The Academical Village People

The Academical Village People (AVP) is an all-male a cappella group at the University of Virginia founded in 1993 by a group of people who vowed to "never take themselves too seriously."[1] They set themselves apart from other groups by being able to keep professional while maintaining their lax attitude, wild antics while performing, and their less traditional uniform of a garage mechanic style shirt. The name "Academical Village People" comes from Thomas Jefferson's Academical Village at the university in Charlottesville, Virginia.[2] As of 2011, AVP, as it is often called for short, has released eleven studio albums, including a greatest hits album, DECADEmical: Best of 1993-2003, of its first ten years in existence.[3] The group has recorded many notable performances such as opening for Dana Carvey[4] and Girl Talk, performing for Reba McEntire at the White House, concerts at the Kennedy Center, and performances in such countries as England, Spain, and Scotland.[5]

AVP posing with Reba McEntire in the White House

History

Beginnings

The statue of Homer and Old Cabell Hall at the University where the founders of AVP first met together.

In May 1993, a few first-year (i.e., freshman) students at the University of Virginia gathered in the bathroom on the first floor Old Cabell Hall to sing together. All of them had been involved in other musical organizations such as University Singers, the Virginia Glee Club, or the First Year Players in previous semesters, and each also did not quite fit the mold of the other UVA a cappella groups, the Hullabahoos and/or the Virginia Gentlemen. They sang a few songs together like Billy Joel's "The Longest Time", and "In the Still of the Night". They realized their potential as a group, made the decision to meet together again in the fall.

The following fall brought many challenges. It was very difficult for them to regain everyone's interest after a long summer and to start something completely new at the university, but they were able to get eight people back together: Adam Nierow, Tom Nassif, Tim Dobiac, Rob Blatt, Kelly Caylor, Nick Comerford,

The Lawn at the center of the University of Virginia

Tim Withers, and Andrew Oh. The eight of them practiced regularly, chose the name "Academical Village People," and gave the first concert during the fall semester of 1993. Upon returning after winter break, Andrew Oh had decided to leave the group. Based on this decision, along with other reasons, Tim Dobiac also decided to walk away. Being reduced to six, the founders of AVP were very nervous to continue what they had started. They accepted four new members during their first set of auditions, Dave Davick, Doug Min, Matt Svoboda, Scott Zetlan, and the group that is the Academical Village People began its journey.

The name "Academical Village People" was not the only one considered by the founders. The official name was almost "The Lawn Boys", named after The Lawn at the University of Virginia. Other names that were thrown about were "Second Nature", because all of the founders were second-year students, and "Bucolic Chihuahuas". After much debate, the six of them decided to call themselves "The Academical Village People", after the name Thomas Jefferson gave to the oldest part of the University of Virginia, The Academical Village. Although the founders were concerned about being confused as a rap group, or being associated with The Village People, the name has stuck, and to this day AVP is still a successful college a cappella group.[6]

Traditions

Nicknames

Every member of AVP receives a nickname to be patched onto his garage shirt at his second concert with the group. Traditionally, a secret email thread is created behind those receiving their new nicknames, and the rest of the group decides on a name. Nicknames can be anything from the person's last name to something completely bizarre.

Class Names

After every weekend of auditions, the members of the group create a class name to be given to those selected to be in the group from that weekend's pool of auditions. Examples include "The Fortunate Frenchman", "Satanic Turkeys", and "Barefoot Pimpin' Part 3".[7]

Events

Auditions

AVP performing onstage in Philadelphia during their 2008 Fall Roll

Every semester at the University of Virginia, male students have the opportunity to audition and potentially become a member of AVP. Those interested come prepared with a verse and chorus of a song of their choosing. They are asked to sing scales, do ear training exercises, and sing their prepared piece. Callbacks for the group consist of going out to lunch or spending time with the group at the AVP house in order to get to know all of them followed by an intensive day in which those called back learn a part to a song in AVP's current repertoire, then have their own individual callback audition.[8]

Concerts

The group holds two concerts each year, one in the Fall semester and one in the Spring Semester. Each concert typically consists of around 15 songs, a video presentation, a skit presentation, and a guest group performance. The members traditionally wear khaki pants, denim shirts, and "wacky" ties for the first half, and their garage shirts for the second half.

Village Jam

Village Jam is a charity concert held by The Academical Village People in February. The first village jam was held in 2005 to aid those affected by hurricane Katrina. It has since become an annual concert. Each year it is held, the members at the time choose a worthy cause in which to donate all of the profits from the show.

Dorm Sings

Dorm sings are events in which AVP, often with other a cappella groups at the University of Virginia, get together and travel to the two main areas of freshman dorms to perform. These events offer freshmen students with a great opportunity to see the groups of UVA just outside their homes, and they are most often held on Wednesday nights.

Fall Roll

Every fall semester, the members of the Academical Village People traditionally spend their fall breaks going on a road trip together visiting other colleges, performing notable concerts, such as opening for Dana Carvey in Philadelphia in 2008,[5] and just having a good time together.

