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Trying to Make it Into a Harvard A Capella Group

"We always look for talent and entertainers," says Scott T. Griswold '87, business manager of the Dins. "We don't always need singers. We'd rather have a guy with a great sense of humor who sings well than a guy with an exceptional voice [who wouldn't cooperate with the group, whose personality might clash]."

Johnson agrees. "Most of the people in the group become your family--you spend so much time together...it's to everyone's benefit if you can cooperate with them."

Most freshmen try out for all the groups and see what they make, while upperclassmen tend to already know people in certain groups and have a preference, say members of most groups. Since the Opportunes' main audition is in the fall while the Dins' and Kroks' are in the spring, the Opportunes tend to draw more freshmen, says Opportune Carole I. Chervin '86.

The Krokodiloes, on the other hand have experienced a decline in freshmen who try out for their group. "A lot of them see us and say `you guys are too good, I'll try out for another group,''' according to Cass. "But there's a great deal of talent out there and we are encouraging them to try."

A major difference in the groups is the type of the type of music they sing. While the Pitchesand Kroks tend to do swing, blues, '20s, '30s, and'50s, according to members, Johnson said theOpportunes do "Motown, jazzy, upbeat music."

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According to Griswold, "Our [the Dins] music issophisticated in a crazy sort of way... We like tohave fun, we have a lighthearted spirit; we liketo make people laugh

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