Kaycee Roy

Hops and Harmony is here, and all are welcome! As event host and Drive A Capella member, Dan Allison, said, “We’re not looking for the best singers because, believe it or not, singing is 360 percent heart.”

Drive A Capella, formed in 2016, consists of Dan Allison, Josh Beswick, Jordan Kugler and Ray Johnson.

I was lucky enough to attend Hops and Harmony, and can say I didn’t know what to expect, but now, I can’t wait to go to the next one. I started the night in the back of the room, keeping to myself, but an hour later (with some liquid courage), I was up in the front with everyone else, singing and dancing my heart out.

Allison talked about the event in a brief Q&A.

Question: Do you work in the music industry full time?
Answer: I do not currently. My full-time position is as a lab manager and engineering assistant for an engineering consulting company, but a siågnificant portion of my time is spent performing, directing and coaching ensembles. My degree is in music (I went to UConn), and I spent three years singing full-time with another a cappella quartet on cruise ships (Celebrity Cruise Lines).

Q: Do the other members of Drive focus on music full-time?
A: All of us have “day jobs” but are also involved heavily in music. Josh is a service adviser at a car dealership (he and I sang together on cruise ships). Jordan is a delivery driver for Domino’s Pizza and a chorus director, and Ray works part-time for a car dealership while also working as a private vocal instructor, ensemble coach and chorus director.

Q: How/when did this event start?
A: Kathy Gagne approached me in the spring of 2017 with the idea, and over the following summer, she, Joshua Croke and I developed the idea (with help from then-director Bob Kennedy and staff member Joan Stewart). The first Hops & Harmony event was held in October 2017, and the song was “Thriller.” Our first year, we held the event once every two months, but we found people were hoping it would be a regular, monthly event they could just put in their calendars. So starting this year (our first event was in September), we are holding an event every month.

Q: What was the goal of this event when it began? Has that goal changed?
A: The overarching goal has always been to create an event that helps foster a sense of community in Worcester, as well as showcases the fun side of a great venue like Mechanics Hall. It is very rare to find events where you, as an audience member, get to actually be involved in the show and more than just a passive listener.

Q: Is there typically a big turnout?
A: Our turnout is steadily increasing, and we’ve found that once people come, they’re always very excited about coming back. It’s not a common concept, so people are hesitant at first because they don’t know what to expect, but by the end of the night, we get a lot of “This was awesome! I can’t believe I didn’t know about this!”

Q: Do you notice a lot of college students coming in?
A: The event itself is a no commitment, no prep required night out where you and your friends can let loose singing those “This is our jam!” songs. The demographic has changed for each event, and what’s surprising is that we’re seeing a range of people from their 20s and early 30s all the way to their 60s LOVING singing the same song together.

Q: Why make the event free for college students?
A: There is a HUGE population of college students in Worcester, and we hear/see over and over again how there stops being opportunities to sing once schedules get busy in college and especially right after college. This event is a perfect outlet for those who don’t have as much time in their lives for a singing commitment, but still very much want to have that awesome experience. We also feel it’s important to connect young people with the amazing venues and opportunities thriving and growing right here in Worcester.

Q: What can someone expect to experience when they come to Hops and Harmony?
A: Doors open at 6:30 p.m., so you can come and relax/chat with your friends and get drinks and snacks. We’re always there to get to know people beforehand. We start with a fun warm-up at 7 p.m. (usually a classic like “Oh What A Night”), and Drive provides the back-up harmonies while everyone sings the melody. Words for any song we sing are put up on a screen, so everyone can read them. After the warm-up song, we start learning the song of the night (with the help of a piano accompanist). There is a high, middle and low part to each song (you choose which is most comfortable for you), and one member of Drive teaches and always sings along with each part. The feel of the night is four friends who are hanging out sharing what they love with anyone who wants to have fun, but the four friends happen to be trained musicians with years of professional experience as performers and educators. There are fun things we do throughout the night, like give out “Golden Microphones” to people for things like “singing with 100 percent heart” or “not rolling your eyes too much in response to our horrible dance moves.” Once the parts are learned, we do a few practice run-throughs leading up to our “performance.” At the end of the night (8 p.m.), we’ve hopefully all had some laughs and had a great time getting to know an awesome song even better. Most times, Drive ends up singing a song or two, as well, mainly on request, and it’s happened where we’ve sung with people who stick around after as well.

Q: What kind of genres?
A: Pop, rock, classic rock, jazz standard, swing – it really is about singing songs in any genres that make you go “I love this one!” when it comes on. I modify all the arrangements for three parts, so the sky is the limit in terms of what we can do each month. The songs we’ve done so far are “Thriller” (Michael Jackson), “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (Mariah Carey), “Call Me Maybe” (Carly Rae Jepson), “I Get Around” (Beach Boys), “Sweet Caroline” (Neil Diamond), “Sing, Sing, Sing!” (a classic swing song), “Get Ready” (The Temptations) and “We Are the Champions” (Queen).

Q: Why should people attend?
A: The entertainment value is great. – professional coaching to sing songs you love with friends while getting to drink and make memories at one of the premiere concert halls in the world.

Q: Do you offer other drinks if someone doesn’t like beer? Any food?
A: Beer, wine and mixed drinks are all available, and there are snacks, as well. Hops & Harmony worked as a catchy title, but it’s not just for beer-drinkers!

Q: Do you plan on keeping the event running through the new year?
A: We have monthly dates planned through June 2019. While not every song is selected yet for 2019, we have a few in mind. The criteria we use for picking the songs are: 1) is it one of those songs that make people go ‘I love this song!’ when it comes on in the car or at a bar and 2) does it have some awesome natural harmonies? February 2019 will be CeeLo Green’s “Forget You,” with the clean words, in honor of Valentine’s Day.

Q: Can anyone participate in this event?
A: Yes, yes and yes! This is like a Paint Nite, but for choir. If you have ever sung, whether it was in elementary school music class or in your car or on professional stages and you want to have fun singing in a no pressure environment with good friends and new friends, then this event is perfect for you.

Hops and Harmony takes place once a month at Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St., Worcester. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 or get four tickets for $20. The event is free for college students. Visitmechanicshall.org/hops-harmony to purchase tickets and learn the song for the month.