User:AshokanStrings/sandbox

Drop the Octave is an all-male a cappella singing group at Gettysburg College. Founded in 2001 by students who were looking for an alternative to other groups on campus, today the ensemble thrives as Gettysburg College's "premier all-male a cappella" group. Membership hovers between ten and fifteen members. The group's repertoire includes popular music and comedic a cappella songs.

The group's signature song is "Good Old A Cappella" which is performed at the end of most concerts.

You can contact the group through e-mail at this address: drop-the-octave@cnav.gettysburg.edu

Valentine's A'cappella-grams
Want to send your sweetie a couple of love songs from a group of suave men? DTO is offering our annual Valentine's a'cappella-gram sale this season! Stop by the CUB on days TBA to purchase your live music to be delivered to your sweetheart.

Mack Lundberg '15 (Co-President)
Mack calls Natick, Massachusetts home, and his alma mater is Natick High School. During high school, he sang in Natick High's Men of Style (all male a'cappella group). As a sophomore, he is a Music (Vocal Performance) major with a Business minor. Upon joining DTO in the Fall of 2011, he has sang Tenor 2 in the ensemble. Starting this year, Mack is a co-president of DTO with Kurt Mathisen. Outside of Drop the Octave, Mack is involved in the Gettysburg College Choir (GCC) and Bomb Squad (Gettysburg College's hip hop dance team).

Kurt Mathisen '15 (Co-President)
Kurt, "the face of Gettysburg College," is a man from Tinton Falls, New Jersey. While attending Monmouth Regional High School he sang with The Madrigals and The Cappella Novas. Currently a sophomore in the college, he is a proud Psychology Major and German Studies Minor. Singing Tenor 1 in DTO, Kurt joined during Fall semester of 2011. Now Kurt is the co-president of DTO, and the groups spokesperson during the traditional song "Good Old A'cappella." Activities that Kurt is also involved with include: the Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity, Bullets Marching Band, Gettysburg College Choir, Jazz Appreciation Society, Swing Dance Club, President of The Lutheran Student Movement, LIU/Gettysburg Tutoring, Center For Public Service (CPS), Honor Commission, the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, Admissions Tour Guide and Resident Assistant to First-Year Students at Gettysburg College.

Jacob Ross '15 (Secretary)
Jacob is from Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania and attended Selinsgrove Area High School where he sang in the Syncopaths. He is majoring in Political Science and minoring in Civil War Era Studies. Since joining DTO in the Fall of 2011, he sings Bass II. Activities that he also participates in are Marching Band, College Choir, Camerata, Venturing, and DiscipleMakers Christian Fellowship (DCF).

Jason Pitcairn '15 (Treasurer)
Jason, from Tampa, Florida, attended Academy at the Lakes, where he sang in the all male a cappella group called The Academics for 7 years (since 6th grade). Currently, he is a Sophomore at Gettysburg College, majoring in History with a minor in Religious Studies. He joined DTO in the Fall of 2011, and has been singing baritone in the group ever since. Other activities that he is involved in around campus are Rugby and the Alpha Chi Rho (AXP) Fraternity.

Brian DeParis '14
Brian is a junior at Gettysburg College and is currently majoring in physics. Growing up in Newton, New Jersey, he attended Newton High School. He has been singing with DTO since Fall of 2010, is the group beat boxer, and the "most handsome" member of the group. Brian Is a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity on campus and a former member of the football and track team.

Nick Skitko '14
Nick Skitko is currently a junior Religious Studies major and Philosophy minor at Gettysburg College. From Pottstown, Pennsylvania, Nick attended The Hill School in Pottstown and discovered his love for a cappella singing after joining the school's male a cappella group, the Hilltones. In DTO Nick sings bass and baritone, and is proud to be bisectional. He's known as the quiet but amusing member of the group, and is the group's reigning member for best hairstyle. Nick has been a proud singer in DTO since 2011.

Jake Fielder '15
Jake hails from Minnetonka, Minnesota where he attended Hopkins High School. In the "land of lakes" he gained extensive a'cappella experience in high school while singing in the shower. A current sophomore, Jake is a Health Science major and biology minor. Singing Tenor 2, he joined DTO during the Fall semester of 2012.

Eric Harris '15
Eric is from Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, where he attended Cheltenham High School and sang with all-male acapella group The Sons of Pitch for 4 years. He joined DTO during the Fall of 2011 and sings Tenor 1. Eric is a sophomore Environmental Studies Major at the college. He is also involved with the Gettysburg College Choir, Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity, and Campus Hillel.

Ben Langey '16
Ben, of Cazenovia, New York, graduated from Cazenovia High School and sang with the Cazenovia High School Chamber Choir, and was president of the men's a'cappella program. A first-year who doesn't know what "Sheetz," a regional gas station/fast-food restaurant, is joined the group in the Fall of 2012 as a baritone. He is an Environmental Studies major. Also, he is a catcher on the varsity baseball team. Not surprisingly, at 5'7", he is the second shortest member of DTO, thanks to Eric Harris. Also, he has a crippling fear of bookshelves.

2012
President Rigg's Christmas Party - December 7 2012 Winter Concert - Decmeber 4 2012 Boyz Noyz Festival (Allen Middle School, Camp Hill, PA) - November 16

2011
2011 Winter Concert - December 7 2011 Boyz Noyz Festival (Allen Middle School, Camp Hill, PA) - November 18

2009
2009 Spring Concert - May 1

2008
2008 Winter Concert - December 12 Domestic Violence Awareness Night - October 15 2008 Spring Concert - April 30

Raiding the Fridge (2005)
Raiding the Fridge features cover songs performed and recorded by the '04-05 members of Drop the Octave. The tracks were recorded at Race Track studios in Gettysburg, PA.

 Good Old A Cappella Africa (originally performed by Toto) Carolina in my Mind (opb James Taylor) Up the Ladder to the Roof (opb The Supremes) Up on the Roof/What a Wonderful World (as performed by Rockapella) Sh-Boom (opb The Chords) In the Still of the Night (opb The Five Satins) Hard Times (Come Again No More) (by Stephen C. Foster)</li> <li>And So It Goes (opb Billy Joel)</li> <li>Coney Island Baby (traditional Barbershop music)</li> <li>Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye (opb Steam)</li> </ul>