Bascom does not even consider himself a singer. He admitted, "If someone tells me to sing something for them I usually won't, unless I have a guitar." A cappella singing may seem like an interesting choice for someone who does not like to sing without musical accompaniment, but he "does it for the guys," who he thinks are a refreshing change from the types of guys he hung out with during his "meathead" high school days. Bascom initially joined the Aires as a freshman because he wanted to "do something musical, regularly" at Dartmouth. With his performance later this month at the Hop, it is safe to say that he has achieved his goal.
More than just any activity, music has defined Bascom's Dartmouth experience. The glossy Dartmouth brochures always talk about this august, intangible experience, but it does not mean much until students like A.J. redefine it by pursuing an endeavor completely outside the normal undergraduate curriculum. He went where no Dartmouth student has ever gone before: deciding to delve deep into popular music, he pursued a senior fellowship focusing on the singer-songwriter's effects on popular music and culture in the latter part of the 20th century. With the wide variation in talents and interests at this school, Bascom finds it amazing that his project is unprecedented.
Bascom says that most popular music today is "superficial and unoriginal," while in the 1960s and 1970s many lyrics had meaning and influence in popular culture. His project explores the psychology of music. As a psychology major, he ties his knowledge and interest of the field into his evaluation of music. He also emphasizes composition, the structure or organization of a work of music, focusing on the genuine qualities of the singer-songwriter.
Bascom's senior project is composed of multiple segments. One part is a series of lectures in Faulkner Auditorium. The first lecture is Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. and is a preparation for the concert. Bascom, who compares his lecture to an English literature class, will elucidate the songwriting process and how to get the most out of music. His lecture will inform people what they will hear at his concerts and why he selected the covers he will perform.
In addition to his lectures, Bascom will perform at the Hop. He will perform covers of well-known songs as well as original compositions. The covers are tentatively "The News" by Jack Johnson, "Maggie's Farm" by Bob Dylan, "That's Just The Way It Is" by Bruce Hornsby and "America" by Simon and Garfunkel. According to Bascom, these songs offer simple enjoyment when passively listening ("Well, maybe not Dylan," he concedes), but all also have a pointed message that the artist is trying to communicate.
Bascom tries to emulate his favorite artists in his own compositions, with the hope that, as he says, "every time you listen to [my work] you find more content instead of less." Some of his compositions are politically focused, while others allude to the current state of the popular music industry. Bascom says that the commercialization of the industry has led to a decline in the quality and potency of popular music. He also argues that popular music today "is a cultural and artistic wasteland, and the majority of today's stars refuse to take a political stance."
Some of his songs are more personal -- about important events in his life both painful and pleasant. A few of these songs are about love, but he complicates the average love song by twisting the plot and adding more dimensions.
While Bascom's original songs are personal, he will not be performing by himself. Instead, five other Dartmouth students are in his core ensemble: Nick Brown '09, Jeff Milloy '09, Zak Kaufman '08, Dave Smith '08 and Nat Granger '08.
With his core ensemble, Bascom looks forward to devoting his energy to music. Bascom says that after being in a band for some of his freshman year, he chose to focus on other activities during the busiest portions of his Dartmouth career so that he could pursue his artistic endeavors almost exclusively throughout his senior year.
Bascom plans to follow up the Hop performance by releasing a CD in May. He does not plan to make music his career, however: After graduation, Bascom will be working for a corporate strategy consulting firm in Washington, D.C. But even after joining the corporate world, Bascom is hoping to perform in clubs on the weekends as a break from the hectic workweek.
Even though he has the looks and the talent, Bascom does not think he will ever be a rock star. "My hair isn't long enough," he laughs.
