Xnelo packs USU Pit

By Rory Sa

Junior Kristina Noll, 21, was on her way to study Thursday night when she paused, joining other students on the balcony and in the pit of the student union to listen to the modern rock covers and the gentle ministry of Xnelo (X-nee-low).

“ They’re awesome,” Noll said.

Heads bobbed and feet tapped as Xnelo belted out covers, the vocalists possessing voices eerily resembling those of the song’s source. From Michelle Branch to Avril Lavigne, it was easy to think one of the young singer-songwriters had spontaneously appeared on campus to entertain students on a Thursday night.

But Xnelo isn’t just about entertaining; it’s about reaching the soul.

The band’s name, Xnelo, is an Americanized version of “ex nihilo,” which is Latin for “out of nothing.” It’s a reference to the book of Genesis and the story of creation.

The band was created by the national organization Campus Crusade for Christ after it surveyed college students to find out what would reach students the best. “We use modern music, covers and originals just to talk about our love for God and how we have a relationship with him,” Snow said.

Xnelo has traveled across the country for more than three years, performing at college campuses and military bases. The musicians were members of Campus Crusade. The organization gathers musicians together to create bands. Stone said there were about 70 people in the ministry. Guitarist Amy Snow was a schoolteacher for several years before she went into musical ministry. “It’s really nice to do what I love and serve God as well while I’m doing it,” Snow said.

“ Being able to do it on a full-time basis while doing music full time is a dream, a dream come true,” she said.

Lead singer Teresa Stone has been singing more than 13 years. “I’d been performing all my life but not this kind of music in front of college students, but it was fun. It was challenging as well,” Stone said

Fresno State’s Campus Crusade Director Eric Hiett heard from the band in April. “They called and said we we’re going to be in the area, and would you like us to come to your campus,” Hiett said.

Playful banter and humorous rambling was plentiful on stage, underscoring the family-like environment within the band. It’s not entirely surprising, since significant others help behind the scenes and everyone in the band assists with setting up and taking down the equipment.

“ It’s like a family,” Snow said. “You travel together as much as we do, we become a family.”

A portion of the band’s proceeds from selling merchandise is given to humanitarian organizations. The proceeds from Thursday night’s concert went to helping children in rural China go to school. “Every $45 we make goes to help one child go to school,” Stone said.

The band’s next stop will be in Santa Barbara on Saturday, a first for Stone and other members of the band.

The members understand the challenges of working on the road, but find their greatest rewards in not just performing, but changing lives.

“ I’ve never been so sure of a decision in all my life, to commit my life to serving God and helping to share the hope that I have,” Snow said.

Junior Victor Leon, 19, said he wasn’t into rock, “but the comments they make afterwards, related to God and how everything started, gives us a hint of where we came from and what everything’s about,” Leon said.

“ The odds of getting to perform for a living are slim to none. It’s really cool to actually get to do that, but on the flip side there’s a lot of sacrifice. It’s give and take, but it’s worth it,” Stone said.

“ I had a girl come up to me afterwards and tell me how much it meant to her; that makes all the hard work, the set up, the tear down, the loading and unloading worth it to know that somebody got something out of it,” she said.