UNC Clef Hangers to host Winter Jam — a collaborative multi-university concert

Winter Jam — a collaborative a cappella performance hosted by the UNC Clef Hangers — is hitting the stage later this week on the University's campus. 

The Clef Hangers is an all-male group that claims the name of oldest a cappella group at UNC. This year, they have invited four other groups to perform at the concert, including the UNC Tarpeggios, University of Virginia Belles, Villanova University Spires and UNC-Charlotte's Codachrome.

“I think it's a fun way for us personally to interact with groups from other schools but also at the same time to showcase other groups at UNC,” Jack Boss, Clef Hanger member and concert manager said. “And it would give our audience a fun chance to get exposed to other media outlets of a cappella that isn't just us.”

The members of Codachrome have participated in other collaborative collegiate concerts before, Vice President Nadia Zabala, said. However, she is specifically looking forward to being a part of Winter Jam because the group has never collaborated with a Chapel Hill club before. 

Along with the excitement of the new collaboration, Codachrome's President Ben Sanderson also said he values the human aspect that the genre presents. 

“It’s so natural,” he said. “Literally all the music and all the sounds come from a human voice instead of instruments.” 

Kyle Turik, a member of the UNC Tarpeggios said they are also excited to observe other groups’ musical chemistry and hard work.

“It's very rewarding to see that,” they said. “And to just see all of the love for music that exists in the world because it's something that is so important to all of us.” 

While the groups are excited to showcase their own talents, they are also excited to interact and see the special skills of others with the same passion as them.

Jack Palermo, president of the Villanova Spires, said that he is appreciative to have the opportunity to meet people from other universities with a shared interest in a cappella. He believes that observing the ways that other groups have created their arrangements helps improve his own team's ability to succeed.

Performances like Winter Jam are also an opportunity to bring a cappella to people both familiar and unfamiliar with the music style, Sanderson said.

“You'll get to see a mish-mash of different singing styles, of different arranging styles, of different musical preferences and tastes — that you won't really be able to get anywhere else,” he said. 

Winter Jam tickets can be purchased online, and the concert will be held on Feb. 3 and 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Carolina Union Auditorium in the Student Union. 

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