By Julianne Ferreira 

Alex DeSimine, GSB ‘15, gathers his fellow singers in a circle one Thursday evening for practice. After distributing sheet music, he plays a note on the keyboard to set the key, and a second later, the group belts out a rendition of Josh Groban’s “Now or Never” — using only the power of their voices.

DeSimine is the musical director of Fordham’s all male a cappella group, the Ramblers, the oldest active club on Fordham’s campus, which began in 1893. For the last three years as musical director, he has been arranging songs, running practices and making the group sound musically cohesive. He is also the person who creates the set list for the shows — along with the input of the other members.

Almost four years ago, before DeSimine began his Fordham career, he watched YouTube videos of the Ramblers singing. It was then that he knew he wanted to be part of the group’s legacy. “For some reason I came in saying to myself, ‘I want to be in the all-guys group,’” DeSimine says. “I couldn’t tell you why, but I’m glad I said that to myself.”

DeSimine said the Ramblers are now some of his closest friends. He says they often hang out together outside of practice and in turn, they can focus on the music during their rehearsals. “By the time we get to Ramblers,” he said, “we’re all kind of friends and it’s easier to put aside differences to make music, which is great.”

The other members of the Ramblers say they love working with DeSimine just as much as he loves working with them. “He is a fantastically energetic, very creative guy,” says Anthony Tantillo, FCRH ‘16, the president of the Ramblers. “He’s very, very enthusiastic about everything he does and he has a way of getting everyone else to feed off of that energy he brings and makes sure we’re all just as excited about it as he is.”
Peter Hulburt, FCRH ‘16, another Rambler, praises DeSimine’s role as musical director. “Alex is a great guy,” Hulbert says. “He’s a great teacher and he’s really got a way of understanding that each of us, each person is different and they learn differently. And, so he can connect to that, which is really cool. Not a lot of people can do that.”

Though DeSimine teaches his fellow Ramblers the songs he arranges, he did not always have the same passion for music. After starting piano lessons at seven years old, he jokes that he felt the opposite way about music than he does now. “My sister and I both hated it and we convinced my dad to let us quit when my mom was on a business trip,” DeSimine laughs.

Singing did not come naturally either for DeSimine. “I started singing in third grade choir, but I don’t think I was actually singing,” he says. “I don’t really remember, but my mom says that I was lip-synching the whole time, which I kind of believe.”

It was not until DeSimine turned 13 that he really started to enjoy music. After seeing a sixteen-year-old playing guitar while on a family trip to Malaysia and thinking he was the “coolest kid around,” DeSimine says he changed his perspective. After returning back home, DeSimine promptly bought a new guitar, began singing and even got back into playing piano.

That same year, DeSimine met Alex Tremitiere. The two began playing music together in School of Rock, a music education program, and now, years later, they still do. They created the indie rock band Second Child. The group released their EP, Beginners, in September 2014. Second Child even opened for the bands Cartel and Cold War Kids last year for Fordham’s Spring Weekend.

This year, Second Child competed for the coveted positions of Spring Weekend opener again in the Battle of the Bands, hosted by the Campus Activities Board (CAB) and Rodrigues. The band came in second place, losing out to The Suits. Although Second Child did not win this year, DeSimine was still involved, as he drummed for The Suits on the steps of Martyr’s lawn.

DeSimine’s band mate Tremitiere says Second Child’s contest loss will not stop him from pursuing music. “Alex is just someone where he has to play music, and that’s just the way his brain works,” Tremitiere said.

DeSimine said being a part of the music scene on campus has strengthened his love for music. “I guess being here, being a part of the Ramblers, working on Second Child, really kinda drove home how cool the human voice is,” he says. “I think it’s the best instrument around.”

As a senior in the Gabelli School of Business, DeSimine’s run as musical director for the Ramblers and his gigs with Second Child on campus are about to come to an end. After he graduates in May, DeSimine says he wants to pursue a music career with Second Child. According to Tremitiere, in the immediate future, DeSimine is even planning on living with her, so the two can write even more music together for a new EP in the works.

DeSimine adds that he is going to take it day by day to pursue his passion. “My plan is just to kinda not spread too thin, but try a lot of different things and see what lands in terms of how I can make music making a feasible living,” he explains. “That’s as much of a plan as I have.”