In 1981, Carl Moor '83 and Kurt Eichenwald '83 formed an all male a cappella vocal octet from the members of a musical on Swarthmore Campus, and they called it Sixteen Feet. Since then, the Feet have had many performances, both formal and informal, on campus and off, for money and on a whim, but no matter where or what the Feet sing, it's always fun.
Special thanks to Bill Hennenlotter '94 for leaving an electronic archive in the groups server. It has been invaluable in compiling this record.
Originally, the number of members was strictly held to the standard 8 fellows, 80 toes (give or take). However, in 1998, the policy was changed in order to accomodate modern and complex arrangements and academic study abroad. Now, although we are larger than our namesake, we are more prepared to sing with the upper echelons of college a cappella and exceed any limitations we might have once had.
Sixteen Feet loves performing all over. The group has toured domestically, from New England to the West Coast--our most recent domestic tours have been in Virginia, Arkansas, California, Louisiana, and Florida. Some highlights for the Feet have been performing on ABC television, two concerts at Rockefeller Center, and of course, just singing on the street to any passerby who might want to drop a coin...or even a few twenties.
The Feet have been excited to extend their reach internationally to Italy, Ireland, France, the Bahamas, and, most recently in 2007, Montreal! Learning about new cultures while spreading Swarthmore's sweet a cappella sound has been both rewarding and lots of fun.
We're always looking for new places to sing and new people to sing with. We sing at colleges, birthdays, other parties, formal events, and even on the street. If you want us to sing with or for you (even if the event doesn't fall into any of the above categories!), please don't hesitate to send us an e-mail!
The feet go on spring break together each year. We've ranged far and wide. Take a peek at our recent locales of spring break action on the list below:
Sixteen Feet is the most active singing group on campus, always searching for the perfect acoustical location at various sites including Sharples Dining Hall, the Bell Tower, Mephistos, the Quaker Meeting House, and of course Lang Concert Hall. In the past we have even sung in the dome under Parrish North, the enclosed staircases in Parrish, and the Observatory. Watch out for the Calling of the Tribes! That's when you know another impromptu concert is coming your way.
In addition to those spontaneous bouts of singing, we also run around campus singing for birthdays, retirements, department parties, and special occasions of all sorts. Often, we introduce new students to campus at Discovery Weekend, Ride the Tide, Orientation events and our famed Alma Mater rendition at First Collection. You might even see us at special athletic events singing the "Star-Spangled Banner!" If you are looking for a way to add a special touch to your event, get in touch!
More formally, we hold a semesterly Toe-Jam concert, where we feature guest groups and our newest songs. We always pull a crowd, and its always a good time. And, of course, the most well-known a capella concerts on campus, the Fall and Spring A Cappella Jamborees. Originated by Sixteen Feet in 1983, the Jamborees have drawn audiences of over 1200 people from the college community and feature each of Swarthmore's many acapella groups.
In the past decades, Sixteen Feet has churned out seven albums. The group's first record, "In the Still of the Night", was received with such enthusiasm that almost one out of every four Swarthmore students owned a Sixteen Feet LP in the 1983-84 year. You can read more about the album on Swarthmore's "Onward Spirit" history website
The subsequent two records, "Foot Fetish" and "Foot in Mouth," made over 600 sales, while the cassettes and CDs of "Something's Afoot" and "Sasquatch," released in the mid '90s, surpassed any previous musical sales in Swarthmore history. L'Effete premiered in 1999, and even resulted in a special edition second printing!
Mistletoe, the Christmas album, was released in 2002, and remains a top-seller. "Feetal Position" was warmly received at its premiere "Total Request" concert in 2003, as was the 2006 release of "Toested" which introduced the new Sixteen Feet logo on a piece of toast (and sweatshirts to match).
We have always had loads of fun at our performances. So much fun, in fact, that "79 Toes", a short lived Sixteen Feet spin-off was jokingly created to share in our jubilance. Although we are without the toes, we are still known for our energetic, fun-loving stage presence and musical quality. Sixteen Feet's musical selection ranges from folk to punk but tends to center around pop music and anything that sounds good. Any and all proposals are always welcome.
In 2004, we made our merry way up to Buffalo and Albany to compete at the ICCAs (International Competition of Collegiate A Capella). We had a blast, made it to the semi-finals, and picked up several awards along the way!
See the full results of the 2004 ICCAs here.
Our founding fathers weigh in on such matters as the naming of the group, first performances, and other such matters.
See their wistful memoirs within...