About Us

In the Spring of 1998, a musical theatre student named Marc Smollin decided to form an a cappella group. His goal was to have a musical ensemble that not only would perform contemporary a cappella, but also would explore musical tastes that were less mainstream at the University of Michigan, such as blues and vocal jazz. With the help of two producers, Michael Newberry and Heidi J. Powers, and the musical advice of friend Jessica Murphy, he auditioned over 100 U-M students for what was then an unknown and unnamed group. One month later, the name "Rollicking Crew" was chosen, with intentions of being reflective of the U-M spirit. This name, however, failed to exemplify the uniqueness and diversity the group upheld. Hence, a new name, "Dicks and Janes," was chosen in August 1998.

Today the Dicks and Janes is comprised of students from several of U of M's schools and colleges, and we sing at a variety of occasions and gigs. Each fall, the Dicks and Janes host Acappellooza, an invitational event that brings in a cappella groups from across the United States, including many International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) participants, to showcase the diversity of sound produced in the many regions of America.

Dicks and Janes has traveled from New York to New Orleans these past few years, taking a Tour to the South in 2009, an East Coast tour in 2010, and southern California in 2011. We have sung with countless a cappella groups across the nation and have had the privilege to sing with Rockapella in 2002, and for an hour long special on PBS in 2009.

We've been featured on The Best of A Cappella (BOMA) and Voices Only CDs several times, and, in 2011 we advanced to the quaterifinals of ICCAs for the 12th year in a row. In 2012, we placed first in the quarterfinals of ICCAs, and placed second at the ICCA Midwest Semifinal. We've also won awards at ICCA for Outstanding Soloist (Antwaun Stanley) and Best Choreography (Hannah Winkler, Carl Ciaramitaro, and Suresh Mohan).  The Dicks and Janes is a close knit, fun loving family of singers and encourage you to explore the website for information about concerts and upcoming events!

Have a nice one!