Hawkappella, Townsend Harris High School’s a cappella group, started as a small group of students who were interested in singing as part of a choir. In the a cappella genre, singers don’t use musical instruments. Instead, they use their mouths to create a beat to sing to. 

David Stern, physics teacher and advisor of Hawkappella, said he worked with former students to start the club because he wanted to provide members with a “lighthearted and low stakes” opportunity to experience music and perform. 

Hawkappella performed in school events, bringing a distinct experience to the community. “For Valentine’s Day, [Hawkappella] would go down to the cafeteria during the lunch bands, and then we would invite the recipients to sit down in front of us,” Mr. Stern said. “And we would sing a song dedicated to them. We’ve also performed in the winter and spring concerts.” 

In the years after its formation in 2017, Hawkappella’s popularity grew, amassing an almost even split of female and male participants. However, following the lockdown and quarantine due to COVID-19, it became difficult for the club to continue meeting and putting together finished pieces. Once school resumed as normal, many of the older members had graduated and male membership plummeted. 

“It was almost entirely female voices,” said Mr. Stern. While adding that the group also faced issues with commitment because singers might be more devote to bigger productions like S!NG, FON or the spring musical. “That leaves us with really limited options in terms of how often we can meet and the difficulty of songs that we can do. So that’s been a struggle ever since COVID. And that’s why we haven’t had any involvement in winter or spring concerts since then.”

Last year, the club was led by president Julia Waters and vice president Anastasia Gonidelis. Over the course of the year, the a cappella group performed once at the Winter Concert after many rehearsals. This year, however, the group did not perform in any of the concerts.

Another issue that grew more prevalent in the aftermath of the pandemic was the lack of commitment due to other larger clubs. Students said that they do not have the capacity to devote time to Hawkappella, which requires dedication and practice outside of school. 

Jammy Chen, a freshman member, attributed the lack of attendance to larger entities such as S!NG, FON, and the spring musical. “The majority of the people in Hawkappella right now are participants in the musical,” they said. 

Freshman Isabella Ditomaso, who is not a member, said, “although I am interested, I [would] not be able to join Hawkappella because of scheduling conflicts. I am trying to take leadership positions in the clubs that I’m already involved in, so I don’t think I will have the time.”

However, students who do participate in Hawkappella have found it worthwhile. Club secretary Clair Kim said, “Hawkappella is such a fun club for me, and I was doing it with my friends so we were always having fun.”

Jammy said they believe that if more students were aware of Hawkappella and what it entails, membership would rise. They hope that once popularity increases, “[Hawkappella] will be able to do more ambitious things and hold events.”  

Vice president Lilly Chase said, “I’d love for more people to audition and be excited to be part of Hawkappella. There are many opportunities at THHS for Hawkappella to perform and do great things, and I look forward to an active club next year.” 

“We could definitely work on recruitment and have more events to publicize the club because it is really enjoyable if you like singing,” Clair said.  

Echoing this passion, Mr. Stern said,  “I would like to see Hawkappella get to the point where it regularly performs in winter and spring concerts.”

“It was almost entirely female voices,” said Mr. Stern, while adding that the group also faced issues with commitment because singers might be more devoted to bigger productions like S!NG, FON or the spring musical. “That leaves us with really limited options in terms of how often we can meet and the difficulty of songs that we can do. So that’s been a struggle ever since COVID. And that’s why we haven’t had any involvement in winter or spring concerts since then.”

Correction: An earlier version of this article read as follows “‘It was almost entirely female voices,’ said Mr. Stern ‘That leaves us with really limited options in terms of how often we can meet and the difficulty of songs that we can do.’” The incorporation of this quotation leaves out important context. Mr. Stern was also saying that commitment issues from club members limited options for the club. We have updated the article to reflect that context.