Dobbs 16 Hits High Note With Third Place in Competition

The a cappella troupe was awarded third place honors at the annual regional competition. “I remember squeezing the hands of my teammates next to me and silently praying for the announcer to say our name,” Sienna Morin ’25, dance and alto voice part captain, said. “As soon as we heard ‘Dobbs 16’ we all jumped and screamed, it felt unreal!”

“This is the first time that Dobbs 16 has placed in the last six years so it definitely felt great to bring home a victory,” said Saachi Bogavelli ’25, the lead and soprano voice part captain. “The group is super strong this year and we also have a ton of underclassmen so, in my opinion, it will only go up from here!”

Jennifer Carnevale, director of Dobbs 16 and chair of the department of performing arts, was “incredibly proud” of the School’s 17-member group that has been practicing for several months.

“They lifted each other up, supported each other and they delivered a killer show,” Carnevale said. “There are lots of groups that use easier musical arrangements for a variety of reasons. Our students like a challenge; our arrangements are difficult to ensure that challenge is offered and to maintain a high standard of rigor.”

That rigor paid off during a set that included “Muddy Waters” by LP, soloed by Samantha Weber ’25; “Don’t Wake Me Up” by Liane La Havas, arranged by Annie Rubinson ’20 and soloed by Amara Kaur ’27; and “Diamonds” by Rihanna, transcribed by Eden Leach ’23 and soloed by Sienna Morin ’25. 

James Fabian ’26 performed as the team beatboxer and took home the award for Outstanding Vocal Percussion.

Morin, who made her debut as choreographer, said, “I loved playing around with different structures and building shapes in the dance that allowed me to craft and tell a story with our movements. The best part was watching my peers put time and effort into learning the choreography. They were patient, engaged and never complained, even when I got a little bossy!”

Bogavelli reflected on why performing “Diamonds” was a highlight for her. “It's our most upbeat song and the arrangement is so fun and interesting that we always have a blast singing it,” she shared. “It was definitely a great way to end our set with a big finale and my last time competing with Dobbs 16.”

Dobbs 16
Saachi Bogavelli ’25 (Lead/Soprano Voice Part Captain)
Alex Carnevale ’25 (Tech and PR/Tenor Voice Part Captain)
Alex Cooperstock ’25 (Bass Voice Part Captain)
Stella Ervi ’27
James Fabian ’26 (Vocal Percussion)
Henry Frasca ’27
Leila Gross ’27
Cathy Sitong He ’25 (Point)
Eileen Kang ’26 (Pitch/Mezzo Voice Part Captain)
Amara Kaur ’27
Josephine Leff ’25
Thomas Marrison ’26
Sienna Morin ’25 (Dance/Alto Voice Part Captain)
Ross Manzano ’26
Ava Munitz ’27
Jack Sobolewski '27
Samantha Weber ’25 (Baritone Voice Part Captain)