Sons of Serendip's music is no coincidence!
Nov 22, 2021 04:01PM ● By Jan Weeks
Do you believe in coincidence? The Sons of Serendip definitely do. These four men found each other through a series of serendipitous decisions that ultimately created one of the hottest pop music groups around.
The four-man band blends classical instruments with pop songs to create memorable performances. The group was a finalist on America’s Got Talent’s ninth season. Though they were sent home from the TV show, Sons of Serendip went on to become one of the most popular groups in music today.
According to lead singer, Micah Christian, the show was their big break. All of the men were attending Boston University (BU) when Christian decided that auditioning might be fun.
“The audition was our first performance together,” he said. “I called the guys and asked if they’d be interested.”
They went into the audition just to see what happened. By the time the competition’s finals rolled around they wanted to win, so going home stung a little. But Christian credits the show for the band’s start.
“America’s Got Talent was the perfect platform for building our careers,” Christian said.
All four performers grew up in musical households. Christian studied classical vocal music. Cordaro Rodriguez taught himself to play the piano at age 10 and now plays several other instruments. Kendall Ramseur picked up the cello also at age 10 when the orchestra director laid all the instruments out on the floor and told them to pick the one that spoke to them. Mason Morton didn’t know what a harp was until someone offered to teach him how to play it. Since then, the four men have created a musical livelihood they love.
The group’s name reflects the serendipitous choices that brought them all to BU. Christian had to choose between accepting an offer to work with Teach for America (TFA) or study theology at BU. On the day his decision was due, the TFA recruiter told him that something within her said he should go to the university.
Ramseur spent an evening in prayer to decide which graduate school offer to accept, and the next morning a voice whispered, “Boston University.” Morton’s harp teacher at Rice University sent him to study under her former mentor, a graduate instructor at BU. Finally, Rodriguez’s pre-law instructor suggested he study at Boston College, but Rodriguez mistakenly applied to Boston University.
The band members’ faith drives their lives, and they rely on it to take them where they need to be. They’re also big on volunteerism and service. Christian spent time teaching English and physical education in Honduras to some of the poorest of the poor. He and his wife, Jocelyn, did similar volunteer work in Peru. Rodriguez spent a year as a volunteer teaching English in Ecuador.
Currently, the group hosts virtual Master Classes for interested students, offering advice and feedback to budding musicians.
The group believes their success is due to creating music differently, thanks to Rodriguez’s unique arrangements for their traditionally classical instruments.
“We try to create an experience in concerts so the audience feels like we’re sharing a moment together,” said Christian.
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