A new club on campus aims to create a place for even the most tone-deaf, screechy, or simply musically incompetent students to participate in an a capella singing group. The Deerfield Doorknobs is a group of students who have been afraid to, or simply have not been given the opportunity to, unleash their inner-Beyonces. This club hopes to become a haven for students who are either too shy or perhaps overly confident in their singing abilities.
Caroline Carpenter ’19 and Amanda Brooks ’19 founded the Doorknobs this year. The idea came about over a conversation at the Greer. They both sought the enjoyment of being in an a capella group, but both they thought they were not talented enough to audition for any of the existing groups on campus.
Carpenter explained that this “bad-singing club” was inspired by fond Deerfield memories: “Some of my favorite memories at Deerfield so far have just been singing with my friends, so I thought that this would be a good way to carry that on.”
When asked why the name of the club was the Deerfield Doorknobs, Carpenter responded, “Honestly, there isn’t a deeper meaning to the name. It was just the first thought that came to our minds.”
Carpenter further explained that randomness of the name reinforced the laid-back and happy environment that the club hopes to establish.
Brooks is on a School Year Abroad program in Italy until January 2019, but she knows that the club will flourish under the wise guidance of her co-founder Caroline Carpenter. They want to make the club accessible to everyone who is interested in having a good time or maybe even improving their singing. “It’s a way for anyone and everyone to come out, sing, and just have fun, no matter your talent,” Carpenter said.
Brooks commented that the Doorknobs provide a rare and much needed opportunity to celebrate everyone’s level of talent. “The main goal is really to let people have fun and feel comfortable not being talented, which is a rare feeling at Deerfield,” said Brooks. “We will just be performing songs that people suggest or songs that are incredibly difficult to sing so that the performance can have a funny aspect.”
Annie Kane ’20, a new member of the club, loves that the extent of her singing abilities will be appreciated regardless of her talent (or lack thereof). “
I love singing and dancing, but I can’t physically do any of that. To have the opportunity to just be with friends and have fun with songs is such a good idea,” she elaborated.
The Doorknobs hope to make their debut performance sometime soon. Look out for their first performance at school meeting or KFC!