Boston College a cappella group gets Grammys attention
This holiday season, the Common Tones—Boston College's only service-based a cappella group—set out to bring holiday cheer to the Heights. They did more than that, reaching millions of individuals around the globe with their "Carol of the Tones" video.
Posted on December 5, 2023, "Carol of the Tones" went viral on TikTok, racking up millions of views within hours of publishing. To date, it has been watched more than 73 million times.
@bccommontones carol of the tones 🥰
♬ original sound - the tone tok
A week after the video was posted, the Grammys (!!!) commented with a small request:
So the Common Tones got back to work, this time with a little help from the Office of University Communications video team.
@bccommontones we are so back (from winter break). project filming today 🤔
♬ what was I made for? - Instrumental - Wheeler
@bccommontones Replying to @GRAMMYs It’s us. Hi. We are thrilled to announce that our Grammy SOTY Mashup is coming so soon. When the Grammy’s ask, you answer. 15 voices. 8 songs. 2 weeks of work. 1 incredible video. Thank you to the wonderful Boston College Media Team for their help. And thank YOU so so so much for all the support this past month. Love, The Common Tones of Boston College 💙 #acappella #acapella #grammys #bostoncollege ♬ original sound - the tone tok
The Common Tones singers crafted a musical mashup arrangement of the eight Song of the Year nominations, while the BC video team organized a video shoot.
Photos: Molly Bardong '25 & Saron Yared '25
The final product was an impressive compilation of 15 voices, eight songs, two weeks of preparation, and one night of filming. Enjoy!