Title: Winter Tour Group Discussion

General Information about Item:

• Customary Folklore: Ritual, Tradition

• English

• USA

• Informant Data:
  • Tara Joshi ’18
  • Age: 21
  • Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
  • Joined Dodecs Freshman Fall
  • Current President

Contextual Data:

• Social Context

All members of the Dodecaphonics who participate in the winter break tour, participate in this ritual. All members are encouraged to go on the tour and every year almost every member goes. This ritual happens on one night of the tour and began 2 years ago. A previous President, Emma PeConga, created the ritual and it has stuck. The informant first participated in the ritual when it started two years ago.

• Cultural Context

Giving each member of the group 15 minutes to talk about anything they want, and share their feelings helps group members get to know each other on a deeper level. This reflects the culture of the Dodecaphonics greatly. The Dodecaphonics think of themselves almost as a second family, and this ritual helps to strengthen the familial bonds that exist on the team.

Item:

Every winter break, the Dodecaphonics go on a tour and sing in different places. The tour lasts for 10 days. During the tour, group members become much closer as they spend all of their time together. One night of the tour, all of the group members sit in a room together. One by one, each person has 15 minutes to talk about whatever they want, and anything said is confidential.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Moments like these, sharing your thoughts and feelings to a group of people, are almost always incredibly powerful and require a great amount of trust in each other. I can definitely see this time as one where the members of the group can discuss topics beyond anything superficial, and as a result, the group will become very close.

Collector’s Name: Marcus Reid

Compiled/Analyzed by: Alex Chan/Sruthi Pasupuleti

Tags/Keywords:

• Singing
• Acapella
• Discussion
• Tour
• Team
• Bonding

Title: Wake Ups

General Information about Item:

• Customary Folklore: Ritual, Tradition

• English

• USA

• Informant Data:
  • Tara Joshi ’18
  • Age: 21
  • Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
  • Joined Dodecs Freshman Fall
  • Current President

Contextual Data:

• Social Context

All members of the group are present for this ritual. New members are surprised in their rooms. This ritual occurs in the beginning of fall term after new members have been selected, once a year. The informant first experienced this ritual when she was chosen as a new member for the group.

• Cultural Context

The commitment to waking each member up at 6 am speaks volumes to the dedication people in the group have to one another. In addition their choice of the Twilight song demonstrates the group’s dedication to Dartmouth as well. The entire group partakes in this ritual and it happens  at each new member’s dorm. The effort the group puts into making new members feel welcomed and special reinforces the inclusive and close knit group culture the team has. Moreover, the group is a very old performance group at Dartmouth and tries to create a culture which respects the history of the group. The choice of singing a traditional Dartmouth song helps to reinforce this emphasis on history.

Item:

During auditions, potential new members fill out information sheets which include a question about where they live. Once new members are chosen, the team goes to each new members room (using the information from the sheets), barge in, and sing the Twilight Song (a traditional Dartmouth song). This ritual occurs at 6 AM and surprises the new members who are usually still half asleep, and very confused. After, the group takes a lot of pictures with the new member.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file): 

Collector’s Name: Marcus Reid

Compiled/Analyzed by: Alex Chan/Sruthi Pasupuleti

Tags/Keywords:

• Team
• Acapella
• Wake Ups
• Initiaion
• Dartmouth Traditions

Rah

Transcript

“The main thing we do before a show is called Rah, and it’s been around for as long as I can remember and probably way before that. Before every show, we will get in a circle and someone will be the person in the middle that kind of takes everyone’s hand on their head. So we put our hands in the middle and the president will give a little speech about what we’re about to do. And it’s kind of like a pep talk, hype kind of thing to get everyone in that performance space.

Informant’s Comments:

Tara says that this ritual has been around for a very long time and is their main pre-show ritual and will probably be around for as long as the Dodecaphonics is a group at Dartmouth. She believes the ritual helps the group get excited, hyped up, energized, and also focused for the performance.

Collector’s Comments:

Title: Fort Lou’s

General Information about Item:

• Customary Folklore: Ritual, Tradition

• English

• USA

• Informant Data:
  • Tara Joshi ’18
  • Age: 21
  • Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
  • Joined Dodecs Freshman Fall
  • Current President

Contextual Data:

• Social Context

All members of the Dodecaphonics participate in this event, including the new members. This event occurs in the fall term at night after new members have been chosen. The informant does not remember when this tradition began but it has been happening for many years (before the informant joined the team).

