Music at Dartmouth!
I love music, but I did not think my life at Dartmouth would have a lot of musical memories attached to it. Coming here, I realized there are many opportunities to experience music, both through campus events and individual members of the community.
One way is through the various acapella groups on campus. Dartmouth's many acapella groups have different identities, such as the Dartmouth Aires, one of the oldest all-male a cappella groups among universities, to the Dartmouth Rockapellas, whose songs often focus on social issues. There is often at least one show a week, often paired with a dance group for a lovely night of fun! I have many of my friends in different groups, and it is always fun to cheer them on, especially when they have solos.
Along with acapella shows, Dartmouth sometimes brings in singers for events across the year. Some are during the big weekends on campus, such as Green Key, where we have had artists like Doechii and Ke$ha, but also across the year. I remember going to the Hopkins Center of Performing Arts and seeing Mashrou' Leila, a Lebanese rock band. It was an interesting talk as well, and we learned a lot about the social issues going on in their home country.
But I also have encountered music through individuals at Dartmouth. There are multiple people here who write and produce their own music, and it is always fun to hear them! One of my friends Brandon has a band called Summer on Venus, and I remember when we both went abroad to London and heard him perform at various pubs and restaurants. It's a huge passion of his, and he was even able to get grant funding through the music department to write and produce his upcoming album. Before I met my other friend Stavros, he released a song during our freshman year, and I remember starting to listen to his music. Later on, we met each other in person and I eventually got to know him and hear about his journey through music. Eventually, he released an album called Entropia, which included a revamped version of the initial song he made all those years ago!
Music is everywhere on campus, and it is awesome to experience it in various ways!