Being a Melodore at Vanderbilt is equivalent to being a member of the Treblemakers from Pitch Perfect. It’s a prestigous group of close-knit guys who bond over a love for singing. Basically, if you tell someone you’re a Melodore, they’re usually impressed. I had the chance to interview one of the newest members of the Melodores, Hollis Cuffie. Hollis is a first-year student from Georgia who also serves as the president of his Commons house, participates in Blood:Water, and plans on rushing a fraternity. I asked Hollis about his experience with the Melodores thus far.
1) When did you first start singing?
I first started singing in elementary school. We had a choir only 4th and 5th graders could be in called the Singing Hawks, and I definitely got in and nailed two solos my first year. Just sayin’. I stayed away from singing other than in my church choir for the next few years, and never did any during high school!
2) Why did you decide to join the Melodores?
I wanted to join the Melodores because I’d heard how awesome of a performing group they were, and I really wanted to contribute something to that. I looked them up on Youtube and all the talk was true! That’s when I knew I had to at least try.
3) What was the audition process like?
Auditions started out with you singing about a minute of a song of your choice, followed by some sight reading exercises and a little q&a to figure out who you are as a person and why you’re applying. If you make callbacks, you get to come back in prepared with more songs and a willingness to test your harmonizing ability. After that, all you can do is sit back and wait for the word on whether you got in or not! Competing against 50+ other guys for a spot is really intense, but I never really felt a lot of pressure. It’s a very warm, fun environment.
4) Your first performance was last weekend- how did that go?
The performance last week was a ridiculous amount of fun. It was a little weird being without an actual stage, but there’s nothing like the rush of entertaining so many people at once! The energy from the crowd was good, and we meshed well for it being our first play.
5) When is your next performance?
Lights on the Lawn tomorrow on Alumni Lawn during the afternoon, and then Athenian Sing!
Editor’s Note: These performances were yesterday- how awesome were the Melodores???