Music is more than just a melody. It is a form of expression and a reflection of our emotions that has the power to forge connections and serve as an outlet for creativity. At Colgate University, between the chaos and rapid pace of daily life, music offers an opportunity for students to slow down and spend a portion of their time doing something that they love. In a campus culture dominated by packed schedules and academic pressure, six students — juniors Annabelle Grandy, Dev Sethi, Jackson Lowell, Leo Montoya, Lily O’Connor and Owen McCabe — carved out space for something that has nothing to do with résumés or requirements: making music together as the band Happy to Be Here because they genuinely want to do so.
Grandy, the band’s lead singer, commented on the origins of the relatively recent organization of this band.
“We have been active for just under one year now, as we came together in late November [2024] and didn’t have our first show until [February 1, 2025],” Grandy said.
Even though they formed very recently, the band has already begun making a name for itself. Today, you can often find Happy to Be Here performing at social events from bars in town to the Phi Delta Theta house and even Colgate Football tailgates. Their sets typically feature a wide variety of songs, though they are known for playing popular acoustic covers.
Montoya, who plays guitar and sings in the band, further described how the group first began to come together.
“[Annabelle Grandy] and I talked before school started freshman year, but it was only after joining Phi Delta Theta and meeting Owen McCabe, Jackson Lowell and Dev Sethi, and also Lily O’Connor, when things really started to assemble,” Montoya said.
Through this connection, Happy to Be Here was born, rooted in each member’s joy for music and enthusiasm to perform on the stage.
McCabe, who plays both acoustic and electric guitar for the band, reflected on what the band has meant to him.
“My experience in this band has been so positive, and every opportunity to perform fills me with excitement. There really is no feeling like communicating through music with people who are equally as passionate and driven by sound as I am,” McCabe said. “This experience has allowed me to form a meaningful and deep connection with everyone, and just playing together has become the highlight of my weeks.”
The joy that the Happy to Be Here band creates through their music is one equally shared by the band members and the community. Music has a powerful way of strengthening connections, building a tighter Colgate community and bond between each of the band members. Happy to Be Here definitely exemplifies this.
“One final thing that I want to say about this band is that it brings so much joy, and every time we get to introduce ourselves as Happy to Be Here, it is because we truly are,” McCabe said.
With every song Happy to Be Here plays, their name truly says it all, encompassing the members’ excitement to be there performing. So next time you are walking through Hamilton or cheering at a Colgate football game, follow the sound of music. Chances are, it is the Happy to Be Here band, spreading joy throughout the community one song at a time.
