Meet this week’s Campus Celebrity, Luke Metzler, Assistant Music Director and member of the Yellow Jackets!
Year: Class of 2016
Major[s]/Minor[s]: Economics major and psych minor
Hometown: Fairport, New York
Why did you choose U of R?
I loved it when I visited. In the spring of my senior year, I was able to sit in on a class called “Money, Credit and Banking” taught by Professor Rizzo – I’m actually taking it next semester- and it was great. I love the way Rochester structures the curriculum. My mom also works at the hospital which made it a really convenient option for me. Also, I was definitely one of the kids who was defeated that Rochester was one of the only schools I got into, that I didn’t really get into any of the ivies, but now I’m so glad that I’m here. I definitely had a pretty narrow perspective, but I can’t imagine being anywhere else now.
When did you join the YellowJackets, and why did you choose to audition?
I joined the fall of my freshman year, so the fall of 2012. I chose to audition because I really wanted to keep music a part of my life. I mean, I do music on my own – I songwrite and play the guitar – but I really wanted to keep singing a part of my life too. Also, one of the members at the time, Ross Peterson, attended my high school so seeing him in the group made me feel like getting into the YellowJackets was something attainable, something that I could do.
How does the audition process work?
We see a lot of auditionees every semester; in the fall we see between forty to sixty people audition. From there we have a few rounds of callbacks. We try to create an environment, or give people a chance, to show us their best singing voice. It becomes extremely difficult to narrow it down and choose – we’re pulling in River campus and Eastman students, and we see a lot of great talent. But at the same time we also know what we’re looking for in singers, we know which singers would work best with us. We become pretty good at identifying areas of growth in prospective members and how they’ll develop over time. To get into the group, everyone actually has to say yes to the person. No one has gotten in the group and had someone who didn’t want them there. And honestly, the learning curve is sharp and you have to pick it up quickly and I think that the fact that everyone wants you there helps soften that curve and make it easier.
How do you guys choose your setlist?
During one of the first rehearsals every semester, we have what I call a kind of “song party”. Everyone brings a few songs they’d like to perform, and then we democratically elect which songs to add to the setlist. However, if someone still really wants to do a particular song, and they take the initiative to arrange the song, and the arrangement is really interesting or cool, we’ll add it to the list. That way we can sort of look objectively at the music and ask whether or not we have a lot of tastes represented, and that way we end up having a pretty good setlist.
Why the Shia LaBeouf theme for your upcoming performance?
My freshman year, this acapella group – the Techtonics – from the Imperial College of London came and we had a joint concert with us. Then last year, the YellowJackets took a trip to England and during the London portion of our stay, we stayed with the Techtonics. Then this year they actually came back and performed “Actual Cannibal Shia LaBeouf”, and we thought it was really funny and cool. We thought that Shia is such an interesting pop culture character and it be really cool and interesting to do something about him. We created some videos involving us and some Shia clips in an amusing way, and honestly, the show is as much an ode to Shia and his awesomeness as it is just a fun theme.
If you’d like to attend a Yellow Jacket performance or learn more about them (or flip through some photos and admire that one really cute member) click here!