At Otto Tunes’ rehearsal on Monday night, member Kevin Brennan was serenaded by fellow group members as they waxed his chest with Nair strips.

The group had promised to wax Brennan’s chest if they raised $500 for the Testicular Cancer Foundation over the weekend, in anticipation of its upcoming fundraiser concert.

Otto Tunes, one of Syracuse University’s all-men a cappella groups, will host its sixth annual Cockappella concert fundraiser Saturday at 8 p.m. The fundraiser will take place at Hendricks Chapel, and a $5 donation is recommended. Cockappella benefits the Testicular Cancer Foundation, an organization that hits close to home for the performers.

“It is the most common cancer among men ages 15-34, so it is relevant to our age group and the people in Otto Tunes, as well as any student who identifies as male on this campus,” said Steven Visceglia, business manager of Otto Tunes.

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President of Otto Tunes David Robusto said he’s excited for the event — he thinks a cappella is a great way to discuss cancer with a college-aged audience.

“A cappella has a spectacle to it. There is no expectation to be serious,” he said. “This is a very serious cause, but we don’t have to take ourselves seriously. We can just be our genuine selves.”

Cockappella aims to spread awareness of testicular cancer to men on campus and encourage them to check themselves, said Zach Driscoll, public relations director of Otto Tunes. Driscoll has spent many hours promoting the event, and his work has paid off.

Public relations for Cockappella has improved significantly over the years, which in turn has led to an increase in donations. This year, Otto Tunes performed a “Sorority Tour,” to sing for different sororities at their chapters.

Some guests will be featured at the event, including Orange Appeal, another all-men a cappella group on campus, and Syracuse quarterback Rex Culpepper. Culpepper was diagnosed with testicular cancer last year, undergoing 100 hours of chemotherapy. Now cancer-free, he will be sharing his story at Cockapella.

Otto Tunes is not the only music group on campus that uses a cappella as a platform to advocate for causes. All-women a cappella groups Main Squeeze and The Mandarins will perform their benefit concert, Empow(her), Thursday at 8 p.m. for $3 with an SU ID in Schine Underground. Empow(her) benefits Ophelia’s Place, a nonprofit in Syracuse that works to destigmatize eating disorders and body image.

“Everyone fights their own battles, and we are here together,” said Keelie Hotchkiss, president of Main Squeeze and a member of the A Cappella Council. She said she feels like a cappella is a perfect outlet to discuss more serious issues, such as cancer and eating disorders.

“A cappella has this amazing way of taking issues that are hard to talk about and putting them in a new light, because you are expressing your feelings through music,” Hotchkiss said.

Published on October 10, 2018 at 9:50 pm