I met Ted Moock, a current sophomore, when we took that huge class picture on Commons. We happened to be next to each other in the bottom left corner of the 2 in 2015, and we talked a bit about how we both were in choir in high school- I doubt he remembers this meeting. Little did I know, though, that he would become a Melodore, a member of VPB Music Group, and now a Tour Guide! Read more to find more about this super-involved music man!
1) Why did you want to be a Tour Guide?
One of the biggest things that impressed me the most about Vandy when I visited was the campus tour and how much the tour guide loved her school. I wanted to be a Tour Guide because I thought I would be so cool to be able to be that first impression that prospective families have of Vanderbilt and get to show them how much love I have for this school!
2) What was the interview process like? Was it intimidating to apply to a program with such a low acceptance rate (lower than Vanderbilt’s)?
The interview process essentially consisted of two rounds of interviews, and you were asked questions that parents might ask you if you were leading a tour. Knowing that about 400 people applied, I was very nervous about my chances, but I did my best, and I guess it paid off!
3) What is your favorite place on campus?
Wow. That’s tough…but I’d probably have to say the Peabody Esplanade. The name “Esplanade” is just a tad pretentious for me, but the place is gorgeous. I’m an HOD major, so I’m on Peabody all the time and I get to walk by the massive lawn, and on a bright sunny day with the beautiful trees lining the lawn and people picnicking out on the grass, it doesn’t get much better than that.
4) What else are you involved in at Vanderbilt?
As a member of Beta Upsilon Chi Fraternity (BYX) and the University Navigators, I’m pretty involved in the Christian community of Vanderbilt, and I’m also on the VPB Music Group, which is an awesome group to be apart of and getting to pick the artists for Rites and Quake is a huge honor for me. But, my biggest involvement is definitely the Vanderbilt Melodores, and getting to be in that group is a dream come true.
5) What is it like to be a Melodore?
Getting to sing with 12 other incredibly talented guys and make music for our friends to enjoy is the greatest blessing! The other guys in the group are some of my closest friends, and it’s so fun to spend time with them – we have so many shared experiences and jokes and it’s just an awesome community to be apart of. If any guys that can sing are reading this, definitely try out for our group! There’s nothing quite like a musical brotherhood. And I mean, ladies love guys that can sing, so being known as a Melodore amongst the beautiful women of Vanderbilt doesn’t suck at all.
6) Do the Melodores have any big events coming up?
We do! Our Spring Concert is a three-night show on April 13th, 14th, and 21st. All shows are at 8pm in Sarratt Cinema! We’re working hard to put on an awesome show, so y’all should definitely come see us. Also, we just finished production on a new CD! It’s entitled Encore, and it should be out on iTunes and in physical copy around April 18th-20th. That’s something that we’re really proud of and we’re stoked for people being able to listen to it!