Seton Hall alumnus Michael Cappelluti ‘19 is still making a name for himself, even after graduating last year. The recent marketing graduate had balanced working at Amazon while keeping his love for music alive. Cappelluti worked as a supply chain manager at Amazon after graduation. On his days off, he focused on his dedication for music.
Cappelluti said that he always knew that music would be a big part of his life. After picking up instruments at a young age, Cappelluti’s love for music multiplied when he began songwriting.
“I’ve tried tirelessly to predict what [the future] would look like—but there really is no telling what the future will bring,” Cappelluti said. “One thing I know for sure is that I will always be writing music.”
The band Moonwater consists of Seton Hall friends and talented musicians that Mike Cappelluti has met along the way. The group is currently working on their own music, which they are very excited to release.
Cappelluti said he owes his passion for music to “more people than I can count.” He recounted a vivid memory of singing the classic Beatles song, “Hey Jude.”
“I just remember hearing the sing-along at the end and being amazed that I already knew the words to the song, even though I was hearing it for the first time,” Cappelluti said.
Cappelluti also heads a band called Moonwater, consisting of a mixture of Seton Hall friends and some talented individuals he has met along the way. Guitarist CJ Miller said he still sees Cappelluti the same way he did when they first met at 14 years old.
“Very goofy, charismatic and an all-around good dude to be around,” Miller said. “Rekindling with Mike is one of the best things to happen to me.”
After reaching out to Miller, Cappelluti also talked to guitarist Chris Catania and bassist Eric Belcastro to get together as a band.
Catania said that he immediately felt a sense of trust and respect with Cappelluti that overcame the nerves of working with someone he was unfamiliar with.
“I excitedly took on the opportunity to write and work with him,” Catania said. “I came in with a very open mind towards Mike.”
Belcastro said that he met Cappelluti through mutual friends while attending Seton Hall and didn’t know of his musical talents until after being acquainted. After a get-together in Cappelluti’s room, Belcastro said that he grew fascinated with the gear stocked in the dorm room.
“I sat in the corner and stared at his Epiphone Les Paul that had been given a really colorful paint job,” Belcastro said. “We jammed together for the first time of many, which was great because there was not much of a music presence at the school.”
Despite different tastes in music, each member could agree that Cappelluti is undoubtedly the sunshine within the band. Every member had their way of describing Cappelluti’s charismatic persona, but Belcastro described it in a way which truly captures his music and the band as a whole.
Belcastro said, “The most energetic person I have ever met. We will be on hour 13 at the studio at two in the morning, and he will still be jumping around screaming ‘let’s go’ as if we just started.”
Moonwater shares their love for music, both with the public and each other.
The band is still building towards a larger market. Cappelluti mentioned that his favorite place to perform is the Seton Hall campus, where the band truly saw stages of growth.
Most recently, Moonwater opened for PUBLIC, the pop band that headlined the Student Activities Board’s event called “Night Under the Stars” on Aug. 28.
The group is also working on their own music, which they are impatiently waiting to share with the world. An upcoming EP is something they have been working for their entire lives.
Ronald Castaneda can be reached at ronald.castaneda@student.shu.edu.
