The Yale Spizzwinks(?)
Background information
Years active	1914,[1] 1940–present [2]
Website	http://www.spizzwinks.com
Members	Tenor I Tavi Wolfwood '21 Scott Feiner '19 Nolan Crawford '19 Tenor II Derek Demel '21 Jake Gluckman '20 Dylan Schifrin '20 TanTan Wang '20 Dennis Brookner '19 Baritone Brian Kirkman '21 Alex Lathem '21 Brendan Rose '21 Paul Gross '20 Hudson Lee '19 Bass Zach Lee '21 Aidan O'Connor '20 Nick Massoud '19 Pitchpipe Jake Gluckman Business Managers Nolan Crawford Nick Massoud

The Spizzwinks, stylized as The Spizzwinks(?), are an a cappella singing group of male students from Yale University. Founded in late 1913, the Spizzwinks(?) are the oldest underclassman a cappella group in the United States, dating back to a first performance in early 1914.^[1][3]

Composed of sixteen college-aged men, the Spizzwinks perform internationally, touring to every continent within a three-year term. The group is also a 501(c)(3) organization, meaning that the group is a non-profit organization. ^[4]

History[edit]

In 1913, four young men met at Mory's Temple Bar, Yale's historic tavern, to create a light-hearted alternative to the more serious Whiffenpoofs (another a cappella singing group).^[5] They decided upon the "Spizzwinks," a reference to a mythical creature to which the Corn Blight of 1906 had been whimsically attributed. Because the editor of the Yale Banner was unsure how to spell the fledgling group's name, he added a question mark in parentheses to the headline announcing its foundation. The group liked the look of "Spizzwinks(?)" and has officially adopted the symbol as both a part of its name and as a logo.^[5]

Music and humor[edit]

The Spizzwinks' repertoire comprises music arranged entirely by current and former members of the group, including a mixture of traditional Yale songs, songs by composers such as George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Leonard Bernstein, and more modern artists like Queen, MIKA, fun., The Beatles, and Adele .^[6] The group values a signature "laugh of loud" humor, and a typical concert includes a variety of skits and other comedy.

Each year, the Yale Spizzwinks(?) perform over 100 concerts across the nation and around the world, typically in tuxedos or tails.^[7] They have performed at the White House, Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall, US State Department, professional sporting events, as well as at country clubs, yacht clubs, churches, schools, and resorts.^[8] The group sells CDs and other merchandise to raise funds for their touring, as they are completely self-funded.^[9]

Notable alumni[edit]

• 
  Bobby Lopez '97, co-creator of the Broadway musicals Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon; composed songs for Frozen, including Academy Award-winning song "Let It Go;" winner of the 2004 Tony Award for Best Musical Score and the 2011 Tony Awards for Best Musical Score and Best Book of a Musical^[10]


• 
  Jonathan Coulton '93, singer-songwriter, best known for composing the end themes to Portal and Portal 2^[11]


• 
  Christophe Beck '91, Emmy Award-winning Hollywood film composer^[12]


• 
  Steve Bodow '89, executive producer and former head writer for The Daily Show
  


• 
  Joshua Malina '88, actor, best known for playing Will Bailey on Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing
  


• 
  Noah Emmerich '87, actor, best known for roles in Miracle, The Truman Show, and Super 8^[13]


• 
  Charles Rivkin '84, former United States Ambassador to France


• 
  Rick Westerfield '79, former Associate Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
  


• Rob Bell '72, founding member of Chanticleer^[14]


• 
  Lewis Spratlan '62, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer


• 
  George Roy Hill '43, director, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, Slaughterhouse-Five, and The World According to Garp; 1974 Academy Award winner as Best Director for The Sting
  


• John Hancock Daniels '43, former president and chief executive officer of Archer Daniels Midland
  

Discography[edit]

• 
  Songs of the Spizzwinks (1948)


• 
  Spizzwinks (1950)


• 
  Songs of the Yale Spizzwinks (1956)


• 
  Blue Skies (1957)


• 
  New Horizons (1960)


• 
  Yesterdays with the Spizzwinks (1961)


• 
  The 50th Anniversary Album (1964)


• 
  The Yale Spizzwinks(?) (1967)


• 
  Hey Mister Ain'cha Got No Blue? (1969)


• 
  Lip Service (1971)


• 
  Imagination (1973)


• 
  A Touch Of Class (1976)


• 
  In Trouble (1979)


• 
  Puttin' On The Ritz (1980)


• 
  Steamheat (1982)


• 
  No Regrets (1984)


• 
  Nudge Nudge, Wink Wink (1989)


• 
  The Hour Of Power (1991)


• 
  One Coin, One Play (1993)


• 
  Any Questions (1995)


• 
  Eine Kleine Winkmusik (1997)


• 
  Shine Your Shoes (1999)


• 
  Four Score Seven (2001)


• 
  Thank You, Come Again (2003)


• 
  90th Anniversary Collection (2004)


• 
  Simply Put (2005)


• 
  The Gloves Are Off (2007)


• 
  Cause for Alarm (2009)


• 
  The Myrrh the Merrier (2010)


• 
  The Elephant in the Room (2011)


• 
  Never Don't Go (2013)


• 
  The Brothership (2015)


• 
  Hometown (2017)

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• The Yale Spizzwinks home page


• "What's a Spizzwink(?)"


• Yale Daily News article on Bobby Lopez


• Yale and Tradition


• "Yale's A Cappella Rush" NPR Morning Edition report


• Samples of Spizzwink(?) performances