The University of Rochester YellowJackets (YellowJackets) are an all-male collegiate a cappella group based in Rochester, New York. As the University of Rochester's oldest a cappella group, The YellowJackets frequently perform for campus functions in addition to their performance schedule around Rochester and the northeastern part of the United States. The group's members are students from the University's River Campus and Eastman School of Music. On September 19, 2011 the group made their national primetime television debutPress Release Announcement of Contestants for Sing-Off Season 3 to an audience of 5.3 million viewersMonday, September 19, 2011 TV Ratings - Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. Article published 2011-09-20. Retrieved 2012-06-04. as contestants on Season 3 of NBC's "The Sing-Off", ultimately finishing in 7th place (out of 16 finalist groups.) The group celebrated their 60th anniversaryOfficial Meliora Weekend Schedule - YellowJackets 55th Anniversary Concert Listing in October 2016 during the University of Rochester's annual Meliora WeekendMeliora Weekend 2011 Recap Photo Gallery Includes picture of YellowJackets at a performance during the weekend's A Cappella Jam Concert celebration, with plans for a 70th anniversary during Meliora Weekend in 2026.
History The YellowJackets were founded in 1956 by Dr. Ward Woodbury, Jr., Director of Music for the University's River Campus, as a subset of the Men's Glee Club on campus.Details of Group's Founding from the Official YellowJackets WebsiteMarsbands.com Review of The YellowJackets Performing for the first time at the Commencement ceremonies in May 1956, the group began to establish itself on campus. The initial members of the YellowJackets were also members of the Glee Club, and the group sang their tunes to piano accompaniment.
Continuing in this style through the 1970s, in 1981 the group began moving away from the use of piano and into the style of a cappella music. In the late 1980s the group introduced vocal percussion into their music and it has remained a key part of the signature YellowJacket sound to this day. Throughout the years the YellowJackets have strived for a professional and polished sound that audiences will remember long after they hear the group in concert.
Performance attire While the group is traditionally known for wearing their signature yellow blazers, the original group wore blue blazers with black and red ties until 1958 when they purchased their namesake attire. Along with the new yellow jackets, the men wore tux pants and bow ties and created the look that clearly identifies the YellowJackets today. The uniform changed in the 1980s due to ever evolving fashion trends, returning to a blue tie, and then bringing back the ever-popular YellowJackets for good. The current group has two distinct looks that they use for performances. The "Alumni" attire, a tribute to the first groups of YellowJackets, consists of the yellow jacket, black dress pants and shirts, black long ties, and black dress shoes. The group's second attire option consists of a sportier yellow jacket, black jeans, white sneakers, and a matching group T-shirt. While on NBC's "The Sing-Off", group members sported outfits professionally created by Kara Saun, the show's Costume Designer. The group wore a different outfit for each of their 7 performances,Video Montage of YellowJackets' Sing-Off Season 3 Performances including original costumes from the movie Starship TroopersPicture of costumes from Starship Troopers for the Halloween Episode opening number."The Sing-Off" Season 3 Episode 7 Halloween Opening MedleyDetails of the History of Group Attire from the Official YellowJackets Website
The YellowJackets on The Sing-Off The YellowJackets appeared on Season 3 of NBC's a cappella reality show The Sing-Off. Expanded from its smaller holiday season format, Season 3 of the show saw 16 groups from across the United States competing for a top prize of $200,000 and a Sony Music Recording Contract.Description of Grand Prize for "The Sing-Off" Season 3 Winners The group arrived in Los Angeles, California on July 20, 2011 to begin filming the show. Filming of The Sing-Off took place at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, a suburb of Los Angeles. While en route to LA, the group met fellow contestants Afro-BlueThe Afro Blue Vocal Band Official Website in Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and made the connection that they were soon going to be appearing on the same television show. Episodes of the show were pre-taped in front of a live studio audience. The YellowJackets were consistently supported by a large, passionate fan base made up of family members, friends, and local supporters of the group at the tapings of the show.
