MIT Logs Perform for Exeter

Singers from MIT’s oldest a cappella group dashed into the Assembly Hall last Friday night in colorful ties. After climbing up on stage, the MIT Logarhythms (Logs) were ready to perform for an excited crowd of Exonians. Originally starting as a barber shop group in 1949, the MIT Logarhythms developed its current a cappella style in the past 15 years and has since expanded to include all genders. “Barber shop groups are typically all-male,” said MIT freshman Quinn Brodsky. “This year, I’m the first female in the group because I have a male vocal range.”Logarhythm member and MIT freshmen Tommy Edelman commended the group’s dynamic. “They’re a really supportive and really accepting group,” he said. “That’s the thing that makes the group stand out for me.” He further reflected on what makes the group different from those he had been a part of previously. “I did choir in highschool and a little bit in elementary and middle school, but just the tight-knit community of this group, with only thirteen of us, really makes it stand out how close we can be together.”Post-graduate Catherine Skinner expressed her appreciation for the Logs’ enthusiasm. “[The Logs] were a very passionate, high energy [group],” she said. “[They] all had fun. They loved it, and you could tell. Just seeing them on stage, you wanted to be up there with them.”Lower Nahla Owens noted the performance’s lively atmosphere as the main reason she enjoyed the event. “I thought there was a lot of energy,” she said. Furthermore, she observed similarities between the students in the a cappella group and Exeter students. “They were having a fun time, and I heard someone say behind me, ‘They’re nerds, but they’re fun’ and, well that sounds like Exeter––we’re nerds, and we’re fun. I think it was a good thing to do on a Friday night.”Owens thought that this year’s performance was similar to last year’s performance. “It was the same, but not in a bad way. It was the same format, same structure, same energy, but different songs,” she said. “They also had a girl this year, which I thought was pretty cool.”The group prioritized its audience engagement on Friday night. Prep Alana Reale said that the event felt more personal than most music performances she has attended. “I liked it when they went around and each member introduced themselves and gave us a fun fact,” she said. “That are added to the closeness of the environment.”Many of the performers noted the challenges that came with attending group meetings and their other activities. “My academic work is definitely a priority,” said MIT sophomore Ryan Hennessey. “But everyone else’s time is very valuable, so you find yourself [working] with them when everyone else can work, and you work by yourself when you have the time.”When it comes to college, Edelman recommends joining an a cappella group on campus. “If you’re interested in college a cappella, do it. It’s one of the best things going on in my life right now, and it’s a really good outlet for all the stress of college just to take a few minutes for an hour or two of rehearsal and just sing and let that out.”MIT freshman Junhee Lee enjoys his practices with the group and the energy each member brings to the group. “It’s hard to describe [the group dynamic] in one word, because everyone is really different,” Lee said. “One way to describe it is a good balance between being really energetic and carefree and also being very serious. That’s kind of how everything goes––it can transition very quickly.”For Lee, the chance to perform with the group allows him to share another side of himself. “In regular life, I feel very reserved, and kind of not at all able to get out of my shell,” he said. “But when I’m on stage [and] people are reacting, it’s really easy to have fun.”Despite the small crowd, lower Angela Liu felt the high energy level in the Assembly Hall Friday night. “I think the audience really enjoyed the performance,” she said. “It was a small audience, but I think it was pretty engaging. I think people were really listening.”