Student-led Bands Foster Creativity

By: Jenna Jenkerson

December 4, 2024

   In CFPA (Center for Fine and Performing Arts) Music Technology’s dark and cozy classroom, numerous posters from the discipline’s performances throughout the years hang on the walls. Serving as a reminder of past shows, these posters not only have the names of countless students throughout the years but also have the names of student-led bands. With a multitude of student-led bands in a variety of genres, there is a band for everyone and if none exists, they create their own.

   Music Tech’s Vice President and Junior Gray Gatling is a member of The 1623 House Band, the primary student-led band in Music Tech. Primarily playing pop-rock covers, they have frequent performances at Colgan events.

   “One of the main things is 1623 has a lot of opportunities within the school because it’s kind of facilitated by the music tech program,” said Gatling, one of the band’s three vocalists. “We have opportunity to play a bunch of major events such as Healeypalooza.”

   Senior Gavin Thompson has been in the band Two Months Later since its creation in his freshman year. The three-person band plays Hardcore Punk and Beatdown, a subgenre of Hardcore Punk. They have also signed onto a record label called Chokehold Records that helps distribute their music on streaming platforms. They have played gigs at Colgan and in the local area, including opening up for punk band Black Flag in August.

   “We got a couple of out-of-state gigs for November,” said Thompson. “We’re going to go to Philadelphia, we’re going to go to Baltimore.”

   One aspect he enjoys most out of being in a band is the “scene,” a community that puts out music in the punk genre.

   “Everyone knows that everyone has the same goal in mind, and that’s just to get somewhere with their art, get somewhere with their music,” said Thompson. “So you know, everyone just kind of tries to do what they can to help push that.”

   Senior Mason Weintz is in two bands, a jazz combo called Past 9 and metal-punk band Operation Buster-Jangle. Past 9 plays music from lead sheets, which gives a chord and a melody for players to improv something, while Operation Buster-Jangle puts out original music. Both bands intend to put out albums by the end of the school year. As a member of CFPA Band, he believes that there’s quite a bit students can gain from being in CFPA.

   “The best benefit about CFPA is the connections that you get out of it,” said Weintz. “And then just getting away from Colgan and doing stuff outside of school is really what helps.”

   Although there are numerous student-led bands at Colgan, many share a common goal: to improve upon their craft and to collaborate with their peers.