Over the years, the Battle of the Bands competition has come to be an accurate representation of the high school experience. For those involved, the event is a culmination of hours of practice for the sake of an ultimate expression of each band’s individuality.
In Battle of the Bands, groups of teens set out to prove themselves in the heat of competition by performing personalized set lists of songs, with some originals, in front of an audience of their peers and a panel of judges.
Five bands competed for the trophy, with Infinity taking home the prize. It is the second year in a row for the ambitious act composed of 18 student musicians. The other four bands involved in the event were Dirty Dan and the Pinheads, Fudgy Jenkins and the Chocolate Chips, Outrageous Fun, and Esoteric Jive Clan.
The victorious band performed covers of Amy Winehouse’s “Tears Dry on Their Own,” Silverchair’s “The Greatest View,” Michael Jackson’s “Blame it on the Boogie,” and Kansas’s “Carry On My Wayward Son.” Infinity paid homage to these popular songs while infusing their own personal style by incorporating parts for instruments, not typically used in renditions of these songs, including an inspired flute solo by junior Dylan Rothman.
For many students, Battle of the Bands is an opportunity to live their dreams, if even on a high school stage.
“I’d always dreamed of getting to sing like that in public, but when I finally got there, the thought of messing them up settled into my mind before we went on. But when we got out there, I didn’t think about it too much because I knew it would throw me off and that, I think, saved me,” said senior and lead vocalist of Infinity, Sydney Ronis
The two runner-up teams consisted of seniors Chris Goh, Matty DiGiovanni, David Tung, and Derek Moss of Outrageous Fun, and freshmen Jacob Kaypour, Dexter Jarach, and Daniel Gersh of Dirty Dan and the Pinheads.
Outrageous Fun had one of the most recognizable set lists for the audience, featuring songs from the Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, and The Strokes.
“When it came time to choose songs, we thought about everything we have ever played, during past battles and in rehearsals, and focused on what we were most comfortable playing,” said DiGiovanni.
In addition to selecting the correct set list, there are a great amount of responsibilities necessary to create an event like this. As the entire production is put together over a very short amount of time, it is no surprise that the week leading up to the event can get pretty hectic.
“My favorite thing about Battle of the Bands is the sense of urgency all the bands experience the week leading up to the concert. That is when the real rehearsing begins. The event only lasts about 3 or 4 hours, but we, the musicians, do it for the satisfaction of watching something we have worked on for weeks come together with ease in a single night,” said DiGiovanni.
For seniors like DiGiovanni who will soon be leaving Schreiber and moving on to new horizons, Battle of the Bands represents a culmination of their high school experience and a final bittersweet farewell for repeat Battle of the Bands participants.
“It’s kind of bitter sweet since none of my bands have really done well, but still it’s something I always look forward to and it will be something I miss,” said senior and lead vocalist of Fudgy Jenkins and the Chocolate Chips Joe Betz.