Several diverse academic departments at Elon University are bringing their resources together to bring a multifaceted, self-made and award-winning musician to campus.
Dutch-born singer and songwriter Marcel Van Dam will perform a concert of his originally composed French music at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25 in Whitley Auditorium.
Elon French professor Sarah Glasco first became aware of Van Dam’s work through her connection with the Alliances Francaises, an international organization that has promoted the spread of French language and culture for more than a century.
Van Dam was studying for his doctorate in chemical engineering in the Netherlands when he made the decision to relocate to France after graduation.
“I had so many good memories and France was a little mysterious for me, so different from other countries — a mystery I wanted to reveal,” Van Dam said.
While in France, Van Dam attended a songwriting retreat with popular French artist Francis Cabrel, who inspired Van Dam to write French lyrics and pursue his dream of becoming a professional singer and songwriter.
Abandoning his career in chemical engineering, Van Dam began an entrepreneurial effort to manage his music career.
During the spring of 2013, Glasco began collaborating with several departments at Elon, including Elon’s Department of World Languages and Cultures, Department of Music, School of Communications, Global Education Center and Love School of Business to promote a Fund for Excellence in the Arts and Sciences Grant, enabling Van Dam to visit Elon University.
Glasco coordinated Van Dam’s visit to appeal to students in a multitude of applicable disciplines. Van Dam will meet with business students Oct. 23 to discuss his entrepreneurial efforts in self-managing his career. Additionally, he will visit French classes and host a workshop in a music production class.
“I think [Cabrel’s] main influence on me was learning — let go, do your thing, believe in yourself,” Van Dam said. “Now the biggest challenge is simply to work hard every day, to get better all the time. Never think that you’ve arrived.”