Aires in Atlanta
On a rainy Monday night, I went to see the Aires at a nearby church that had generously lent the space to the group for two nights. I was happy to see a full crowd of community members who had come to support the Aires. Several Dartmouth alumni living in Atlanta came and mingled with the group.
The show lasted forty five minutes, and I savored each one. There were about ten songs, each with its own flavor. There was a song from the fifties that the Aires refreshed and made it livelier. They sang a lesser known song, Surround Me by Leon. I played the song later and was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying the Aires rendition even better than the original.
Cole, a '25 from Atlanta, created a new musical score for Georgia on My Mind by Ray Charles. The song was beautiful with 15 voices bringing it to life. The song emphasized for me that the Dartmouth community is everywhere, including my beloved home state.
The church had a soaring ceiling, allowing for great acoustics that carried the voices of each member. I love acapella because each voice acts as a musical instrument that individually contributes to the show. Someone is a boom box, another member is on bass, and so on. Each member wears a jacket that is passed on from past members; there were some colorful jackets!
Afterward, the group came out and talked to audience members. I'm friends with two Aires members, and I told them how much I had enjoyed the show. They were so appreciative of the support from everyone who came!
Dartmouth acapella groups go on tours across the country on almost every break. They go city to city in a region, showing off their talent in auditoriums from Washington DC to Los Angeles. To stay up to date on shows, follow the different Dartmouth acapella Instagrams for updates on tours