The University of Wisconsin Madhatters a capella group will entertain President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle tonight at the White House holiday party in Washington, D.C.
The group is known for its spontaneous bursts of song around campus- they’ve performed in UW dining halls and residence halls alongside the other official gigs they’ve booked. While an audience with national politicians might prove to be slightly different, the group plans to incorporate the same audience-based techniques they use for all shows.
MadHatter Robert Pierce said the group’s performances depend on the crowd they are singing for, and this isn’t going to change in D.C.
“In reality, a lot of our performances vary based on the crowd we have,” Pierce said. “We will alter our set mid-performance if we want to cater to the audience’s tastes better.”
UW senior and MadHatter Kevin King said in a UW statement the group was ecstatic and surprised over the opportunity.
“We’re just a group of guys from the Midwest who like to sing. We had no idea that we would have the opportunity to sing at the White House for such dignified people,” King said in the statement.
The White House Social Office contacted the group to inform the Madhatters they were in the running to perform for the White House’s holiday series as they are considered “distinguished musical ambassadors of [our] state”, according to the statement.
The group then submitted their original song, “Wisconsin Christmas,” from their most recent album, 2010’s Cheer on Tap, and a live video from the “uwmadhatters” YouTube channel, according to the statement. After a long wait, the men heard back asking for their availability.
The group just concluded a weekend of performances at the Orpheum Theater on State Street, Pierce said. These performances and the large audiences they drew will be helpful.
“I think some of the guys might be a bit nervous, but coming off our successful concert series weekend should calm all of our nerves a bit,” Pierce said. “Overall, we’re very humbled to have been asked to perform, and we’re all looking forward to an awesome experience.”
King said in the statement the group emphasized the importance of the university and fans in gaining access to this opportunity.
“This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish without the support of the campus and our fans,” he said in the statement.
Madhatters was founded in 1997 and is composed of 15 singers and one beatboxer from the UW campus, Pierce said.
These members range from a variety of ages, backgrounds and majors, but all share a passion for music, according to the statement.
They currently have one live album and three studio albums. The first album was released in 2002 and was featured on the Best of College A Capella CD in 2002, and their third album, released in 2007, garnered two national recording awards.