The group posing with Dana Carvey after it opened for him in the fall of 2008

Album Recording

AVP has been recording studio albums since their debut album Hoos Your Daddy? in 1994. The group's first five CD's were recorded at Virginia Arts Recording in Charlottesville, VA by Paul Brier, with the assistance of Ken Hutton during the recording of Calabash!. Throughout the production of these five albums, AVP was in search of the company that would provide the best mixing for its tracks. Hoos Your Daddy? was mixed by Paul Brier at Virginia Arts Recording, Maniac Bus Driver by Ray Salyer at Candock Recording Studios in Myrtle Beach, SC, Calabash! at Back Pocket Studios in New York City, NY, ¡Gracias, Por Favor! by Ken Schubert at Cue Recording in Falls Church, VA, and Room Zero by Bill Hare at Bill Hare Productions in Milpitas, CA.

Beginning with the tracks "Here's to the Night" and "Doin' Time (Summertime)"" on DECADEmical: Best of 1993-2003, James Gammon, a member of the group at the time, began recording the tracks for the group's CD's. Gammon recorded edited the entirety of Scantily Plaid, then it was shipped out to Bill Hare to be mixed. Academical is Not a Word was a transitional project in that Gammon recorded all of the tracks, and mixed a handful of them himself, the remainder being mixed again by Bill Hare. James Gammon went on to start his own business once he graduated from the university and from the group. Since this moment, all of AVP's albums have been fully recorded and mixed by James Gammon at James Gammon Productions.

Members

The Academical Village People generally consists of between 13 and 18 members all ranging from 1st-years to 4th-years at UVA.

Founders

Rob Blatt
Kelly Caylor
Nick Comerford
Tom Nassif
Adam "Cage Boy" Nierow
Tim "Old Man Withers" Withers

The new AVP right after Spring auditions of 2010

Current members

Austin "Galahad" Chang
Shade "Buddy" Wilson
Isaac "Boo-D" Park
Jason "Pumba" Valenzuela
Vijay "The Captain" Menon
Andrew "Shegoob" Fernandez
Evan "Mr. Pleasure" Lum
Martin Laurence "The Thinker" Millspaugh IV
AJ Bakhtari
Jordan "Robin" Maia
Nathan "Gucci" Pal
Myles "All Star" Stremick
Levi Moneyhun
Jair Valenzuela
Kiran Menon
Biff Tradwell[9]

Awards and recognitions

Album Tracks Selected To Best of College A Cappella (BOCA)

Album Tracks Selected to Voices Only

Album Tracks Selected for acaTunes Awards

Album Tracks Selected for Sing! Compilations[21]

Recognition in the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA)

Recognition by the Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB)

Performance in The International Championship of College A Cappella[30]

References

  1. ↑ Varsity Vocals, "UVA Academical Village People"
  2. ↑ Academical Village People, About Us,
  3. ↑ Academical Village People, Albums
  4. ↑ Academical Village People, The Dana Carvey Incident
  5. 1 2 A Cappella Records, Academical Village People
  6. ↑ Academical Village People, About Us
  7. ↑ Academical Village People, Alumni
  8. ↑ Academical Village People, Audition
  9. ↑ Academical Village People, Members
  10. ↑ Varsity Vocals,
  11. ↑ http://www.amazon.com/BOCA-2006-Best-College-Cappella/dp/B000FFS1OM
  12. ↑ Varsity Vocals, Boca 2006:Best of College A Cappella '06
  13. ↑ Varsity Vocals, Boca 2004:Best of College A Cappella '04"
  14. ↑ Varsity Vocals, Boca 2002:Best of College A Cappella '02
  15. ↑ "Voices Only 2015" , "http://www.voicesonlyacappella.com/VO/vo2015.php"
  16. ↑ "Voices Only 2014", "http://www.voicesonlyacappella.com/VO/vo2014.php"
  17. ↑ "Voices Only 2013", "http://www.voicesonlyacappella.com/VO/vo2013.php"
  18. ↑ "Voices Only 2011", "http://www.voicesonlyacappella.com/VO/vo2011.php"
  19. ↑ "Voices Only 2009", "http://www.voicesonlyacappella.com/vo2009.html"
  20. ↑ Vocomotion and Virtual Voices, 2009, The acaTunes Awards 2007
  21. ↑ Dave Sperandio, Alliance for A Cappella Initiatives, 2009, Sing Tracklists
  22. ↑ http://www.casa.org/cara2012n
  23. ↑ Vocomotion, 1/31/08, CARA 2008 Nominations
  24. ↑ James Gammon, 2/01/06, "http://www.jamesgammonproductions.com/"
  25. ↑ http://www.amazon.com/BOCA-2006-Best-College-Cappella/dp/B000FFS1OM
  26. ↑ James Gammon, 4/01/06, "http://www.jamesgammonproductions.com/"
  27. ↑ Vocomotion, 1999, 1999 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Nominees
  28. ↑ Recorded A Cappella Review Board, 2001, RARB Picks of '01
  29. ↑ Recorded A Cappella Review Board, 2004, RARB Picks of '04
  30. ↑ Varsity Vocals, 1995-2009, ICCA and ICHSA Previous Results
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