Amalgamates
Encyclopedia
The Amalgamates are the premier coed collegiate a cappella
group at Tufts University
in Medford, MA
.
With members from all over the United States
and the world, the "Mates" have a tradition of musical excellence represented by both the current singers and a network of over 150 alumni worldwide. The Mates arrange and learn a new repertoire of rock
, pop
, R&B, alternative, and jazz
covers every semester, performing at Tufts as well as other universities, local secondary schools and at private functions around New England
throughout the school year. Each year, the Mates travel within the US
or abroad on a Spring Break
tour, performing at various venues including colleges, high schools and a cappella festivals.
and Jackson Jills respectively, the fledgling group held auditions in November of that year, and from the thirty people who auditioned, chose ten more members. The Mates first official college performance was at Wellesley College, followed soon thereafter by their first home concert at Goddard Chapel with the Bubs and the Jills.
's Man in the Mirror
, with soloist Amy Birnbaum
, on the 1996 release Hat Sale! Get Mama!. The song went on to win the 1997 CARA Award for Best Coed Collegiate Song and runner-up for Best Coed Collegiate Soloist, and was chosen as the opening track for BOCA: Best of College A Cappella, Vol. 3. Subsequent albums have perennially been selected for a variety of Awards; in addition to CARA and BOCA honors, Mates tracks have appeared on Voices Only and SING compilations.
In addition to the gala, other events that took place during the course of the anniversary weekend included the traditional singing on the Tisch Library roof, a visit to the Mates Room at the Hayes House on Chetwynd Ave., and a Sunday morning brunch at Christopher's Bar and Grill on Porter Square
in Cambridge
.
to Chapel shows such as the annual Homecoming performances, to special university events such as trustee dinners at President Larry Bacow's Gifford House, the Mates travel throughout Massachusetts and New England regularly over the course of the year. The group often performs at middle schools and high schools, typically conducting a workshop with the schools' students in addition to the show. Workshops typically explain the way a popular song becomes a Mates song and involve teaching a portion of a Mates song and basic vocal percussion
techniques to the students.
Each year, the Mates travel to a more distant destination for a spring break tour. Past tour locations include Madrid
and Barcelona
, London
, France
and Germany
, New Orleans, Jamaica
, Florida
, and California
. Most recently, the Mates introduced the sounds of college a cappella to the island of Aruba
.
The Mates have sung at a number of prestigious venues and events, including the National Portrait Gallery in London, for then-presidential candidate John Kerry
at a fundraiser at the Boston Convention Center, the Wang Center (now the Citi Performing Arts Center
), Disney World, and Boston's Symphony Hall
. On September 15, 2009, the Mates performed the National Anthem at Fenway Park
, for the second time in just two seasons.
• Hands Off The Mannequin! (2011)
• 25th Anniversary Tribute Album (2009)
• Teaser - Extended Single (2009)
• Prime (2008)
• Baggage Claim (2006)
• Stopping for Breakfast (2004)
• Bamboo (2002)
• Juice (2000)
• Grandma's Camper (1998)
• Hat Sale! Get Mama! (1996)
• Unexpected Guests - Live (1994)
• Quarter Past Six (1991)
• The Chartreuse Album (1988)
• Strange Pair of Shoes (1986)Strange Pair of Shoes
• The Contemporary A Cappella Society (official site)
• Read Mates reviews by the Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB)
Collegiate a cappella
Collegiate a cappella ensembles are student-run and -directed singing groups that perform entirely without instruments. Such groups can be found at many colleges and universities in the United States, and increasingly worldwide....
group at Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
in Medford, MA
Medford, Massachusetts
Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...
.
With members from all over the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the world, the "Mates" have a tradition of musical excellence represented by both the current singers and a network of over 150 alumni worldwide. The Mates arrange and learn a new repertoire of rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, R&B, alternative, and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
covers every semester, performing at Tufts as well as other universities, local secondary schools and at private functions around New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
throughout the school year. Each year, the Mates travel within the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
or abroad on a Spring Break
Spring break
Spring break – also known as March break, Study week or Reading week in the United Kingdom and some parts of Canada – is a recess in early spring at universities and schools in the United States, Canada, mainland China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the United...
tour, performing at various venues including colleges, high schools and a cappella festivals.
