The concert hall at the Dorothy Young Center for the Arts was full of applause on Apr. 9, with fans coming from near and far to watch Drew University’s own trio of a cappella groups battle it out through streams of beatboxing and harmonies. This year’s Jamfest performance was hosted by 36 Madison Avenue, our very own premier tenor-bass a cappella group, with features from On A Different Note and All of The Above in a fun-filled evening of not only smiles and cheers, but also a few touching tears.
MadAve kicked off the night with a cover of Britney Spears’s “Toxic,” bringing their trademark lively energy in with a strong start before leading the way to OADN’s set of songs. The group’s whimsical presence was heard all throughout the hall as they paid homage to Swedish pop band ABBA. All three of their tracks were from the band’s discography, featuring hits like “Lay All Your Love On Me,” “Fernando” and a stunning senior solo by Felicity Schmitt (26) of “Thank You For the Music.” OADN also introduced their new board members for the 2026-2027 academic year.
After their astounding run, AOTA’s captivating pop aura took the stage with new-age classics like “Runaway Baby” by Bruno Mars and “Borderline” by Tame Impala. The group ended their segment with Beabadoobee’s “A Perfect Pair” alongside a set of choreographed dance moves to bounce off the arrangements’ jazzy bossa-nova closing bridge, signaling the reintroduction of MadAve’s final three selections to bring the show home.
MadAve jumped right into a Beach Boys medley, with flashes of groovy rock-n-roll from songs like “Surfer Girl” and “California Girls” to entertain the crowd. Embellished by some fun stylistic twists for a dynamic performance, their composition left the crowd wanting more—however, before they continued, President Casey Cornwell (‘27) delivered a small speech in honor of James Van Der Beek, late Drew and MadAve alumni best known for his role in hit American television show “Dawson’s Creek.” “We want to dedicate this concert,” Cornwell stated, “and this next song, to James Van Der Beek, and the MadAve that he was a part of.” In his dedication, the group sang “Take It To The Limit” by Eagles.
But that wasn’t all for Jamfest’s emotional rollercoaster. Before finishing off with their alumni song, Eagles’s “Seven Bridges Road,” they invited tenor member Kayla Rose (‘26) to present her senior solo piece which was her favorite song by her favorite band of all time: “Oldies Station” by Twenty One Pilots. The track helped them through a lot of tough times throughout their teenage years—and she explained in a touching opening, “When I really needed it, MadAve found me here.” They expressed their immense gratitude and love for the group, and Rose threw open her jacket to reveal her signature elf attire, turning around in a heartwarming shock to see her fellow members adorned with the same fantasy ear extensions. Concluding her soul-stirring number, she thanked her mother and father for their constant support and embraced their friends on stage. Rose garnered a rumbling standing ovation just before MadAve’s showstopping alumni performance, putting Jamfest 2026 to a beautiful and cinematic end.
On Saturday, May 2, at 8 p.m. AOTA will be presenting End of Classes which will be the last concert of the semester. Be sure to check out the groups’ last concert of the spring semester because their hard work and dedication is always evident in their vibrant performances.
Jadelyn Villa is a junior majoring in English creative writing and minoring in teaching.
