A cappella groups have taken the country by storm in the past few years, with movies such as Pitch Perfect and TV shows like “The Sing-Off” featuring competing a cappella groups to prove the growing popularity. It’s truly amazing how the singers can use their voices to imitate instruments and transform songs into their own. I went to DCAF (DC A Cappella Festival) last weekend and was blown away. Not only was every group amazing, they put a new spin on each song. Superfood, one of the premiere Georgetown a cappella groups, sang a mash up of Zedd’s “Clarity”, “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay, with a little “I Can’t Stop” by Skrillex thrown into the mix- and it was beautiful. Her Campus Georgetown talked with President of Superfood David Hanna (COL ’14) from Atlanta, GA about Superfood and his Georgetown experience.
(Check out Superfood killing it at DCAF, featuring a solo by Her Campus Georgetown’s very own Alexandra Canal!)
How did you get involved with Superfood?
Coming to Georgetown, I was a big fan of many of the groups on campus, but was especially drawn to how grounded and fun everyone in Superfood seemed to be. I first auditioned for Superfood fall of my sophomore year, and joined the group that same semester. It’s been a great ride ever since!
Have you always had an interest in singing/acapella?
I think my interest in singing and a cappella is somewhat unique, as I never participated in any choruses or choirs growing up. I enjoyed singing along to songs on the radio but was happy leaving it at that. I didn’t do any formal kind of singing until my senior year of high school when decided to try out for my school’s all male a cappella group. I made the group and had so much fun singing with those guys that year, I knew I wanted to sing a cappella in college, no matter where that would be.
Top 3 best things about Superfood?
1) Performing in Gaston Hall at least three times every year
2) Shom “The Professor” Mazumder (our Musical Director) and his dubstep beat boxing. wubwubwub…..
3) Our group-wide affinity for late night food
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What makes Superfood stand out from the other Georgetown a capella groups?
Georgetown is very special in that all of the a cappella groups on campus are so talented, and I don’t think Superfood is any different in that way. But I think one thing that sets us apart from other groups at Georgetown is that we’re more like a family than anything, and we’re constantly hanging out when we’re not practicing or performing. We’re a big group of great friends that happens to sing a cappella, and we think we do it pretty well!
How do you decide on what songs to sing? What’s the typical selection process?
Typically we’ll have every member of our group suggest two songs of any genre and we’ll then meet for “Song Selection” where we play every song and give each person a chance to explain why they think their song is right for Superfood. It’s a pretty long process, but we have fun with it and we’ve put together some pretty great set lists that way. We have some really diverse musical tastes in the group, so I always leave with awesome new music to listen to, even if it’s not chosen for a performance!
Lightning Round
Favorite song: Anything by Van Morrison
Best movie you’ve seen in the past year: Pitch Perfect…but I promise there’s more to me than a cappella
Go-to DC restaurant: 2 Amys
Dream vacation: World Cup, anywhere in the world
Dream duet with: Rachael Price from Lake Street Dive. Everyone look them up right now.