The Fordham Ram is happy to announce the debut of a monthly concert series featuring student musicians at Fordham University.

One day in junior year of high school, Joe Guzzardo, FCRH ’21, asked his friend Jordan Llatance, FCRH ’21, if he wanted to start a band.

“He was like, no,” Guzzardo said. Guzzardo persisted, though, and Llatance eventually gave in. The pair from New Egypt, NJ found two other musicians at their school, Jack Lyons, FCRH ’21, and Collin Melazzo, FCRH ’21, and formed Westfalia — pronounced West-fall-ee-uh — now one of Fordham’s premiere student outfits.

On the evening of an early October day filled with the incessant shifting of temperatures — first blistering heat, then sudden downpour — a warm ember pulsed through Tognino Hall.

Usually home to orientation groups and guest speakers, on this day, the cavernous, Cathedral-like space echoed with laid-back acoustic guitar music.

Guzzardo, who plays guitar, sings and helps write for the band, performed four songs, including “Poland,” “Played Two,” “In The Middle” and a cover of “I Was 17” by Starflyer 59.

Westfalia is known for playing at Fordham-related shindigs, like the recent Engineers Without Borders event.

When asked about the band’s future, Melazzo said that while they don’t have ambitions of performing at Coachella, they want to keep playing together after college.

“We’re working on an album, hopefully that’ll come out soon,” Guzzardo said.

Follow Westfalia on Instagram at westfaliatheband and Twitter at westfaliaband.

View the full performance on our YouTube channel, The Fordham Ram, after 6 p.m. on Oct. 9.

Listen to the full interview on our podcast on SoundCloud at Ramcast.