Name and Formation
The Amalgamates were founded in 1984 by Tufts students Joanne Cohen, Craig Everett, and David Wiley. "Amalgamate" means "combine or unite to form one organization or structure"; thus, founding members chose the name Amalgamates to indicate the formation of the first coed a cappella group at Tufts. With the aid of Marti Fernandi and Fiona Wright-Hall, members of the two other existing groups, the BeelzebubsBeelzebubs
The Beelzebubs, frequently referred to as "The Bubs", are an all-male a cappella group from Tufts University that performs a mix of pop, rock, R&B, and other types of music while spreading their motto of "Fun through Song." They have toured in Europe, Asia, and North America, and they competed in...
and Jackson Jills respectively, the fledgling group held auditions in November of that year, and from the thirty people who auditioned, chose ten more members. The Mates first official college performance was at Wellesley College, followed soon thereafter by their first home concert at Goddard Chapel with the Bubs and the Jills.
Reputation
The Mates became an a cappella household name with their rendition of Michael JacksonMichael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's Man in the Mirror
Man in the Mirror
"Man in the Mirror" is a song recorded by Michael Jackson and written and composed by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett. It peaked at number one in the United States when released as a single in January 1988 off his seventh solo album, Bad. It is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed songs and...
, with soloist Amy Birnbaum
Amy Birnbaum
Amy Birnbaum is an American voice actress, who works on the properties of 4Kids Entertainment.She has done many voiceovers for cartoons, mainly dubbing for English versions of anime. Her works can be found in anime dubs such as Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, Sonic X , Magical...
, on the 1996 release Hat Sale! Get Mama!. The song went on to win the 1997 CARA Award for Best Coed Collegiate Song and runner-up for Best Coed Collegiate Soloist, and was chosen as the opening track for BOCA: Best of College A Cappella, Vol. 3. Subsequent albums have perennially been selected for a variety of Awards; in addition to CARA and BOCA honors, Mates tracks have appeared on Voices Only and SING compilations.
25th Anniversary
The group has firmly established traditions that include the homecoming show in the Chapel, a weekend retreat, biannual studio album releases, and a number of social events that have become an intrinsic part of the Amalgamates experience. In 2009, in honor of the milestone 25th Anniversary, over one hundred Mates alumni gathered for Homecoming weekend, October 9-October 11, for a gala event. A committee of alumni worked in conjunction with the Tufts Alumni association for over a year to organize an evening that included remarks by Mates from across the years, a slideshow, and casual performances by the groups from each year. Mates alumnus John Clark, a recording engineer, enlisted alumni and current group members to create a tribute album of rerecorded or never-before recorded songs, even going so far as to use the original soloists.In addition to the gala, other events that took place during the course of the anniversary weekend included the traditional singing on the Tisch Library roof, a visit to the Mates Room at the Hayes House on Chetwynd Ave., and a Sunday morning brunch at Christopher's Bar and Grill on Porter Square
Porter Square
Porter Square is a neighborhood in Cambridge and Somerville, Massachusetts in the USA, located around the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Somerville Avenue, between Harvard and Davis Squares...
in Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
.
Touring, Gigs, and Workshops
In addition to on campus performances that span from short "dorm sings" during orientationOrientation week
Student orientation or new student orientation, is a period of time at the beginning of the academic year at a university or other tertiary institution during which a variety of events are held to orient and welcome new students. The name of the period varies by country...
to Chapel shows such as the annual Homecoming performances, to special university events such as trustee dinners at President Larry Bacow's Gifford House, the Mates travel throughout Massachusetts and New England regularly over the course of the year. The group often performs at middle schools and high schools, typically conducting a workshop with the schools' students in addition to the show. Workshops typically explain the way a popular song becomes a Mates song and involve teaching a portion of a Mates song and basic vocal percussion
Vocal percussion
Vocal percussion is the art of creating sounds with one's mouth that approximate, imitate, or otherwise serve the same purpose as a percussion instrument, whether in a group of singers, an instrumental ensemble, or solo.-In Western music:...
techniques to the students.
Each year, the Mates travel to a more distant destination for a spring break tour. Past tour locations include Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, New Orleans, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Most recently, the Mates introduced the sounds of college a cappella to the island of Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
.
The Mates have sung at a number of prestigious venues and events, including the National Portrait Gallery in London, for then-presidential candidate John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
at a fundraiser at the Boston Convention Center, the Wang Center (now the Citi Performing Arts Center
Citi Performing Arts Center
The Citi Performing Arts Center is located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It consists of two theatres, Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, both of which are neighbors, on Tremont Street, in Boston's Theatre District...
), Disney World, and Boston's Symphony Hall
Symphony Hall, Boston
Symphony Hall is a concert hall located at 301 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by McKim, Mead and White, it was built in 1900 for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which continues to make the hall its home. The hall was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1999...
. On September 15, 2009, the Mates performed the National Anthem at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
, for the second time in just two seasons.
