MSU Shadows was officially adopted as the alma mater for Michigan State on April 21, 1949. Shadows was chosen by student vote after a long effort to identify and obtain a distinctive melody for the university.

There are many stories surrounding the roots of Shadows. One claim found online and in an old football program indicates the music was borrowed from the opera Lucia di Lammermoor.

John Madden, Spartan Marching Band Director, clarified that there are two measures in Shadows that are similar to the opera’s Sextet. He says you might also find the ending phrase reminiscent of the end of When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.

Joshua Davis is an MSU College of Arts & Letters graduate, former faculty member at the MSU Community Music School - East Lansing, and native of Michigan. He was also a finalist on the eighth season of NBC’s The Voice. This past summer we asked Joshua if he’d record his own version of the beloved Michigan State alma mater, MSU Shadows with students from the University Chorale.

go.msu.edu/shadows