A classroom humming with quiet conversation is interrupted by the sound of carols. The Troubadours surround students, voices layering together as they circle the room, handing out candy canes and Holiday o’ Grams. The music lingers after they leave, leaving the room energized and joyful. This year, however, this long-standing tradition will not continue.
The Troubadours are a professional student-run a cappella group. Although they are not school affiliated, the Troubadours used to perform on campus twice a year. “Heart o’ Grams and Holiday o’ Grams are the two main things [that we did on campus]. [We’d] go around and go into classrooms, sing songs and pass out little notes and candy,” Troubadours co-director senior Theo Ferguson said.
This year, the Troubadours struggled to find a compromise with administration for on-campus events.
“There was some tension with the admin about doing our on campus activities,” Ferguson said. “They offered us some alternatives, but they sort of undermined who we are as the Troubs, and what we wanted to do, so we declined that. As of now, it doesn’t seem like we’re going to be able to do any on campus stuff.”
Troubadours co-director senior Veda Pao Ziegler said that PHS Principal David Yoshihara would have required Troubadours to become school-affiliated in order for them to continue performing at the school this year. Yoshihara and Assistant Principal Joseph Marik declined to comment on the issue.
Troubadours was founded in 1968, Pao Ziegler said. “I know an adult who was in the Troubadours, and she performed at school. I’m not sure specifically on the years, but it’s been a while. It just recently came up [as an issue] with the new administration,” Pao Ziegler said.
Ferguson said the main issues raised were that Troubadours is exclusive, student-led, and profits from off-campus events. One proposed option was becoming a lunch club, but Ferguson said that would not work for the group’s traditions.
“As a club, you can’t be exclusive,” Ferguson said. “There’s nothing stopping every single person from joining the lunch club and skipping class for a day to go around and sing.”
Another issue was that Troubadours is student-led. Pao Ziegler said administration would have required a staff member to act as a director with final authority. She said this included having the final say in auditions, which was a deal breaker for the group.
“[Troubadours] allows people to learn how to lead and how to become independent and do their own work,” Ferguson said. “Having an advisor or staff person taking control of that might diminish that.”
As of now, it is unlikely that Troubadours will be able to perform on campus. The group will continue operating independently outside of school.
“I’d love to find a path where we can get back to being on good terms with the admin and being able to do the things that we used to be able to do,” Ferguson said. “If that doesn’t happen, we’ll just have to take a step back from PHS and continue to run our own organization.”
Both co-directors said they were disappointed about losing the tradition.
“My freshman year, watching them come into my class was super fun,” Pao Ziegler said. “We’re just losing a sense of fun.”
