It’s not often one hears the screaming verse, “You spin my head right ‘round, right ‘round…” performed in harmony. But Straight No Chaser transformed the somewhat vulgar pop song into actual music during their first live performance the fall of 2010.
The IU a capella group – in a line with their back straight – were eager to show off their voices as well as their new members. Eduardo Tamez Suarez, a sophomore at IU, is one of three new members. As a freshman he tried out for the group, but SNC decided to “keep the group’s integrity” and didn’t add any new members. They realized Eddie’s potential, kept in touch with him, and encouraged him to try out again the next fall.
IU’s SNC is enjoying success on and off campus. The group is performing in various places including the French Embassy in D.C.; a Boston Red Sox spring training game; an Indianapolis Colts halftime show; and venues in Tacoma, Wash. and Fort Meyers, Fla.
Once viewed as an outdated musical form, the popularity of shows like Glee and American Idol means a capella is becoming a part of pop culture, but with an emphasis on music that is vocally pure and elite. By stripping songs down to the barest of notes, it limits the amount of people able to perform at such a level. “A cappella is becoming more mainstream in society and that SNC has played a huge role in that,” says TJ Breen, music director of SNC. “There have been shows such as the Sing Off, and other groups showing their unique talents to blend and mold songs together. People are certainly starting to appreciate it more.”
Eddie is just one person of many who recognized the medium’s appeal. And unlike most people, he could actually sing in the group’s style. Leaves began to turn and the time had finally come: Eddie was among the final potential members of SNC. He was nervous as he waited for the call. Besides breathing out of a paper bag, Eddie went to the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority house and to the Underground with his friends to distract himself. SNC kept changing the time they would make their decision. After much anticipation, his phone finally rang, but it was not the news he wanted to hear. On the other line Will Lockhart, senior member of SNC said, “We’re sorry, but come out again next semester.”
Eddie’s heart sank at the thought of being rejected for the second time. But before he could soak in his misery, he was ambushed by the members of SNC and thrown into a van. The group was throwing a party for their new members.
Finally, Eddie was utilizing his background in music and his two-octave talent. His grandmother, Elizabeth Suarez also known on stage as Chabelita, was the “Britney Spears of Mexico” and had a five-octave range. The musical gene pool didn’t stop there. As a child, Eddie’s father, Ed, sang with Chabelita at Grant Park in Chicago. Sadly, his father didn’t get the chance to develop his voice, but his youngest son, Dan, was born with the gift of music as well.
But Eddie didn’t always enjoy music – during his sophomore year of high school football and lacrosse dominated life. He didn’t want to sing despite his skills and background. As a jock, Eddie resisted the family norm until “the incident.”Sophomore year of high school, during a football game, Eddie dislocated his shoulder. Later on the sidelines his coach popped his injured shoulder back in, but little did he know his career as an athlete would soon end.
On a beach in Mexico, the water licked his toes and was sucked back into the ocean. Before Eddie had a chance to blink it came back in the form of a five-foot wave. The crest snapped on his previously injured shoulder and took him hostage. The wave pulled him under and rolled him around. It spit him out for a moment before grabbing him again and tugging at his limbs. Finally, the wave released him with his shoulder out of its socket again. He walked over to a beach chair and popped his shoulder back into place. This time surgery was necessary because the wave gave him a torn rotator cuff and a torn labrum. The wave had not only destroyed his shoulder, but also his career as a jock.
Dispersed through his jock years were numerous theater productions. Eddie’s mother is a costume technician and signed him up for plays. At the time he was too embarrassed to sing and requested a non-singing role. For Eddie’s sake, the director removed all of the songs from his part. Although he never exercised his voice on the stage, the countless performances gave him his confidence. “If you don’t think about it then you don’t psyche yourself out,” Eddie says. “They’re not going to remember my embarrassment; they’re going to remember how good I was.”
After his surgery Eddie sat on the bench facing his piano. His fingers danced along the keys of the piano searching for the next key of “Let It Be.” One arm cradled in a sling and his eyes closed, the music spoke to him. Eddie says he “saw the emotion that is attached to it.” After eight years of playing piano and years of hating singing he knew he had found his true passion.
He began to “see” music. “The drums and the bass are on the bottom and the strings come all over,” Eddie says. “But the words are always right across the front. So when I am studying I can’t see anything because the words are right there.”
Once music took a central role in his life, he couldn’t stop playing. “I know as everyone else knows that he’s fantastic,” says Dan Suarez, Eddie’s younger brother. “He really has an incredible voice and the stage presence and attitude to back it up.” As the performances continued he decided to sing “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King for a talent show. He pulled up YouTube on his laptop and searched for the classic hit. As he briefly watched other groups perform he stumbled upon IU’s SNC. They were the eleventh video down. For Eddie, it was love at first sight.
Originally, the possibility of joining SNC wasn’t in the cards. Eddie was days away from visiting Bradley University to tell them he would be a student there in fall 2009, but then a letter from Indiana University arrived in the mail. As he opened the envelope and pulled out the letter, he learned that he had received the William R. Fry Scholarshipat IU as a business major. Eddie would now be a Hoosier and would have a chance at becoming an SNC performer.
Eddie is now able to satisfy his musical desires in the form of a cappella. Although SNC is classified as a 10-member, all-male a cappella group, Eddie doesn’t see it that way. He feels that SNC is “a band that uses their voices.” Joining the group has helped him with his harmonies and has helped him improve. “He is a great asset to SNC both as a singer and as a member,” TJ says. “He is very dedicated in everything he does and it shows in how hard he is willing to work.”
Along with his commitment to SNC and his devotion to his major, Eddie is also a member of the Alpha Iota chapter of Theta Chi. “Even though he is not at the house as much, he is still equally involved and is doing great things for our reputation and brotherhood,” says Josh Meyer, an active member of Theta Chi. “There are certain occasions where Eddie gets extremely stressed out because of his now hectic schedule, but that is where myself as well as the rest of the brotherhood come in to help him work through it. We all know how big of a commitment SNC is and we all go out of our way to help him stay positive and focused.”
Not only has Eddie performed with the members of SNC, but he also had the opportunity to sing with Sylvia McNair, a two-time Grammy award winner. As MC and singer for Indiana’s “Matching the Promise” banquet dinner, Eddie had to go through a tough interview to get the job. The campaign’s goal was to help IU students fund their educations, create more endowed faculty chairs and create new facilities that will enhance learning. The campaign raised $1.144 billion, which exceeded their initial goal of $1 billion. This experience earned him a piece in the Indianapolis Star.
Eddie’s blue eyes brilliantly shone in anticipation of his first performance as a member of SNC. Although he preferred performing in front of larger groups, his excitement was undeterred. His hands shoved into his beige dress pants, he swayed to the music and sang along. Soon Will announced that the new members didn’t know the next song or the dance moves. A slow red blush crept onto his cheeks as he tried to keep up with the older members, but he kept the smile on his face and had fun with it. As the performance went on, the members one by one introduced themselves. When it was Eddie’s turn, he announced his name to the crowd then politely said, “Thanks for coming out guys.”