Acapella group experiences first year as student organization

Instead of a piece of playground equipment, Swing Set at the University of South Dakota means the collection of 10 students majoring in everything from music to medical biology coming together to form the university’s student-run acapella group.

Hannah Lambertz, a junior vocal performance major and co-director of the group, said this was Swing Set’s first year of being a student organization, despite being formed a few years ago.

The organization has helped with several fundraisers, including the recent Dakotathon, but does not have any actual funds of its own.

“We don’t get funding (from the Student Government Association) because we have an audition process,” Lambertz said.

With the help of the music department and the efforts of Lambertz and the members, the organization hasn’t had a demand for money yet.

“We haven’t needed funds,” Lambertz said. “We have a library we can pull from, and since I arrange a lot of things it doesn’t cost anything.”

Each year, members of the group are selected through an audition process, including a song of choice, sight-reading and the checking of the applicant’s range.

Along with Swing Set’s first year as a student organization, Lambertz said this is the first year the group tried to get involved on campus. That idea shined through the number of student applicants at the audition process, she said.

“It was a really big turn out this year, which was really exciting,” Lambertz said. “We had to turn away about a third of the people that auditioned.”

David Holdhusen, an associate music professor and faculty adviser of Swing Set said the dedicated students do the work by themselves.

From being involved in the group, Holdhusen said many good qualities are worked on including leadership and, especially for co-directors Lambertz and Sarah Schmidt, a chance to start doing administrative duties.

Lambertz’s favorite part of the organization’s year came from the performance at Dakotathon, and “being able to brighten somebody else’s day with something we love to do”.

Sophomore Haley Naasz has been involved in music since she was little, playing piano and being involved in band and choir before college. Naasz still plays piano, but said she tried out for Swing Set because she missed the feel of an ensemble.

“I missed being with people and having a sense of community and belonging in the music you make together,” she said. “It’s so wonderful to look at each other at the end of the piece and be like, ‘We did good, guys.'”

With music as a passion of hers, Naasz said she enjoys being in the organization.

“I do it because it’s fun,” she said. “It’s fun to sing with such talented people, and music is wonderful.

Photo: Members of the acapella group “Swing Set” serenade Miracle Child Emma Bader during Dakotathon April 5. (Megan Card/The Volante)