Michael Gordon

This weekend, the Meddiebempsters are meeting in the WBOR record vault to record its first studio album in several years. This is the result of collaboration between Meddiebempster alumnus John Galushi ’20, the Meddiebempsters themselves and WBOR. After graduating, Galushi started work in the recording industry, and he will be using his expertise to assist the current group in its recording.

“We maintain connections with most of our alumni,” Sammy Dereje ’25 said. “That’s one of the really special things about the Meddies.”

A cappella groups at Bowdoin used to frequently record albums, but the practice has fallen by the wayside since the Covid-19 pandemic. With nobody in the current group having participated in a recording session, the Meddies are excited to have a high-quality recording of their work.

“Every once in a while, [before Covid-19] each a cappella group got the opportunity to record,” Meddiebempster leader Thomas Mazzuchi ’23 said. “Covid has disrupted the schedule, so this is the first time that a cappella groups are recording in a while.”

The album will consist of six tracks with a mix of old Meddiebempster standards and newer songs that, in some cases, members of the group arranged. The tracks were chosen by a member-wide vote. This is a big moment for the whole group, but especially for Mazzuchi. One of the senior members of the Meddiebempsters, his arrangement of a Disney medley is one of the songs that was elected in the vote.

“I’m very happy that we decided to record that song,” Mazzuchi said.

Dereje is excited about recording the group’s arrangement of Lorde’s “Green Light,” as it’s his first song-length solo.

“What’s different from last year is that most of the songs that we do are medleys; they don’t have one soloist for the entire song,” Dereje said. “However, with ‘Green Light,’ it’s just one soloist, and it’s my first time singing a solo for the full song.”

WBOR has a long history of creating live recordings, including recording Martin Luther King’s 1964 address to the College and a 1960 live Pete Seeger performance. Generations of a cappella groups have been recorded by the station, but there has been a lapse in recent years. The studio didn’t have the capability to create recordings until recently, but the station is making an effort to record more Bowdoin artists and groups.

“We have a plethora of live talent around campus,” Technical Director of WBOR Mason Daughtery ’25 said. “Our mission is grounded in giving the talent the platform that they deserve.”

This collaboration between WBOR and the Meddiebempsters will hopefully be a lasting one, and Bowdoin students should have more music to look forward to during the Spring Semester.