By Melanie Petrucci, Contributing Writer
Northborough – For two local Algonquin Regional High School (ARHS) graduates, a cappella is serious business. Northborough residents Alexander (Xander) Teplansky (class of 2012) and Linnea Henningson (class of 2014) met at ARHS and have forged a friendship spanning several years based on a mutual love of music. With an album coming out in the fall and opportunities such as the TV show “Sing It On” on Pop TV and an appearance on the New Kids on the Block show “Rock this Boat,” they are driven.
The journey all began when Linnea and Xander were in the student run group, Algonquin a Cappella, while at ARHS.
“We both liked to sing, so we joined this group to do this cool music,” Xander said.
When Xander went off to UMass Amherst he ran into someone he knew from band camp who wanted to start his own a cappella group. He knew that Xander was a music major and asked him if he would like to start a group with him. A few others were recruited and they became The Hexachords.
“Being in a cappella in high school inspired me to pursue music education as a major at UMass,” Linnea said.
In high school, she worked her way up to the role of music director her senior year and that’s when she realized “I really want to do this in my life,” she noted.
At UMass she joined another a cappella group but, after getting to know Xander’s friends, she tried out for The Hexachords because it was unique.
“Most a cappella groups are 12 to 14 people and this group was only six and I wanted to try something new,” she explained.
The name Hexachords was chosen because they have six unique voices or chords. The other members are a mix of personalities and are all best friends. Brandon Heatherington is a vocal performance and music education major; Craig Simonetti is going to the Boston Conservatory for vocal pedagogy; Matt Chastain is a vocal performance major at UMass; and Katie Geraghty is a theatre major with a minor in psychology and education. Linnea is a music education major and Xander is also a vocal performance major.
“Because we are small, you can see our individuality because we are all different which is great and you get to see that individuality when we perform and when we are just together,” Linnea said.
Xander added: “When you have a big group you have the soloists in the background but with us we only have six people so everyone has their important part.”
Because of their size, The Hexachords were not officially affiliated with UMass – they need at least 10 members for official status. Since their music director, Craig Simonetti, has now graduated, they are now “off campus” and hoping to move into the professional realm.
In addition to performing with The Hexachords and focusing on their classes, they still take advantage of other opportunities. Simonetti creates musical arrangements for other groups; Matt performs opera; Xander sings with the Boston Symphony Orchestra Chorus; Linnea might opt for an open mic night gig; and Katie is involved with theater performances.
Originally, The Hexachords were meant to be just an extracurricular activity. However, they have grown into something bigger. Since being on season 2 of the Pop TV docuseries, “Sing It On,” they have had a number of local gigs and they’ve done some recording, travelled for their TV show and have competed in competitions. When opportunities arise, they will take The Hexachords on the road.
“Whenever I am asked to speak about The Hexachords I always want people to know that art is so important and music is so important in society and the community because students, and everyone, need that creative outlet,” Linnea said. “If you have an interest in music or the arts, stick to it!”
Xander added, “I did every musical thing that I could in high school and then I went to college where there wasn’t a group quite like The Hexachords. If you want to do something and it’s not out there, create your own thing and pursue it.”
For more information, find The Hexachords at thehexachordsmusic.com or @thehexachords on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.