• Cultural Context

Many groups often bond with each other through hardships and other activities. By being kidnapped and taken away from campus for a fun night, the new members of the group will always have that memory to share and cherish. They can also bond with each other by trying to accomplish tasks such as the jelly straw pods. By doing an activity like this during the beginning of the term, the new members are immediately thrown into a group of tradition and are able to bond with one another. This reflects the group’s efforts to create an inclusive and close knit culture.

Item:

After new members have been chosen, returning members will go to the new members rooms at night and “kidnap” them. The group will go to Fort Lou’s and order fried pickles, talk, and get to know each other. The new members also use straws to eat jelly pods. Whoever finishes first gets to pick from a list of baby tasks first, and whoever finishes last picks last.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Fort Lou’s

Informant’s Comments:

The informant thinks this is a very fun ritual because the group gets to know each other, and members remember the night they were “kidnapped” even when they are much older. It is also very funny to watch the new members eat jelly pods with straws because it is very difficult to do.

Collector’s Comments:

Although the task of the jelly pods is difficult to complete, it’s never about actually completing the task. It’s more so just about the attempt and the memories associated with it.

Collector’s Name: Marcus Reid

Compiled/Analyzed by: Alex Chan/Sruthi Pasupuleti

Tags/Keywords:

• Singing
• acapella
• Kidnapping
• Fort Lou’s
• Jelly

Title: Dodecafun

General Information about Item:

• Customary Folklore: Ritual, Tradition

• English

• USA

• Informant Data:
  • Tara Joshi ’18
  • Age: 21
  • Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
  • Joined Dodecs Freshman Fall
  • Current President

Contextual Data:

• Social Context

Current members of the Dodecaphonics and sometimes members of other acapella or other performance groups and alumni or graduated members of the Dodecaphonics participate in these events. There is no specific time or place for these events. One event that occurs every year is the first one of the year which focuses on the new members. There is also an Alumni Dodecafun during homecoming weekend.

• Cultural Context

Every time the group has a social event, they include the name of their group in the name of their event, representing the pride the group has in itself. Furthermore, the first Dodecafun of the year in which the new members are showcased represents the group’s efforts to make the new members feel included and special. The alumni Dodecafun in which Alumni and the new members get to meet each other and alumni get to sing represents the group’s efforts to create long lasting connections not only amongst current members of the group but throughout different classes of members. This represents the group’s very inclusive culture and close relationships.

Item:

Any time the Dodecaphonics have a social event they call it a Dodecafun. There are many different kinds of social events that they have, but two happen every year. The first is the first Dodecafun of the year. At this event the new members sing the songs with which they auditioned and showcase their skills. The second is the Alumni Dodecafun which occurs during homecoming weekend. Many alumni return and are able to meet the new members, hear them sing, and alumni sing the songs that they auditioned with years ago.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

 Dodecafun

Transcript

“Every social event we do is called a Dodecafun, even if it’s with another group. Like if we do an event with the Aires, it’d be the Dodec-Aire-fun. Or with the Subs it’d be the Subs-decafun. At the first Dodecafun, each baby sings their first solo or their audition piece. And at the homecoming Dodecafun, the alumni from the past years will come and meet the babies and realize the legacy they left behind….and now you have these people in the real world singing what they sang freshman year.”

Informant’s Comments:

This is a great way to see the group’s history and for the alumni to see the legacy they left behind. The informant believes it is really nice to see the alumni reconnect with the group after so long and remember what it was like to be in college.

Collector’s Comments:

It’s always a great to meet Dartmouth alums and hear about their stories, but to meet an alum for a more intimate group like the Dodecs must be even better, especially given that they share their first audition pieces with you.

