Grey Collins, Sophomore
Just last June, 2023, Marblehead High School graduate Griffen Collins was singing in the gym during the graduation ceremony. Last Saturday, he sang in the halls of the White House with his a cappella group the Beelzebubs. “It was a great opportunity to expand the Bubs audience and spread our music to people that haven’t been exposed to it yet. It was also a highly memorable bonding and travel experience.”
A freshman at Tufts University in Medford, Griffen (this reporter’s brother) is taking full advantage of the music department, by participating in the Jazz Orchestra, Chamber Choir, and the well-known a cappella group The Beelzebubs. “I was thrilled when I heard I had gotten in, and lots of alumni of the group contacted me to congratulate me. That first week was an absolutely wild experience,” said Collins about getting into the group.
The Beelzebubs are an all-male a cappella group founded in 1963. They have toured in Europe, Asia, South America, and North America, and they scored 2nd place in NBC’s “The Sing-Off” in 2009. They are also known for providing the arrangements and vocals for the “Dalton Warblers” in the TV series “Glee.” Last Saturday the Beelzebubs, or the Bubs, performed at the White House for a second time. Griffen talked about how rewarding it is to be a part of the group.
“It’s such an energetic tight knit group of people who love music and singing just as much as I do,” said Griffen. “It’s a very collaborative group, and we love getting feedback from each other about the way we perform. We challenge each other.”
At MHS, Griffen was very involved in the music department. He participated in Jazz Band, Choir, three musicals, and the Grizzlies and Jewel Tones a cappella groups. He credits his development as a singer to the musical community at MHS. Griffin said it “definitely helped me develop my musicality, and my willingness to get onstage and just send it.”
One of the founding members of the Beelzebubs also lives in Marblehead. Bill Duvel was one of the original twelve members of the Bubs in 1963, and I spoke with him about his experience. “It started as a group of guys who got together at Tufts and rehearsed in the basement of one of the dormitories,” said Mr. Duvel. “It was a common love of music that brought us together. We took as our motto ‘fun through song,’ and that carried us through 60 years.”
Mr. Duvel, who was the President of the Bubs for two years and Music Director for three, talked about how the Bubs impacted his life. “It was one of the most satisfying aspects of my life to be a part of the group, and that really built a great deal of confidence in my ability to sing and provide leadership skills,” said Mr. Duvel. “And those leadership skills allowed me to do a better job professionally and get married and have kids and have grandkids and do that successfully, with a lot of internal satisfaction.”