The Brown Derbies is an a cappella group at
Brown University
Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
. They were founded by Darryl Shrock in 1982 and have released fourteen albums. They sing a variety of different genres, ranging from Rock, to Pop, to R&B and are known in the a cappella community for their unique use of syllables in the background vocals. They have toured throughout the United States and internationally, with recent performances in
Beijing, China
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Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
,
Shanghai, China
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
, and
. In 1997, the group performed for President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...
at the White House. In November 2007, they were featured on the
CBS Early Show
''The Early Show'' is an American morning television show that aired on CBS from November 1, 1999 to January 7, 2012, and the ninth attempt at a morning news-talk program by the network since 1954. The program aired Monday through Friday from ...
in a segment about the rising popularity of a cappella groups on college campuses, and in July 2011 they were featured on the
Gospel Music Channel
UP TV (stylized as UPtv; formerly GMC TV and originally Gospel Music Channel) is an American basic cable television network that was founded to have a focus on gospel music. It has expanded into family-friendly original movies, series, and special ...
reality show America Sings. In January 2012, they performed in the
London A Cappella Festival
The London A Cappella Festival is an annual series of concerts based at Kings Place, London, showcasing a cappella acts from around the world, curated by the vocal group The Swingle Singers and Ikon Arts Management. The aim of the festival is ...
.
The Derbies are known for incorporating humor and choreography into many of their live performances. An annual tradition is performing with the Chattertocks in their annual concert, "Smoked Salomon," which occurs every September in Salomon Hall on the Brown University campus. Their sister a cappella group is the
Smith Smiffenpoofs.
Awards
The Derbies' fourth album, "Down Time," was first runner-up for Best Male Collegiate Album in the 1995
CARAs
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) is a non-profit organization responsible for promoting Canadian music and artists. It administers the Juno Awards, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the MusiCounts music education char ...
. Their next album, "Nightcap," swept the CARAs, winning Best Male Collegiate Album (though tied with the Middlebury
Dissipated Eight's "Eighps"), Best Male Collegiate Song ("In the House of Stone & Light"), Best Male Collegiate Arrangement ("Who Are You?" arr. Evan Schiff), and Best Male Collegiate Soloist (Joel Begleiter on "The Downeaster Alexa"). The Derbies kept their streak alive on their next album, "Jericho," which also placed in all four categories of the 2000 CARAs. They tied in the category of Best Male Collegiate Album again, this time with the
Tufts Beelzebubs' "Infinity." They won Best Male Collegiate Song ("I Wanna Be Like You") and Best Male Collegiate Arrangement (Raj Patil) and received first runner-up for Best Male Collegiate Soloist (Marcos Santiago, who was competing in the five-person category with fellow Derby Keith Getchell).
The Derbies have also been recognized formally for their live performances by the
ICCA. In 1996, they were first runner-up in the New England Region in the Semifinals and also got runner-up for Best Arrangement ("Who Are You?" arr. Evan Schiff). The same piece won Best Arrangement at the Quarterfinals the same year. In 1997, they were crowned champions of the Northeast region at the ICCA Semifinals, where they also won Best Solo (Adam Arian, "Who Are You?"). They received the award for Best Arrangement ("In the House of Stone & Light," Raj Patil) earlier in the tournament at the Quarterfinals. In 2013, the group competed in the ICCA for the first time in over a decade, advancing to the semifinals.
The Brown Derbies have appeared on several collegiate a cappella compilation albums. "In Your Eyes," from the Derby album "Down Time," was featured on the Best of College A Cappella: Volume 1. "In the House of Stone & Light" was selected for the BOCA '97-'98 album and "Telephone Message" (Mentos Edition) made it on to "BOCA Humor: Wasting Our Parents' Money." Most recently, "Happier," from the Derby Album "To Be Determined," earned a spot on BOCA 2020.
Albums
* ''Derby Laundry'' (1986)
* ''Talk Derby to Me'' (1991)
* ''Hat Trick'' (1993)
* ''Down Time'' (1994)
* ''Nightcap'' (1997)
* ''Jericho'' (1999)
**"This album ought to be required listening for any college group planning to record." - RARB Review
* ''Hybrid'' (2002)
**"These guys are supremely musical — a real treat on a rock-intensive album." - RARB Review
* ''Recap'' (2004)
* ''We Deliver'' (2007)
* ''Ridin' Derby'' (2008)
* ''Nice Guys, Better Guests'' (2011)
* ''Derbyhaus'' (2014)
**"Lovers in Rome" from ''Derbyhaus'' nominated for 2015 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA) for Best Male Collegiate Arrangement
* ''Unaccounted For'' (2017)
*''To Be Determined'' (2019)
**"Happier" from ''To Be Determined'' is featured on Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) 2020
*''Melvin's Room'' (2022)
Notable alumni
* Adam Farb, co-founder of the
International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
The International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), originally the National Championship of Collegiate A Cappella ("NCCA", a play on NCAA), is an international competition that attracts hundreds of college ''a cappella'' groups each ye ...
* Todd Goldstein, former guitarist of the
Harlem Shakes and current guitarist/vocalist of
ARMS.
*
Davis Guggenheim
Philip Davis Guggenheim (born November 3, 1963) is an American writer, director and producer. His credits include ''NYPD Blue'', '' ER'', '' 24'', ''Alias'', ''The Shield'', '' Deadwood'', and the documentaries ''An Inconvenient Truth'', ''It ...
, Oscar-winning director of
An Inconvenient Truth
''An Inconvenient Truth'' is a 2006 American documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about former United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate people about global warming. The film features a slide show that, by Gore's own e ...
.
*
Kent Haines, stand-up comedian.
* Andrew Baum, Vice Chairman of Emergency Medicine
*Joel Begleiter, talent agent for
CAA
CAA may refer to:
Law
* Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 of India
** Protests regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Act
* Copyright assignment agreement, to transfer copyright to another party
* Clean Air Act, United States law to reduce air ...
*
Joasaph McLellan, Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem.
* Lance Rubin, actor and
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (shorter UCB Theatre) is an American improvisational theatre company and training center founded by the Upright Citizens Brigade troupe members Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh.
Prior to ...
performer.
*
Adam Werbach, environmental activist.
Derby #45
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* A. Gabriel Schifman, Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine
References
External links
The Brown Derbies
The Brown Derbies on Facebook
The Brown Derbies on Spotify
The Brown Derbies on Youtube
* @brownderbie
Instagram
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown Derbies, The
Brown University organizations
Musical groups from Rhode Island
Collegiate a cappella groups
Musical groups established in 1982
1982 establishments in Rhode Island