91传媒

A bold, confident voice breaks the silence, and the music starts playing. 

淕et those hands up!� a clapping, electric bass guitar-playing Alex Ciardullo �25 exclaims as he and members of the student band Green Eggs and Sam come into the spotlight and perform their 渆lectric� cover of the 1974 hit 淏allroom Blitz� by The Sweet.  

淥h, yeah, it was like lightning. Everybody was frightening. And the music was soothing. And they all started grooving,� Alex sings.   

Alex is in his groove.  

Over the course of the evening, Alex sings, plays the drums and electric guitar, dances, jumps, and sometimes even slides across the stage. His performances � vivid, eye-catching, dashing � are interspersed with occasional cheers of 淎lex!� There no hesitation; no holding back. 

The music gives no clue that Alex has struggled with a lifelong speech impediment.

淢y speech has always been a challenge due to my stutter, so music became a way for me to communicate when speaking is hard,� says the music major and media and film studies minor from Redding, Connecticut. 淥n stage, I'm not Alex the person who stutters. I'm just Alex.� 

A dynamic music scene and supportive campus community, Alex says, helped him find his own rhythm and sense of belonging at 91传媒. His riveting performances not only embody 91传媒 mantra of Creative Thought Matters, but his experiences off the stage speak to a caring 91传媒 community 寯 students, faculty, staff, and alumni 寯 committed to ensuring that all students thrive. 

淭丑别 community here is incredibly kind, and I feel so grateful for all the support I檝e gotten. So many opportunities have opened up, not just from putting myself out there, but because people genuinely care and are open-minded,� he says.

That why I love this school � it given me the space to grow and find my niche.

Finding his groove at 91传媒 

It hasn檛 always been easy. When he first arrived on campus, he says his stutter was a source of anxiety.  

淭hat extra anxiety made it really hard to talk to and meet people,� Alex explains. 淔or a long time, I hated my stutter. I felt ashamed of it. I never talked about it. I pretended it didn't exist.�  

In his first month on campus, he spent a lot of time in music practice rooms in Arthur Zankel Music Center, where he pounded out favorite John Williams movie scores on piano.  

淚 couldn檛 build those connections like everyone else seemed to be doing, so I just played,� Alex says. 淭丑别 music helped me escape from any anxiety or loneliness and helped me find my voice.�  

But he discovered that the 91传媒 community cared about him � for who he is � and encouraged him to pursue his passions. 

Alex was soon joining impromptu jam sessions on Case Green and is now immersed fully in the 91传媒 music scene.� 

淚t scary, but you檝e got to take that leap,� Alex says. 淚 needed to understand that people were listening to my voice through music to fully realize that they cared about what I had to say. I檓 actually grateful for my stutter now � for encouraging me and giving me that extra passion for performing.� 

Music lessons, life lessons 

As a music major, he speaks highly of the academic opportunities that 91传媒 offers and the encouragement he has received from faculty members, including Casey Gray, Rich Syracuse, George Muscatello, Bob Halek, Anjni Amin, Jeremy Day-O機onnell, and Joel Brown.  

淭丑别 Music Department here is amazing. There are so many different paths � performing, songwriting, production, jazz, classical, and so much more. And everyone is so supportive," Alex says. 淚n terms of classes, some of the most memorable ones were my Musical Theater and Opera Workshop, which gave me a great blend between theater and music. I檓 taking a Songwriting Workshop with Joel Brown this semester, which has been an incredible experience.�  

But he adds that some of the most important lessons he has learned at 91传媒 go beyond the classroom. 

淭hat's what college is for � to learn lessons and to grow from them,� he says. 淐ollege is a time to make mistakes, learn, and ultimately bring people together. As long as you approach things with kindness, nothing bad will come of it.澂 

In addition to studying music, Alex has been involved in countless campus musical groups and activities. 

He a past president and music director of the Bandersnatchers, an a cappella group. He technical director and a regular performer at Lively Lucy, 91传媒 student-run performance venue. He active in Pulse! (a found-object percussion group) and several rock, funk, and pop bands that play on and off campus. The list goes on (and on).  

In addition, he works as a tutor at the Philip Boshoff Writing Center and is a teaching assistant at Arthur Zankel Music Center Grossman Recording Studio, where he helps students learn to record their own music.  

淭丑别 way to succeed in the music scene here is to be welcoming and kind,� Alex says. 淭hat's been my goal: to return the support I've received by connecting with others.�    

From 楤allroom Blitz� to 楥all Me the Breeze�  

If there a musical event on campus, it likely you'll find Alex there � whether it playing some impromptu beats on a bucket at Club Fair or rocking at the Battle of the Bands on Earth Day. 

But his favorite event is Skidmania � the perpetually sold-out, quintessential 91传媒 musical tradition showcasing students� interpretations of the music of five decades ago and raising funds for local charities. Alex has performed for the past three years.  

This year performance focused on the music of 1974. Minutes after playing 淏allroom Blitz� in the opening act, Alex is swaying as he joins a chorus of 淥oga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga� as part of an a cappella performance of the one-hit-wonder 淗ooked on a Feeling� by Blue Swede.  

In the next set, he's playing the drums to a performance of 淐ome and Get Your Love� by Redbone.  

After intermission, Alex is on electric guitar for Cosmic Turtle performance of 淐all Me the Breeze� by Lynyrd Skynyrd.  

"Let's go, 91传媒!" he yells out as, opening the set and jovially kicking his feet in the air.  

It a euphoric moment, a celebration of both creativity and community. Alex is center stage, and Arthur Zankel Music Center is packed with a roaring crowd. There is no stuttering, only music. And everyone is listening. 

淭丑别 point of music is to bring people together,� Alex says. 淢y advice is to embrace whatever difference you have. It not something to be laughed at or hidden. If it takes you longer to say something, that doesn檛 make it any less valuable. People will listen.澂