Discography
As of 2011, the Mates have recorded 12 studio albums. They are currently working on their thirteenth untitled album with Alex Green and Alex Koutzoukis of Plaid Productions.• Hands Off The Mannequin! (2011)
• 25th Anniversary Tribute Album (2009)
• Teaser - Extended Single (2009)
• Prime (2008)
• Baggage Claim (2006)
• Stopping for Breakfast (2004)
• Bamboo (2002)
• Juice (2000)
• Grandma's Camper (1998)
• Hat Sale! Get Mama! (1996)
• Unexpected Guests - Live (1994)
• Quarter Past Six (1991)
• The Chartreuse Album (1988)
• Strange Pair of Shoes (1986)Strange Pair of Shoes
Awards
| Year | Presenter | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Voices Only | Voices Only 2011 Selection | "When The Day Met The Night", originally performed by Panic! at The Disco Panic! at the Disco Panic! at the Disco is an American alternative rock duo, formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2005. Since its split, the band's line-up includes Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith . Former members Ryan Ross and Jon Walker left the group in 2009... |
| 2010 | Voices Only | Voices Only 2010 Selection | "Let It Die", originally performed by the Foo Fighters Foo Fighters Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War... |
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) of CASA | Best Mixed Collegiate Song | Runner Up, "Let It Die" | |
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) | Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement | Runner Up, "Let It Die", arranged by Lori Allen and Brie Bills | |
| 2009 | Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA) | SING VI Selection | "Let It Die" |
| Voices Only | Voices Only 2009 Selection | "The Pretender", originally performed by the Foo Fighters | |
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) of CASA | Best Mixed Collegiate Album | Shortlisted, Prime | |
| 2007 | Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) | BOCA 2007 Selection | "Good Luck", originally performed by Basement Jaxx Basement Jaxx Basement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s... |
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) | Best Mixed Collegiate Album | Nominee, Baggage Claim | |
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) | Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement | Nominee, Warning Sign, originally performed by Coldplay Coldplay Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a... , arranged by Evan Barnathan and Eric Stahl |
|
| 2005 | Best of College A Cappella | BOCA 2005 Selection | "Everlong", originally performed by the Foo Fighters |
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) | Best Mixed Collegiate Album | Nominee, Stopping For Breakfast | |
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) | Best Mixed Collegiate Song | Nominee, "Everlong" | |
| WERS All A Cappella | Album of the month, March 2005 | Stopping For Breakfast | |
| 2003 | Best of College A Cappella | BOCA 2003 Selection | "Killing Me Softly", originally performed by The Fugees The Fugees Fugees were a Haitian American hip hop group who rose to fame in the mid-1990s. Their repertoire included elements of Hip hop, soul and Caribbean music, particularly reggae. The members of the group were rapper/singer/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer/producer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel... |
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) | Best Mixed Collegiate Soloist | Runner Up, Becky Rubin on "Killing Me Softly" | |
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) | Best Mixed Collegiate Song | Nominee, "Killing Me Softly" | |
| 2001 | Best of College A Cappella | BOCA 2001 Selection | "I'm Your Baby Tonight", originally performed by Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among... |
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) | Best Mixed Collegiate Album | Winner, Juice | |
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) | Best Mixed Collegiate Song | Winner, "I'm Your Baby Tonight" | |
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) | Best Mixed Collegiate Soloist | Winner, Becky Rubin on "I'm Your Baby Tonight" | |
| 1999 | Best of College A Cappella | BOCA 1999 Selection | "I Don't Want To Wait", originally performed by Paula Cole |
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) | Best Mixed Collegiate Album | Nominee, Grandma's Camper | |
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) | Best Mixed Collegiate Soloist | Nominee, Courtney Simson on "I Don't Want To Wait" | |
| 1997 | Best of College A Cappella | Vol. 3 Selection | "Man in the Mirror", originally performed by Michael Jackson |
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) | Best Mixed Collegiate Album | Runner Up, Hat Sale! Get Mama! | |
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) | Best Mixed Collegiate Song | Winner, "Man in the Mirror" | |
| 1992 | Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) | Best Mixed Collegiate Album | Runner Up, Quarter Past Six |
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) | Best Mixed Collegiate Song | Runner Up, "Pretending to Care", originally performed by Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings... |
|
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) | Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement | Winner, "Mother's Pride", originally performed by George Michael George Michael George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley... , arranged by John Churchwell |
|
| Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) | Best Mixed Collegiate Soloist | Winner, Leslie Ahern on "The Man With The Child In His Eyes", originally performed by Kate Bush Kate Bush Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart... |
External links
• The Tufts Amalgamates - Amalgaweb (official site)• The Contemporary A Cappella Society (official site)
• Read Mates reviews by the Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB)