During this year’s Piper Funding Week, many student organizations were seeking fundraising efforts, including the Hamline A Cappella Choir, which was raising money to go on a tour in the 2025-2026 academic year, bringing back a tradition that had been halted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“A Cappella Choir used to have a thriving tradition of touring nationally and internationally, and since [the pandemic], that has not been a possibility,” choir member and junior Maria Garcia said via email. “A big part of why touring has not been possible recently, now that it is relatively safe to travel with groups, is the fact that our tour fund had been depleted and no efforts to contribute to it exclusively had been established.”
In addition, going on tour allows for an educational experience for singers about performing and making connections in the music world.
“Singers learn so much on tour, including how to build stamina to perform potentially multiple times in a day or over a couple of days and how to quickly adjust for the acoustics in different venues,” Director of the Hamline A Cappella Choir Dr. Shekela Wanyama said via email. “The connections singers form on tour make the choir stronger and more solid in their musicianship. Singers often come back from tour able to rehearse and perform at a higher level because they have learned more about what's possible and what they are capable of!”
Piper Funding Week happens once a year during the spring semester and is a good opportunity for student organizations to connect with alumni and donors. This year marked the second year the A Cappella Choir participated, as raising money is essential for the group to have the ability to tour.
“Tours, obviously, are super expensive, so even if we raised enough money, people might still have to pitch in for their part of the tour. So we’re trying to make it as accessible as possible so everyone in the choir can go,” President of the Hamline A Cappella Choir and junior Sydney Lavelle said.
For the next academic year, they are aiming to start regionally to build back up to what once was.
“Our program is just in need of rehabilitation after [the pandemic], so this is a chance for us to do something regional, like go to Chicago, go to Madison, Wisconsin. Nothing crazy, but just to start building that back up again,” Lavelle said.
This year, the choir reached 81% of their $4000 goal. While they did not meet their goal all the way, they are not unhappy with the results. With a goal as ambitious as going on tour, fundraising does not start or end with Piper Funding Week. Examples have included merch sales and accepting donations during concerts, and they are looking to do bigger fundraising endeavors in the near future. Their merch can also be purchased online at: https://hamlineacappella-shop.fourthwall.com/
“For every dollar that we raise for the tour, the less that students have to spend out of pocket to go, and that’s a really cool thing, and in terms of fundraising goals, we’ll definitely be doing some stuff in the fall,” treasurer and junior Ethan Heide said.
For students in the choir, it is more than just singing. It is a community.
“We have something really special that was formed within the walls of Sundin Music Hall and travels with us everywhere we go. The group dynamic of the A Cappella Choir is one of joy, commitment, and togetherness,” Garcia said.
The tour is also more than bringing back an old tradition. It creates a bonding experience. Heide recounted a one-time overnight trip the choir got to go on to Duluth in October of 2022 as an example.
“That was a good time, and it’s always great to like, go out there. It’s a really good community-building exercise within the choir. It’s really fun to do that,” Heide said.
Looking forward, the A Cappella Choir has an upcoming spring concert on May 4 at 4 p.m. in Sundin Music Hall. Lavelle would like to spread more campus-wide awareness about the group and that anybody can join.
“Our goal is always to build community and get outreach to students and let them know that we’re here. We’re in need of tenors and basses in the choir, and obviously, we’re open to everyone. We want people to be in choir and get the name out,” Lavelle said.