Middlebury College Dissipated Eight

Middlebury's Dissipated Eight, also known as the D8, is the oldest a cappella group at Middlebury College. Its first performance was on March 15, 1952. The group has recorded multiple albums over its nearly 75-year history, and performs both nationally and internationally, at private venues, colleges, and high schools alike. Over the years, the group has arranged numerous contemporary and modern pieces, and now has more than 200 recorded covers of popular music.

They generally do not use any instruments in their recordings, and instead carefully select different pitches to simulate the tones needed for each song. This often means recreating sounds such as the high-pitched tone of the fiddle in "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" or the bass and snare of the drum set in "All Along The Watchtower."

Several former members of the Dissipated Eight have gone on to gain national prominence, including international opera performer William Burden, television and film actor Jake Weber, and author/editor Peter Knobler.