‘It’s Been Quite A Ride’—

A College Career In Harmony With All Stages Of Music

By Andrew Rote

When Newtown High School graduate James Dunseith headed to Vermont in August 1999 to begin attending Middlebury College, little did he know that his college career would include being a member of Dissipated Eight, an a cappella group.

Dissipated Eight has been covering songs since 1952 and since become a continuing tradition. The group released its sixth album, No Sleep for Dreaming, in 2000.

In 1996, the group’s album Clapping Joes won Best Collegiate Male Album of the Year by the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America. The group followed that up with a repeat performance with their 1997 album Eighps.

Mr Dunseith joined Dissipated Eight during his first week of school in September 1999. He is one of 14 current members and acts as a baritone.

Mr Dunseith first heard about Dissipated Eight before he started going to Middlebury. The group had been featured in Middlebury Magazine in celebration of its 45th anniversary.

“I first heard of college a cappella in general during my sophomore year in high school,” he said. “When I arrived at Middlebury, I knew I wanted to sing a cappella, and I really wanted to sing in the all-male Dissipated Eight.”

Mr Dunseith auditioned and was one of the four students who were called back. He proved how much he wanted to be a member of Dissipated Eight when he dressed in a bra and skirt and let girls paint him while he sang to random people.

“It’s been quite a ride since then,” Mr Dunseith said, “and I’ve since watched six more new guys do the same.”

At NHS, James Dunseith was a member of the Concert Choir and Singers. He also acted in The King and I, Fiddler on the Roof, Brigadoon and Guys and Dolls.

“Music will always be a part of my life,” James said, “but all my musical interests are for fun. I don’t take it all that seriously.”

Dissipated Eight put out its first album, entitled Super-8, in 1990. No Sleep for Dreaming is its fourth album in five years and features a range of covers, from Michael Jackson’s “Black or White” to Phil Collins’ “You’ll Be In My Heart.”

“Someone in the group will bring a recording of a song he’d like to arrange for us, and the rest of us will vote whether we’d like to do it or not,” Mr Dunseith explained. “About 60 percent of the time we vote no, but the rest of the time we okay the song and whoever brought it in will arrange it, then teach his arrangement to the group. We then record all of our new songs every year or two.”

The a cappella group practices for an hour and a half three nights each week. They usually perform about once or twice a week whether it is on campus, in charity events, at schools, at dinners, or at parties.

Newtown will have the opportunity to watch Dissipated Eight perform this St Patrick’s Day. On Saturday, March 17, 11 members of the group including Mr Dunseith will play at St Rose Parish Hall. The show will start at 7:30.

This concert will also serve as a fundraiser for Beth Ruscoe, a senior at Fordham University. Part of the proceeds will be used to help support her trip to Guatemala with Global Outreach.

“It’s fun to perform and fun to watch,” said Mr Dunseith. “I can’t wait to share it with my hometown.”

(Editor’s Note: Andrew Rote is a junior at Newtown High School. He writes for The Hawkeye, NHS’ student newspaper.)