The OrphanSporks
Encyclopedia
The OrphanSporks are the second of six a cappella
groups at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. Founded in 1999 by Tom Mullaney, the group features approximately fifteen male and female Rutgers students who arrange and sing pop
, rock
, and soul
melodies to audiences around campus and the greater Tri-State Area. The "Sporks" are known for their energetic performance style, powerful vocals, signature multi-colored T-shirts, and frequent participation in charity events.
The OrphanSporks competed in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
for the first time in 2010, taking first place in the Northeast Quarterfinals, and second place in the Northeast Semifinals.
In 2007/2008 The OrphanSporks recorded a studio album, A Little Bite of Everything. The album features covers of tracks from famous pop, rock, and hip-hop artists. According to the 2009 review of the album by The Recorded A Cappella Review Board, "This group offers itself as a comedy group that sings well, or at the very least a singing group that recognizes the inherent ridiculous side of the a cappella art form."
, where they placed 2nd in the semifinals.
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
groups at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. Founded in 1999 by Tom Mullaney, the group features approximately fifteen male and female Rutgers students who arrange and sing 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...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
melodies to audiences around campus and the greater Tri-State Area. The "Sporks" are known for their energetic performance style, powerful vocals, signature multi-colored T-shirts, and frequent participation in charity events.
The OrphanSporks competed in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
The International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, originally the National Championship of Collegiate A Cappella , is an international competition that attracts hundreds of college a cappella groups each year...
for the first time in 2010, taking first place in the Northeast Quarterfinals, and second place in the Northeast Semifinals.
In 2007/2008 The OrphanSporks recorded a studio album, A Little Bite of Everything. The album features covers of tracks from famous pop, rock, and hip-hop artists. According to the 2009 review of the album by The Recorded A Cappella Review Board, "This group offers itself as a comedy group that sings well, or at the very least a singing group that recognizes the inherent ridiculous side of the a cappella art form."
Origins (1999-2006)
Founded by Tom Mullaney, Orphan's Pork was largely thought to be a reaction to Rutgers' only other co-ed a cappella group at the time, Deep Treble. In stark contrast to Deep Treble's purist version of acapella and uniform attire, Mullaney constructed a group that, while very talented, exuded a certain wackiness, punctuated by the group's colorful shirts. The group prided itself on having fun on stage and using this energy to engage audiences and Tom's Mom. The group continued on like this for several more years (or forever).Transformation (2007-2010)
Fall 2007 marked a change for the group as, then musical director, Meredith Silver began to shape the group to have a much cleaner, technical sound. Additionally, in the winter of 2008 the group recorded a studio album, A Little Bite of Everything. During the 2009-2010 academic year the group entered the International Championship of Collegiate A CappellaInternational Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
The International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, originally the National Championship of Collegiate A Cappella , is an international competition that attracts hundreds of college a cappella groups each year...
, where they placed 2nd in the semifinals.
Current members
- Soprano
- Julie Melchor (Musical Director)
- Meghann Carr (Assistant Musical Director)
- Grace Lee
- Deanna Shih
- Alto
- Ela Joshi (Business Manager)
- Katherine Geithman (Assistant Business Manager)
- Schuyler Schrickel
- Sarah DeMarchena
- Tenor
- Andrew McCullogh
- Matt Wu
- Salieu Kanu
- Bass
- Reggie Harrison
- Sam "Night-Hawk" Paul (Treasurer)
- Sam Lee
- Justin Rice
Recordings
The OrphanSporks made a studio recording, A Little Bite of Everything, which received praise from The Recorded A capella Review Board, receiving a score of 4 out of 5. The album was also among a select few in the nation to make it onto the Contemporary A Cappella Society's 2009 Best Mixed Collegiate Album Shortlist.A Little Bite of Everything
- "Stuck" (Stacy Orrico)
- "Vienna" (The FrayThe Fray-Literature:*Fray, a phenomenon in Terry Pratchett's The Carpet People*Fray , a comic book series by Joss Whedon**Melaka Fray, titular character of the comic book series-Music:*"Fray", a song from the album 14 Shades of Grey by Staind...
) - "Lonely No More" (Rob ThomasRob Thomas (musician)Robert Kelly "Rob" Thomas is an American rock recording artist and songwriter. He is the primary songwriter and lead singer of the band Matchbox Twenty. Thomas also records and performs as a solo artist...
) - "Suddenly" (KT TunstallKT TunstallKate Victoria "KT" Tunstall is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist from St Andrews, Scotland. She broke into the public eye with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland...
) - "Tragic/Don't Speak" (No DoubtNo DoubtNo Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
) - "Take Me Home Tonight" (Eddie MoneyEddie MoneyEddie Money is an American rock guitarist, saxophonist and singer-songwriter who found success in the 1970s and 1980s with a string of Top 40 hits and platinum albums...
) - "St. Teresa" (Joan Osbourne)
- "Volcano" (Damien RiceDamien RiceDamien Rice is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who plays guitar, piano, clarinet and percussion....
) - "Get By" (Talib KweliTalib KweliTalib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
) - "You Found Me" (Kelly ClarksonKelly ClarksonKelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
)