest gentlefolk, hailing from many years, majors, and hometowns. Meet them below:
ELLIOT DAVEY
Co-President
Politics, Math '23
Now in their senior year at Oberlin, Elliot has learned much about a cappella since getting elected as a co-president as a second year. Arranging music is actually fun and possible even when you don't know what you're doing! People don't come on time to rehearsals when they're at 11am on a Saturday! Singing "ooh-ahh" is just saying "wah" very slowly! They hope to continue to learn and grow with the group as much as possible this year before they have to graduate.
JORDAN MUSCHLER
Music Director
Theater '23
O, music may be key to warmth and joy
Yet life takes turns and smiles pass men by
Jove be praised, for Jordan was born a boy
Thus joined to Tones, to sing both low and high.
Grief can come, old or new, in any life
What honor to sing away all our strife
Don't poop in the sink.
NIHAL KODAVARTI
Co-President
Math, Economics '23
Nihal first interpreted acapella as “people imitating instruments”, and as such, grew up making random noises in hopes of sounding like a piano or guitar. The Obertones have finally given him a purpose, but he still has yet to learn what acapella actually is.
ORION PENDLEY
Music Director
Geology, Studio Art '24
Who needs words? Orion plays bass, is a bass, and hasn’t spoken in years. Ask a question and the only reply will be in some variation of dm, dum, ba, da, oo.
Decode it. Uncover the secrets. Become one with the
bassline.
PUCK HARTSOUGH
Creative Writing, Classics '23
Puck (no, not like a hockey puck) hails from San Francisco, and would much rather talk about Apis mellifera than themself. They like Shakespeare (shocker) and petting any and all animals they come across.
ADAM WISE
Art/Publicity
Visual Arts '24
Adam gets stressed out when asked to describe himself. He is a complex individual! He contains multitudes!
He is also a baritone.
JULIAN LEE-SURSIN
Philosophy, French '23
If one is given an obscure ability for inhuman noise-making, it is one's moral responsibility to put that ability to use and make it work for the good of society.
GRAHAM EVANS
'25
Here for a good time, not a long time. Or for a long time, but not a good one. Or both, or neither. Either way, I'm here. Or am I?
LIAM OATES
Philosophy, Law & Society '24
I'm a simple man with simple tastes and a simple bio.
KAI ANDERSON
'26
Kai sincerely hopes that he'll still have a voice by the time he graduates.
MAX LANG
Creative Writing, Musical Studies '26
An extremely chaotic being. The group’s resident horse kid and high note screecher. Victim of the Variety Showcase performer to Obertone pipeline.
WILL JUDD
TIMARA '26
Walk directly through any group of men.
ANSEL MILLS
Theater '25
Once upon a time, Ansel washed his hands in a bidet in Florida. He doesn't live there, he just figured Florida's sinks were different. Just kidding, don't tell them that lol
VINCE YOLLES
Geosciences '26
Vin doesn’t know how they got here, but they are capable of identifying breeds of cars from impossible distances. If you need a Tenor 1, or somebody to tell you what kind of car some car is, they’re your guy. Interested in rocks, cars, and dogs.
DAMANI MILLER
Psychology, Creative Writing '26
Damani had absolutely nothing to do with the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. For that to be possible, he would have to be hundreds of years old, and he definitely is NOT a coconut crab gifted with immortality and the magical ability to sing a cappella. To even ask that would be absolutely preposterous. However, IF this was true, he would probably sing bass.
PHIN SAMDPERIL
Creative Writing, Theater '25
Despite what the Obertones might make him tell you, Phin does not love bumblebee tuna. What Phin does love is Grisling! The Musichall, a musical written by Jordan Muschler. Phin would now like to take this time to apologize. He actually does love bumblebee tuna, and is deeply sorry for lying to you. Phin would love to tell you more about himself, but unfortunately, Nihal and Elliot said this bio was only allowed to have a certain number of chara
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