On Saturday, April 14th, Cornell’s campus was abuzz as a number of a capella groups took the stage for their biannual concerts. Among them was Mediocre Melodies, a new organization founded by Andrew Greene ‘20, that held its very first concert in Klarman Hall. As Andrew took the stage to introduce the 33-member ensemble, he spoke about the group’s origins, as well as its commitment to promoting positive change by giving all concert proceeds to Tompkins Learning Partners. Members’ shirts proudly dubbed the group, “an elaborate joke.” According to Andrew, that is really how it began. “The majority of the people were shocked when I started advertising a concert in the first meeting. They thought it was just an elaborate joke, and it really was. I do a lot of crazy elaborate jokes. This one has gone the furthest by far. A lot of my friends and the people in the club thought it was going to be a joke. It became progressively more, ‘Jesus this is actually becoming a thing.’” Yet, while the group may have had comedic origins, it’s been on Andrew’s mind for a while. “The idea was in my head for around three years. I went to Colgate University for my Freshman year and I always knew that I wanted to enact it somewhere, but I had the transfer option to Cornell so I waited until I got here to get it up and running. When I got to Cornell, I told some people and they were super into the idea and before I knew it, the club was no longer just a joke.” Adding to the appeal of the group, “It was literally just an interest based audition. If you were able to meet the practice times and wanted to be in the group we would have you.”
The packed auditorium, which group members insist was a complete surprise, and the obvious excitement of the audience meant that the crowd probably would have applauded for just about anything, but Mediocre Melodies provided a genuinely entertaining show unlike anything I’ve seen. The group performed five numbers, including “Fat Bottomed Girls” and “Riptide.” As with traditional a capella groups, the performance featured a number of soloists. However, completely breaking with tradition, it also included several “skits,” including a game of Kahoot! and a take on the now infamous Yodeling Boy. Said Andrew, “The filler was interesting. It was something that I was incredibly nervous about, because I figured a mediocre a cappella concert would be awesome if it was entertaining at all points, but as soon as it hit a lull we would struggle. A lot of general members came up with some of the elements. It was a lot of a team effort to come up with the least uncomfortable and most uncomfortable entertainment between songs.”
The collaborative spirit of the group is something that drew member Chiara Fontaine ‘21 to the group in the first place. The best things about the group are, “the environment and the people in it because it’s just so supportive and the practices are really fun, which is great. We’re taking it seriously enough that we get stuff done, but not so seriously that it’s a drag.” Another highlight of the experience is “the idea that we’re all singing together so we sound better.”
Whatever the group’s methods may be, their success is indisputable. Beginning with a goal of $1,000 in profits, Mediocre Melodies ended up raising over $2,300 for Tompkins Learning Partners, who had reached out to them early in the semester hoping to be their charity of choice. Said Andrew, “We really wanted to make a local impact, so it was cool to do something where the headquarters are not so far away.”
Change may be on the horizon for the group, as it’s experiencing a spike in interest, but longevity is certainly a priority for the Mediocre Melodies. After all, “It really does make not only the people that are in it happy, but the people that experience it. It’s hard to believe but awesome that people would come to something that advertises mediocrity, at a place like Cornell. I think it was a breath of fresh air.”
