The beginnings of the Melodores are humble. A group of four guys sitting at a table on a brisk April night, discussing what it would be like to start an a cappella group at a school who had seemed to have forgotten the beauty of the art. A summer flurry of E-mails to potential members. A first performance before a crowd of over a thousand people. A whirlwind autumn audition process. And, finally, on September 9th, 2009, the first rehearsal with the first generation of The Vanderbilt Melodores.
The group grew from four, to nine, to fourteen in the fall, and finally sixteen full members in the Spring of 2010. It lost a few members along the way, and gained a few more. It strived, competed, failed, failed again, learned, and improved. In May of 2010, its first members graduated, and passed their dream to younger men. The Melodores gained a history, a past, and, because of that past, a future.
The Goal of the Melodores
The Vanderbilt Melodores is a group of college-age men at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. They sing a cappella songs - songs without accompaniment by instruments - which have meaning to them, individually and as a group. They do not all strive to be professional musicians. While some do, others pursue studies in the fields of physics, chemistry, neurobiology, history, political science, accounting, and philosophy. What they share is a passion for music; they come together multiple times a week to create joy, sadness, and love. They all believe that music is poetry, in one form or another, and that they can reach others through sharing their own triumphs, failures, and trials through music.
Some of them have been with music for years, and some are just beginning. All of them want it to mean something, to them and to you.
Memento mori, memento vivere.
