Tigertones sing at White House

As most undergraduates spent their time in class, members of the Tigertones, an all-male a cappella group, journeyed to Washington on Tuesday as invited performers for one of many White House Christmas parties hosted by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama ’85.

The party was "befittingly lavish," Tigertones member Rex Tien ’11 said in an e-mail. In addition to flowing Champagne, eggnog and hors d'oeuvres, "every inch of the East Wing was decorated, with a tree in almost every room and plenty of baubles and ornamental pieces hanging everywhere,” he said. “There was also a massive nativity scene in the upstairs dining room, and one of the biggest Christmas trees I have ever seen!"

Tuesday's trip was the second journey the Tigertones made to the White House in less than a week, having sung at a party thrown by the first lady on Dec. 1 on behalf of her "Let's Move" campaign to combat childhood obesity. The Tigertones secured that first invitation just nine days before the event on Dec. 1, after Tien reached out to his cousin John Tien, senior director for Afghanistan and Pakistan in the White House.

It was after its first performance that the group received a second invitation.

On Tuesday, the Tigertones sang in an entryway that was adorned by framed Christmas cards from past presidents, along with a large sculpture of Bo, the Obama family's pet dog. Celebrities like Arianna Huffington and David Brooks were also present.

Alex Meyer ’12, another Tigertones member, said in an e-mail that the best part of that night was the informal conversation the Tigertones had with the first lady, which Meyer said dispelled any impressions that she harbors resentment toward Princeton.

"I think the opposite is true," Meyer noted. "At one point, she said she ‘really had to get back there.' After taking a picture with us, she said goodbye and ‘good luck saving the world!' I responded, ‘you, too!' and she looked back and said ‘oh yeah, I guess that's my job.' "

For Tien, the best part of the evening was speaking with the president and the first lady, explaining that Tigertones members were not sure they would ever get a chance to meet the Obamas.

"As we entered the room where the president and the first lady had been standing, greeting guests for over three hours, we started up a song: ‘Our House' by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young,” Tien said. “The president actually began conducting us as we sang! We filed around him and got our picture taken as we finished the song.”