OBERLIN COLLEGE'S MEN'S AND NON-BINARY A CAPPELLA GROUP
ANDREW MACPHAIL
Music Director
Politics '19
Hello there! After spending Spring 2018 in Dublin, Andrew is now incapable of singing anything but Irish pub songs. He quested throughout the Emerald Isle and the most beautiful cities of the Continent in search of the Jabberwocky, humming the hunting song: "'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves..." At long last, Andrew returns to Oberlin for his final year before he departs for the road once more.
GABRIEL LEE
Mathematics '19
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Gabe Lee, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
FELIX DE SIMONE
History, Politics '22
When Felix emerged from recently-thawed permafrost a number of years ago, scientists weren’t sure whether he’d survive. He has since been updated on tool use, and can operate a computer and write his own name. We hope you enjoy hearing his diverse set of guttural noises.
PAUL LAWRENCE
Math '20
"Hark, the herald angels sing, glory to the newborn king!"
Unbeknownst to many, this song was actually written about our very own Paul. Following this legacy, he quickly climbed the social ladder to claim his current titles: "King of Crabs", "King of Pasta", and "Darthmon, King of Shadows, Ruler of the Abyss." Beware ye, for all who question his power will be forced to listen to some sick beats, yo. He also sometimes does math and makes pretty decent beans.
TEDDY WATSON
Publicity
History, Politics '20
Teddy wears many hats. His two favorites are the baseball cap he wears to be the group's step-dad every tour, and his Social Media Manager hat, under which a teeny tiny Noah is piloting all the website renovations. He is the second Teddy in Obertones history and looks forward to someday encountering Teddy '87 and stealing his power. He has been singing with the Tones for four years now, and still isn't totally sure how to read bass clef. His mom is our biggest fan.
BEN ROSENBAUM
'23
Created in the center of Manhattan, this strange creature has spent his life accumulating a myriad of unusual sounds and talents. Nowadays, he tries his best to make these skills relevant in the context of the Obertones (the ball’s still in the air on whether or not he is succeeding at this task). He often loses himself in music.....literally. If found, please bring him to the nearest piano and provide him with the real book.
PATRICK WAI
Treasurer
Physics, Philosophy '21
2018: Obertones Treasurer/Business Coordinator, Taiko Treasurer
2019: eSports Organizer, Physics Department Representative, Philosophy Major Committee, Obertones Treasurer, Horsecows Safety Coordinator and Tournament Organizer, Taiko Treasurer
2020: eSports De Facto President, Physics Department Representative, Obertones Treasurer, Taiko Treasurer and ExCo Instructor, Frisbee and eSports Club Sports Liason, Club Sports Council Treasurer, Philosophy Honors
But who is Jabroni9000?
BARNABY WOODS
Co-President
Musical Studies, Economics '21
When the a cappella gods looked down on earth and said “let there be a cappella”, they most likely did not have Barnaby in mind. Nonetheless, he tries his best.
MAXWELL ADDAE
Music Director
Computer Science, TIMARA '21
Once upon a time, in a far off kingdom at the edge of New Jersey, a mythical, sassy creature, who goes by the name of Max, was conceived and raised among a group of musical cyborgs. Legend has it that each day, his cyborg family would lock him in a room and blast random a cappella group covers until his ears LITERALLY bled. From this, they had trained his ear to pick up any bass harmony on command instantly, and so it was only natural for him to join the Obertones upon coming to Oberlin. Since then, he has lived his life by one simple mantra: "I'm all about that bass."
BEN COHEN
Physics, Sociology '22
Big fan of boybands, bigger fan of being in one.
NOAH PLOTKIN
Computer Science, Psychology '22
Epic.
PHILIP SWIGON
Bassoon Performance, Psychology '22
A vocally confused coffee enthusiast, Philip spends the majority of his time running from one thing to another. It is believed that the best way to find him is by chanting the words “contemporary bassoon”, “food safety”, and “ultimate attribution error” while standing in a bass clef formation around a mocha latte, however his usual haunts include Slow Train, the Con library, and Robertson 230.
ROBBIE GOLD
Math, Computer Science '22
Bob Dylan. Toilet Time. Gucci Gang. Obertones.
SASHA PARIS-CARTER
Composition '25
Sasha is a chaotic Tenor II and a victim of the middle school "Glee" fan ---> college a cappella nerd pipeline. They are secretly trying to turn the Obertones into an emo band, but sssshhhhhhhh don't tell anybody that!!
EZRA PRUITT
'25
Hi, my name is Ezra Pruitt (he/him), and I am a singer-songwriter and dancer— I am 6’6 and a 1/2– andddd I’m double jointed.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
