Senior Adam Dell took two semesters off this past year to pursue his passion for music in Denver, Colo.

During Dell’s junior year his cousin, Brandon Burcham, made him an offer to move to Colorado and play music together.

“He and his wife do not have kids and he was just like, ‘Hey, if you want to come live out here we can do music together,'” Dell said.

Brandon Burcham graduated from Harding in 2009 and is a worship and outreach minister in Colorado.

Dell made the decision following his junior year to take a year off and head out west. Brandon Burcham did not expect Dell to accept his offer.

“Honestly, no, I didn’t,” Brandon Burcham said. “I definitely wanted him to, but figured he was all talk when he said that he was going to pull the trigger on it. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised when he finally got his butt out here.”

During the year spent in Colorado, Brandon Burcham and Dell added two more people to their group and created the band Burcham. Brandon’s sister, senior Brianna Burcham, was excited about this new group.

“All growing up, at every family reunion, they would get together and play together and we would all just be like ‘you guys should start a band,'” Brianna Burcham said.

The band performed in numerous venues during the year, released an EP, and even opened for Andy Grammer at Harding this past fall.

Dell decided to return to Harding this spring semester to finish his undergraduate degree.

“Colorado was awesome, Denver was awesome, but there is just something about the south,” Dell said.

Dell said he was thankful that he decided to take a year off to pursue music, but said that he is happy to be back in Searcy investing in his other interests.

Brandon Burcham said he was not surprised Dell returned to Harding. Several people in their family earned their degrees from Harding and Dell said he wanted to do the same.

“It’s a fantastic school that educates students from a Christ-centered perspective … and that is pretty awesome if you ask me,” Dell said.

Many people were excited about seeing Dell’s face back on campus, according to Brianna Burcham.

“He has kind of been one of my best friends growing up; it is really great to have him back,” Brianna Burcham said. “I have missed him.”