[natural sound:rehearsal sounds]
It’s 8 P-M on a Sunday night and there are 10 guys in a windowless room in Regenstein Hall. They are rehearsing Steely Dan’s “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number”…
[nat sound: Rendition of “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number”]
CONNOR ZAMBORSKY (he/him): “PMA stands for Phi Mu Alpha and it is a music fraternity that has existed on Northwestern’s campus for just over 115 years now.”
That was McCormick senior Connor Zamborsky. He’s been president for two years.
ZAMBORSKY: “PMA offers people who are interested in music a space to explore that interest and to meet other people who share the interest.”
If you’ve seen the signs posted around campus then you would know: Northwestern’s music fraternity is “still here.” Its six members and four probationary members continue to meet and rehearse nearly every week with the hopes of growing the chapter again.
In 2024, PMA lost its house. This, combined with the loss of some university support, caused many of the fraternity’s recent struggles. In two years, only two new members rushed. “The dark years” as Zamborsky jokingly called them.
ZAMBORSKY: “We used to house this very central hub of our community and we then lost that…..Last year was a huge learning experience for us….And we still haven’t completely cracked the code and I don’t know that there ever is a perfect solution but we have certainly made some huge strides in the last year and a half.”
They now hold more events. A lot of them off campus, where they watch sports, hang out and of course….play music. Moving forward, Zamborsky hopes that the “youth movement” will lead the group in new directions.
Dan Gandor graduated from Northwestern in 2001. When he was a student, he was a member of P-M-A – he played the trumpet, piano and drums.
DAN GANDOR (he/him): “We used to do this thing…called Club Alpha which was where we turned the basement into a dance club so I got to DJ that.
I asked Gandor, who works in marketing, what he would do if presented with P-M-A’s current size and demographics. He wondered why more people from the marching band – a huge source of membership in the past – have not joined. He also said it is important to know your audience.
GANDOR: “If the core customer of Phi Mu Alpha now is more the musicians looking for professional development well then you gotta beef that up. If it’s more casual musicians wanting to have people to hang out with and have fun, cater to that.”
Henry Dong is a McCormick freshman. He plays trombone and trumpet and joined P-M-A this winter. I asked him where he sees the group in four years when he’s a senior.
HENRY DONG (he/him): “We’re gonna be a big group. We’re gonna get our house back and we’re just gonna grow to a bigger population where we all like each other and have fun.”
[nat sound: fade in – chorale]
But in spite of all the change, their traditions live on. The Phi Mu Alpha chorale continues to be sung at every recital –this recording is from December 2019 – and at Gandor’s home, even long after his graduation.
GANDOR: “I remember when I had my baby girl that was my goodnight lullaby to her…That and ‘Go U Northwestern’ is what I used to sing to her so that song was a part of her core memories”
And a part of his as well….Rachel Spears…WNUR News.
[nat sound: chorale – fade out]
