By Nia Beckett, news staff
GlobeMed at Northeastern coordinated an a capella benefit performance in AfterHours on Oct. 24. The event, Tone Down For What, was in support of their partner organization Kitovu Mobile in Masaka, Uganda, which works to provide mobile health services and empower communities affected by chronic illnesses.
Northeastern a capella groups The Downbeats, Treble on Huntington, Pitch, Please! and The Unisons all gathered to give performances for GlobeMed’s cause. First to take the stage were The Downbeats, self-described as “aggressively fun.” They began their set with a rendition of Charlie Puth’s “Attention.”
They followed with the traditional folk song “The House of the Rising Sun,” then with “Colder Weather” by Zac Brown Band and “I Wanna Know” by NOTD. Between songs, The Downbeats advertised their latest single “Pray You Catch Me / Believe” out now on Spotify and Apple Music.
Next up was Treble on Huntington, beginning with the sultry song “Taste” by Betty Who. The all-female group gained a number of distinctions in the past year, including the release of their first full album “Zenith” last October and placing third in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, or ICCA, quarterfinal this year. Treble on Huntington offered smooth and angelic deliveries of pop music in their four song set.
Pitch, Please!, the newest all-female a capella group followed. These ladies aim to push boundaries and challenge standards of traditional collegiate a capella, and have already placed at both the Boston Sings A Capella Festival, also known as BOSS, and ICCA. Pitch, Please! thoroughly entertained the crowd, especially with their chilling performance of “My Mind” by YEBBA.
“We love [performing for] GlobeMed — they’re so nice,” said Mackenzie Hunt, Pitch, Please! assistant music director and second-year biology major. “I love performing in AfterHours because it’s really cozy and there’s always a nice audience.”
Last but not least, the Unisons, Northeastern’s only all-male a capella group, took the stage. They closed with a fiery rendition of “Confident” by Demi Lovato.
GlobeMed member and third-year pharmacy major Connor Flynn emceed the event, delivering a capella puns like “talk-apella” and “aca-scuse me,” which earned audience laughs.
The hour-long show was not only entertaining for attendees, but raised donations for a good cause. GlobeMed, a student-run, nonprofit organization, is working towards closing the global health inequity gap by collaborating with their Ugandan partner to improve water sanitation and hygiene conditions.
GlobeMed has been working with Kitovu Mobile for over ten years, taking a hands-on approach in aiding their mission.
“We send four people over every summer on our trip called Grow, and they’re usually building things,” Flynn said. “It’s centered on what the community actually needs.”
GlobeMed holds a number of fundraising events for their partner organization every year, including other a capella shows.
“It draws a big crowd every year. And these groups are amazing — we have some of the best groups in the country perform for us here, so we’re really lucky to have them,” Flynn said.
The performers were grateful for the opportunity to perform for this charitable cause.
“We were very excited to be able to contribute to something that helps so many people,” said Liam Gram, a first-year media arts and media and screen studies double major and member of The Downbeats.
Follow GlobeMed at Northeastern on Facebook to see their upcoming fundraiser events.
