This year, the bands have three performances scheduled at Hopmonk, a restaurant and bar in Vintage Oaks Shopping Center. Certain bands are also occasionally invited to participate in other community events around town. After months of work, their dedication is expressed onstage in front of a crowd.
“It really helps public speaking for some people, but also expressing yourself through performances and gaining a little more confidence standing up in front of a crowd,” sophomore Taylor McTigue said.
Each band has the freedom to select its own songs and set size. Music can almost always be heard from the 800 building, even after school, where San Marin High School’s multitude of music classes are held throughout the day. One of the classes offered by the music program is an after-school Rock Band program. It was started as part of San Marin’s Art and Technical Arts (smARTt) program, where University of California-approved electives, such as performing arts, creative writing, journalism, and technical art classes were integrated into the school. This addressed the need for more art classes for students enrolled in San Marin’s science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) program. Rock Band is open to anyone who has prior experience singing or playing an instrument. Rock Band is open to anyone who has prior experience singing or playing an instrument.
The bands are formed based on the number of people enrolled and which instruments the students play. This year, there are five different bands within the program, whereas last year there were seven.
“Last year we had so many great, very talented seniors, and I’m so sad to see all of them gone now,” sophomore Kaden Hockinson said.
They offer a variety of different instruments within each band, including the keyboard, piano, guitar, bass, and drums. Additionally, many of the vocalists, who are lead and backup singers in the bands, also know how to play instruments and will occasionally switch roles in any given set.
While they have two teachers, Luis Santos and James Harman, this class is primarily student-led, due to the fact that they only meet at school once a week. It is then up to the students to decide when they want to hold rehearsals with their group. This allows the teachers to provide guidance, which then the students can apply what they learned independently.
“With my band, The Canaries, I have created a group chat,” Hockinson said. “So if we can, some days we will stay after school, or if someone has the instruments at their house, we can all meet there.”
“When you practice with your band, you can alter anything you want, and there is a lot of creative freedom to express yourself,” McTigue said.
The next rock band concert is scheduled for Nov. 4 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased closer to the date of the concert on Hopmonk’s website for $26.94.
