Senior Band Muss MD Hits Their Groove

Jocelyn Goldstein ('25)

While the academic exploits of Masterman students are celebrated far and wide, the school also has a long tradition of excellence in music. Every year, talented students express their skills in a multitude of school clubs, including choir, Sweet 16 (an acapella group), jazz band, orchestra, and more. In addition to these official programs, Masterman students expand their opportunities to perform through solo recitals and the forming of grassroots bands. Among these, the rise of “senior bands” has become a recent Masterman tradition. This year, a new senior band has emerged: Muss MD. The band features five Masterman seniors: Adriana Buvac-Drndic, George Siokos, Jason Sagle, Gwen Kapusinski, and Maeve McNichol.

While the band has become increasingly popular this year, their origins trace back to two years ago. George, the guitarist, and Jason, the pianist and bassist, frequently found themselves bored during lunch in 10th grade. George noted that they began to play during this open period, saying, “We didn’t do any clubs at lunch so we would play on the piano and an acoustic guitar in the room next to the stage.” Ms. Neu, whose office is adjacent to the stage, often overheard the two practicing together. Eventually, Ms. Neu helped the duo find gigs such as performances at Waterworks, the Comcast Center, and School District of Philadelphia events. The beginning performances featured music from the genres of jazz and bossa nova. Adriana, a percussionist, joined the band during the second year, expanding the sonic possibilities.

With hopes of continuing to grow the repertoire, the band added Gwen, on

lead vocals, and Maeve, on vocals and rhythm guitar. The addition of these two members facilitated a transition toward soft and pop rock. So far the band has already done many meaningful performances, such as sets at Masterman’s Fall Masquerade, the Fallser Club, and 440, the Philadelphia School District building. The first performance of the year, the Fall Masquerade, proved to be a crucial learning experience for the group. Adriana noted, “ It was a good experience because everything that I was afraid of going wrong in fact did go wrong, but it showed that those little mistakes don’t matter.” Despite Adriana’s drumstick flying out of her hand mid performance, the group felt immense support from their Masterman community. Maeve voiced, “It was incredibly electric. To have that kind of response to something that we all loved doing was pretty extraordinary, made even more special by the fact that our audience was made up of our friends and peers.” Gwen echoed: “I don't think any of us expected to be so supported by the crowd. I never thought I would get to do something like that with my friends, for my friends, so I’m incredibly grateful.”

After the success of the Masquerade, Muss MD went on to perform at the Fallser Club, which became the band's most upscale performance yet. The venue featured a host, live sound technician, and professional equipment. The band members unanimously agreed that this was their favorite gig to perform and Jason commented on the impact of this show: “Our set itself was able to sound the best out of all the times we have played. This was also the first time we were able to expand our music to a new audience of listeners outside our school community, and I think that this performance was able to leave a good impression.”

In the future, the group hopes to create original music and continue to find fun and exciting gigs. Adriana commented on her aspirations for the group: “[We want] to make the most out of our senior year because we are all, most likely, going to be separated for college and execute the creation of some originals.” Several groupmates echoed the desire to produce original music and drafts are already in the works. To keep up to date with the band follow Muss MD on Instagram @muss_md_sos!

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