Poof: A Woman!
Sofía Campoamor, MC ’19, recently made history by becoming the first woman member of the Yale Whiffenpoofs, the oldest collegiate a cappella group in the country, founded in 1909.
In recent decades, the Whiffenpoofs have faced mounting criticism over their all-male status. In February 2018, both the Whiffenpoofs and Whim ’n Rhythm, an all-women senior a cappella group, decided to define themselves not by gender but by vocal range. With this resolution, the Whiffs maintain their “sound” suited for lower (predominantly male) voices while also taking steps towards inclusivity.
As the current Musical Director of the all-gender a capella group Mixed Company, a Music major, and an accomplished composer and singer-songwriter, Sofía is well prepared for her new role as the first and only woman Whiffenpoof.
SB: Have you been in contact with former Whiffenpoofs?
SC: Yeah, definitely. I’ve gotten emails from, I think the earliest one was class of ’63. But yeah, all different years of Whiffenpoof. But some people are people I’ve never met who got my email and sent me letters of welcome and support. Sometimes there will be a little of something like, “You know, I hope that this stays the same in there.”
SB: The idea of tradition has been brought up quite frequently. What are you thoughts on tradition? Do you think tradition is a useful concept to think about?
SC: I thought about this with my current a cappella group, which is much younger and less storied. Last year we had our 35th reunion and we had a lot of alumni come. That was when I began to realize what could be powerful or beautiful about the idea of tradition. College is such a short time in your life, but people have been able to make things that are lasting, after only being in a group for three years and in the case of the Whiffs, one year. I think it’s pretty cool. All these people that you don’t know, you’ve never spoken to. The way they’ve lived their life has given so much to the way that you’ve gotten to live your life. So I think there’s something beautiful about that.
On the flip side, I’ve never been one for, “Ah, yes. The fact that we all did this thing means that it matters or should be respected.” I’m definitely not about respecting tradition for tradition’s sake. I think just because something has been around for a long time doesn’t mean it should be around for a long time.
SB: You are a Music major and a composer. How has that informed the way that you have thought about your role in the Whiffenpoofs?
SC: A lot of people have had concerns in the past about what a woman or what a higher voice in this group would mean. So I think as someone who has studied music, written music, and thought about my own voice as an instrument, especially as a singer-songwriter who has written for my own instrument a lot, I think I have a very high awareness of the different colors available in my voice and the different ways in which I can use my voice.
SB: Do you see future changes to Senior a cappella and the current vocal arrangement structure?
SC: Something I’m really excited for, besides the change in the model that allows me to be in the Whiffenpoofs, is about integrating more with Whim ’n Rhythm. Bringing the groups closer together and expanding the shared repertoire.
But I think in the future there needs to be some SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) consistent option available, just because as long as TTBB (tenor, tenor, baritone, bass) and SSAA (soprano, soprano, alto, alto) are the only options, senior a cappella will be a gendered experience. Even if those groups are all-gender, the genders of those who primarily sing those parts will be people who identify as men and people who identify as women.
That’s not something that everyone should or will feel comfortable with. I don’t think senior a cappella is the place to gender singing.
SB: What are your thoughts on the business-centered argument against making the Whiffs an all-gender group?
SC: There are some people who say, “You’ll lose clients if you can’t sell the whole 14-guys thing.” And I’m sure there will be some clients and different reactions. To me personally, if that’s what it takes to run a group like this, I don’t think it’s worth it. But I also imagine that there are many people who are excited about a group that isn’t just only men. I’m hoping that the good press around this will also be something that people are really interested hiring. It’ll be interesting to see if whether the money and power are in the hands of those who are conservative on this issue or not.
SB: So you have a now semi-famous Facebook status from 2011 that reads, “Sad. Because I can’t be a Whiffenpoof when I grow up.” Can you talk about that?
SC: I didn’t remember that I made that post, but I remember really distinctly the feeling. The Whiffenpoofs came to my high school and I was in the 9th grade. I remember I was so excited. I thought they were super cool. This was in the age of Glee and the Dalton Academy Warblers, where that was my whole heart and soul. I remember them all going around the circle talking about how they had all these different majors but got to travel the world. I was like wow, this is crazy. These college students can take a whole year off and sing. Wouldn’t it be great if I could do that? I remember just thinking, well I guess I can’t, because I’m not a guy.
What I wrote on Facebook was exactly what I was thinking, I was sad. But I wasn’t angry, I didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. That’s a moment that I remember really strongly and during the audition process was thinking about a lot. Honestly, it was part of what made me want to try out. It bothers me the most now, not that I was excluded from the opportunity, but that our world is such that when I saw that, my thought was “sad.” I saw the way that things were and thought that was okay. I wish that Facebook post read, “Angry. Because I should be able to be a Whiffenpoof when I grow up.”
