Whistle a Happy New Tune: the Awesome New Club on Campus

Have you ever dreamed of having solos center stage with Randy, Simon and Paula in front of you, but are then crudely awakened by the stinging shampoo in your eye and realize that you were only singing in the shower? Don’t let that shampoo and boiling water bring you down (literally). There’s a new singing group on campus, and it’s called Whistle a Happy Tune.
 
 
 Thus far, this is one of the best things I’ve been a part of at Amherst. I think one of the main ideals behind this group is to be casual, comfortable, and fun, which is exactly what I think every Amherst student needs. You don’t need any singing experience to join, and WAHT is very low-key.
 
 
Rehearsals are about three times a week. The first one is a group rehearsal. Because we get to pick and choose what gigs we perform at, the first rehearsal usually consists of introductions (liking telling everyone your favorite ice cream flavor!) and going through songs that we aren’t familiar with as a group. The second set of rehearsals is for those who are doing a solo or duet, so they schedule that individually with David Ressler, the founder and director of the group. The last rehearsal of the week is for everybody to finalize choreography and any remaining questions. And then we are off to our gig!!
 
 
The most recent gig we had was at Linda Manor, a nursing home for patients with Alzheimer’s. It was probably my favorite WAHT gig to date. As soon as we got there, we were asked to sing Happy Birthday for one of the patients. The look on her face when she realized we were singing for her was a look none of us could ever forget.   When we got into our set list, we could see some of the patients singing along or just staring at us, curious as to what a group of college students could provide. One woman in particular who caught my attention, a lady dressed in light blue, just looked so happy the entire time that I would find myself singing to her. David Ressler also agreed: “I think it’s a really rewarding experience, and you get a rush after singing and seeing their reactions.” It’s the greatest feeling knowing that you are making peoples’ days at least a little bit happier.
 
 
So following up on Evelyn Kramer’s “Sophomore Slump” article, if you are looking for something to do on campus or if you want to get involved in the community, Whistle a Happy Tune is the perfect group for you.