UNC Clef Hangers reflect on past, passion for music

With the last day of classes approaching on April 28, the University’s oldest a cappella group is preparing for its Old Well sing, a tradition which dates back to the group’s founding in 1977.

According to the Carolina Alumni Association, the UNC Clef Hangers are an all-male a cappella group originally known as the Morrison Dorm Singers. After adopting the title of Clef Hangers in 1978, the group has since performed everywhere from the set of Good Morning America to the White House for President Obama.

Since auditioning in his first year at UNC, Clef Hangers President Jack Boss said he has participated in around 150 performances. Now finishing his junior year, Boss said the open-invite Old Well sings are one of the most enjoyable performances of the year. 

Beyond performing together, Boss said the Clef Hangers share a connection that transcends that of a typical singing group, especially given the amount of time they spend together outside of rehearsal.

“I always like to think of it as a family that just has a shared passion,” he said. 

Boss said that this familiarity also extends to the alumni community. The Clef Hangers are sponsored by UNC's General Alumni Association, and Boss said that part of his role as president includes upholding the group's close connections with former members.

“Our alumni were basically the initial creators of that system, so just as into it as we are, and talking to them basically feels like talking to an old friend,” Boss said. 

Scott Gilliam, a senior and current member of the Clef Hangers, said the group’s alumni network was one of the main reasons he decided to audition. After completing a callback audition and interview, Gilliam said he was doing homework upstairs when a family friend — who was a former Clef Hanger — showed up at his house to break the news.

“I instantly knew what was going on,” he said.

After being accepted to the Clef Hangers as an incoming first-year student, Gilliam said he served as the group’s music director for five semesters. In that role, he was responsible for arranging and composing all musical numbers for the group. 

Gilliam said that his favorite tradition, in addition to the Old Well sings, is the moment before every performance. 

“We're all in the dressing room, and we all get dressed in our stupid outfits, and we'll sit in a circle and put our arms around each other,” Gilliam said. “And we'll just talk, for ten minutes, and appreciate the work that we put in.”

Clef Hangers alumnus Pablo Vega said that investing in his relationships with fellow Clefs was the most meaningful part of his time at UNC.

“These are the guys that my children call uncles,” Vega said. “And, you know, my entire wedding party was Clef Hangers. I wrote a piece that they performed as my groomsmen.”

After graduating from the University in 2008, Vega began composing and producing his own music while training with a group of audio engineers. Now the primary audio engineer for the Clef Hangers and several other a cappella groups on campus, he started his position as a teaching assistant professor in the UNC Department of Music this year.

Reminiscing on his time performing in Old Well sings with the Clef Hangers, Vega said the group used to cover the campus in flyers to advertise the free event. He recalled hundreds of visitors stopping by to listen.

“It's the last thing you hear before you graduate," Vega said. "This is the last thing you do before you go home for break. You know, a little serenade.”

As the time for this tradition nears, Boss said he sees a resurgence of a cappella on campus, with growing interest and engagement from the campus community.

“I think we're becoming a lot more of a mainstream way to promote art around the campus,” he said.

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