Collector’s Name: Marcus Reid

Compiled/Analyzed by: Alex Chan/Sruthi Pasupuleti

Tags/Keywords:

• Singing
• acapella
• Alumni
• Auditions
• Team
• Bonding

Title: Babies Making Babies

General Information about Item:

• Customary Folklore: Ritual, Tradition

• English

• USA

• Informant Data:
  • Tara Joshi ’18
  • Age: 21
  • Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
  • Joined Dodecs Freshman Fall
  • Current President

Contextual Data:

• Social Context

All of the sophomores and new members of the team participate in this ritual. It happens towards the end of the fall term, very early in the morning. The ritual ends at a house with a kitchen where the sophomores can make the new members breakfast. This ritual has been happening for many years and the informant cannot remember its origin.

• Cultural Context

This experience acts as the passing off of the torch from the Sophomores to the Freshman as they come to an end of their first term in the Dodecaphonics. This tradition between the sophomores and new members helps to create a strong bond between the two classes, and once again helps the new members feel included and special. This reflects the inclusive culture of the Dodecaphonics.

Item:

At the end of the fall term, the sophomores will create a fun and silly scavenger hunt for the new members. The new members have to complete the scavenger hunt early in the morning and the hunt usually takes them all around campus. The hunt ends at a house or building with a kitchen and the sophomores then make the new members breakfast, and the sophomores and new members spend time together. The tradition is called “Babies making Babies”.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Babies Making Babies

Informant’s Comments:

This is a very sweet and beautiful moment for the Dodecaphonics babies and really makes them feel special and welcome. 

Collector’s Comments:

This seems like a very cool tradition that’s incredibly intimate and really demonstrates how the babies are transitioning into “full” members of the group.

Collector’s Name: Marcus Reid

Compiled/Analyzed by: Alex Chan/Sruthi Pasupuleti

Tags/Keywords:

• Singing
• acapella
• Food
• Scavenger hunt
• bonding
• Team

Transcript

“For baby show, which is our first show of the Fall where we debut our new babies [new members], we tell them we’re all gonna be wearing flair.. but little do they know we are gonna be wearing black… which showcases them better cause we’re wearing black in the background and they’re all wearing flair and looking ridiculous.”

Title: White, Blue and Grey Clothing

General Information about Item:

• Customary Folklore: Ritual, Tradition

• English

• USA

• Informant Data:
  • Tara Joshi ’18
  • Age: 21
  • Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
  • Joined Dodecs Freshman Fall
  • Current President

Contextual Data:

• Social Context

All members of the group participate in this ritual. It has been a tradition to wear white, blue or grey for as long as the Informant can remember. This ritual happens for almost every show. For more casual shows the group may wear random clothing with a different theme, and for the first show of the fall after new members have joined, the new members will dress in flair (crazy, mismatched clothing) while returning members dress in black.

• Cultural Context

The Dodecaphonics tries to create a strong bond amongst its members. Having the group dress in the same colors provides members with a common experience and allows them to become closer and reinforces the group’s inclusive culture.

Item:

Members of the group dress in clothes that are blue, white or grey for every performance. Depending on how fancy the show is the clothes may be very fancy or casual. For the baby show (the first show after new members have been selected), new members will dress in flair (mismatched, crazy clothing) while returning members wear black. However, other than these rare circumstances, members always where white, blue or grey.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

White, Blue and Grey Clothing

Transcript

“Cords for example, their thing is wearing corduroys, so like they have a schtick. And the Aires, they wear flair. That’s their thing. Our thing is nice blues, whites, and grays. That’s our color palette. That’s why almost everything I own is blue, white, or grey. It’s just how I started buying my clothes subconciously. For a nice show, we’ll wear nice blues, whites, and greys but for a more casual show, we’ll just wear casual clothing but blues, whites, and greys. But in a frat setting but a much more casual setting, we’ll just do whatever and have fun with it.”

Informant’s Comments:

By sporting the colors, blue, white, and grey in other aspects of her life the informant demonstrates how the Dodecaphonics are influencing her beyond the group’s shows and practices. The informant also believes she subconsciously wears more blue, grey, and white as a representation of how important the group is to her.

Collector’s Comments:

It is very interesting that this color scheme has influenced the clothes the informant wears outside of group practices and performances. This is similar to how many Dartmouth students subconsciously begin to wear more green and white which are the colors of Dartmouth.

Collector’s Name: Marcus Reid

Compiled/Analyzed by: Alex Chan/Sruthi Pasupuleti

Tags/Keywords:

• Singing
• acapella
• Clothing
• Blue
• White
• Gray
• Tradition