When the UW MadHatters, one of Madison’s elite male a cappella groups, started this school year, they faced a difficult journey after many of last year’s members and leaders graduated. The group had auditions earlier this fall, and around 80 aspiring singers competed for four coveted spots.

“They’re all really great, and we’ve been working hard on learning new music,” Joe Meeker, the MadHatters’ Business Manager, said. “We are trying to learn at least nine new songs a semester.”

Typically during auditions, the group is searching for singers with exceptional voices, but also for men with great stage presence and sense of showmanship.

“Some people have great voices, but you can just tell that when they’re on stage and there’s 2,000 people looking at them, they might be a little uncomfortable,” Meeker said.

David Persley, president of the MadHatters, added on the importance of the musicality.

“It’s kind of holistic in a way. ‘All in all, how well can you mesh with this group?’ Literally, musically and as a person,” Persley said.

One unfortunate graduation from last year’s group was their acclaimed beatboxer, Andrew Fitzpatrick. Realizing the difficulty of his departure, the group took on apprentice beatboxer Will Diepholz.

Although the group was unsure of Diepholz’s performance last spring, they were stunned by his increased ability upon returning to Madison this fall.

“He sounded amazing, just as good as [Fitzpatrick] ever did. He practiced and practiced over the sumer,” Meeker said. “I think people are going to be very pleasantly surprised to hear his solo at the fall show.”

This fall the group has been seizing any opportunity possible to sing, including performances for sororities, caroling and other shows outside Madison, including Edgewood Campus. They also meet for two three-hour practices a week to learn new songs for their upcoming show.

This year, audiences of the fall show can expect a little more indie music in the group’s performance, which, as Meeker explained, will be exciting for “music nerds” that attend.

“Those are the songs resonating with us at the time. When we’re choosing our spate of songs at the beginning of the semester, we know that we have to have a few that are bigger hits because people really respond to those, but then, beyond that, we have a lot of license to do stuff that would just be fun for us,” Meeker said.

The MadHatters are classified as a student organization and are often seen and thought of as an a cappella group. However, former MadHatter and recent graduate David Redick preached the group as entertainers first, and an a cappella group second, a concept that has stuck with the singers.

“From the perspective of somebody who really didn’t have much exposure to a cappella music before I got here, when I saw MadHatters for the first time, I was really blown away; I thought it was really cool,” Persley said. “It seemed like everyone was having fun onstage. … We tell guys, have fun on the stage; you’re supposed to make people enjoy it.”

Of course, the MadHatters are not the sole male a cappella voices of the campus and face competition with other singers and groups, including Fundamentally Sound, another male a cappella group on campus.

“With every show, there’s room for improvement; we can always be better singers or better showmen, or the production values can be higher,” Meeker said.

One main goal remains constant.

“Just try and blow people away,” Persley said.

The UW MadHatters perform at the Orpheum Theatre Friday, Dec. 2, and Saturday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m.