Performances While on Season 3 of The Sing-Off, The YellowJackets performed 8 individual numbers and 5 all-group "opening" numbers. Episode number Episode air date Song title Original artist Video link Episode 1 - Opening Number September 19, 2011 "Perfect" Pink "Perfect" performed by Season 3 Bracket A Contestants Episode 1 - Signature Song "Wavin' Flag" K'naan "Wavin' Flag" performed by The YellowJackets Episode 3 - Opening Number October 3, 2011 "Somewhere Only We Know" Keane "Somewhere Only We Know" performed by Top 6 Season 3 Bracket A Contestants Episode 3 - Current Hit "Dynamite" Taio Cruz "Dynamite" performed by The YellowJackets Episode 3 - 1960s Hit "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" Frankie Valli "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" performed by The YellowJackets Episode 5 - Opening Number October 17, 2011 "All Night Long" Lionel Richie "All Night Long" performed by Top 10 Season 3 Contestants Episode 5 - Guilty Pleasure Song "Wannabe" Spice Girls "Wannbe" performed by The YellowJackets Episode 6 - Opening Number October 24, 2011 "Nothin' on You" B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars "Nothin' on You" performed by Top 8 Season 3 Contestants Episode 6 - Hip-Hop Song "The Show Goes On" Lupe Fiasco "The Show Goes On" performed by The YellowJackets Episode 6 - Sing-Off Battle Song "Just a Dream" Nelly "Just a Dream" performed by The YellowJackets Episode 7 - Opening Number October 31, 2011 Halloween Medley: "This Is Halloween" by Danny Elfman, "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon, and "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr. Various Artists "Halloween Medley" performed by Top 7 Season 3 Contestants Episode 7 - Superstar Medley "The River of Dreams"/"She's Always a Woman"/"Uptown Girl" Billy Joel "Billy Joel Medley" performed by The YellowJackets Episode 7 - Swan Song "Tubthumping" Chumbawamba "Tubthumping" performed by The YellowJackets
A "bolded episode number" indicates an individual YellowJackets performance and an "italicized episode number" indicates an all-group opening number. The YellowJackets performed head to head against The Collective at the end of Episode 6. Per the week's competition rules, both groups sang their own versions of Nelly's song "Just a Dream". The judges were forced to decide which group won the "sing off" by a vote on-air. In the end The YellowJackets prevailed on a 2-1 vote with votes from judges Shawn Stockman and Sara Bareilles. The YellowJackets were eliminated from the competition on Episode 7. The group performed Chumbawamba's hit song "Tubthumping" for their "swan song". Reaction to the performance following the episode was largely positive, including Grady Smith, of EW.com's PopWatch, asking if the performance was "The best swan song ever?"EW.com Article on the elimination of The YellowJackets from "The Sing-Off"
United We Sing As mentioned on Episode 1 of "The Sing-Off",Video of First YellowJackets performance on "The Sing-Off" where members of the group mention their trip to Kenya The YellowJackets spent the first part of their 2011 summer in Kenya working on a musical exchange with students from Mbaka Oromo Primary School near the town of Maseno in Nyanza Province, Western Kenya. The YellowJackets travelled to Kenya to exchange American and Kenyan music and culture, as well as to film an upcoming documentary entitled "United We Sing","United We Sing" Trailer directed and edited by Rochester filmmaker Dan Petracca and produced by YellowJackets Aaron Sperber (Class of 2011) and Ross Pedersen (Class of 2013), that details the power of music in life and in education. Additionally while in Kenya, the group recorded part of the entirely a cappella soundtrack, produced by Layne Stein of Rayne's Room Studio, for the documentary, which features The YellowJackets and several Mbaka Oromo students.
Mbaka Oromo Primary School is known for the success of its school choir at the national level competitions in Kenya where they have won several times. Previously, the school's choir was supported by a Rochester teacher, Mr. James Nowak, and monetary donations that he secured to send the choir to the national competition each year. Tragially, Nowak was killed in a car accident in Kenya in January 2011.Local Rochester newspaper article in remembrance of James Nowak. Through donations from fans, supporters, and group members, The YellowJackets were able to raise enough money to send the choir back to the national competition in 2011, where they won the top prize. Using "United We Sing", benefit concerts put on by the group, and an ongoing fundraising campaign through their website, The YellowJackets are working to raise funds to support the choir for the years to come.
Release of the documentary and soundtrack album is expected in late 2012 or 2013.Details of the Group's Involvement in Kenya from the Official YellowJackets Website
United We Sing benefit concerts The group has held three major benefit concerts in Rochester to support the United We Sing project. Each concert featured special guest groups from "The Sing-Off" and sold out the venue where the concerts were being held. Concert date Venue Special guest groups and attendees Attendance March 26, 2011 Strong Auditorium (on the University of Rochester's River Campus) NOTA, winners of Season 1. Kenya's Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Elkanah Odembo, along with his family, and University of Rochester President Joel Seligman also were special guests at the concert. Seligman greeted the sold-out crowd and Ambassador Odembo spoke during the middle of the concert, urging concert-goers to support the group's cause in Kenya. 1,031 (Sold Out) December 11, 2011 Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre Pentatonix (winners of Season 3), Delilah (fan favorites from Season 3), and "The Buzz", a middle school a cappella group from Rochester City School District's World of Inquiry School, started by YellowJacket Aaron Sperber (Class of 2011). 4,652 (Combined attendance for two sold-out concerts) The YellowJackets held back-to-back concerts (3 PM and 7 PM) on December 11, 2011 to accommodate the overwhelming public response for tickets.Press release announcing a second show being added for December 11th concert The first show was sold out in 4 days and the second show sold out in a matter of hours. The concerts received considerable coverage from local media entities, specifically NBC 10,NBC10 December 11th Concert Coverage 13 WHAM ABC,13WHAM December 11th Concert Coverage The Democrat and Chronicle, Legends 102.7, WARM 101.3, and the University of Rochester's Office of Communications.University of Rochester December 11th Concert Coverage
The YellowJackets and "The Buzz"