The Melodores are at it again with a national win, scoring the opportunity to open for DCappella. For this tight-knit group of men, opening for Disney’s brand new seven-person a cappella group is another exciting opportunity in their already-packed performance schedule. Between their impromptu jams in dorms, live recording sessions in E. Bronson Ingram, international spring break outreach tour and spring showcase, the thirteen vocalists are will be taking the stage at one of Nashville’s most historic venues—the Ryman Auditorium—on Feb. 5.
DCappella’s first national tour has been bringing classic Disney favorites to cities nationwide since January. Their stint at the Ryman falls right in the middle of their three month tour. In order to find opening acts in each city they stopped in, DCappella opened up an Instagram contest with #takeusontour.
In accordance with the parameters of the contest, The Melodores submitted a one-minute video of raw footage from one of their latest recordings, “Evergreen (YEBBA)” in early December. Competing against a large amount of heavy hitters and professional groups, the Melodores won the opening slot for Nashville’s show.
“Nashville naturally had a lot of people going for it, since it is Music City,” senior beatboxer and Music Director Shaan Ramaprasad said. “I honestly thought that there are so many professional groups that they wouldn’t choose a college group, but the [Melodores] have a tendency to get lucky.”
Along with arranging the music, one of Ramaprasad’s major responsibilities is creating a group of songs with the right balance and vibe. The setlist for the Ryman performance will likely include a ballad, a throwback song and new material.
Landing a gig connected to Disney at a venue with such a strong reputation and history will certainly be a performance for the books. In Ramaprasad’s three years as a Melodore, he has found that the crowd reaction is one of the most rewarding aspects of a show.
“It’s always interesting to see which songs emotionally impact crowds. When we did our alumni song—“And So It Goes” by Billy Joel—in Switzerland after this really big show, people were sobbing afterwards. We walked out, and people were still crying and giving us hugs afterwards. That’s when it really hit me that the music we do can have a lot more power than we thought,” Ramaprasad said.
Check the Melodores out on Spotify here and on Instagram @vanderbiltmelodores, or see them on campus at their annual Meloroo spring show on March 30 in Sarratt Cinema.
Get tickets or more info about the DCappella show on Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. here. Direct message their Instagram for a special discount code.
Cover photo provided by Shaan Ramaprasad.
