The Ramones, the Beatles, Metallica, they all started as a few guys hanging out in a garage and trying their best to play instruments they barely knew anything about. A lot of great things can come from high school, including students becoming the next big rockstars. With activities like talent shows and Battle of the Bands, it has become more popular and even enforced for students to join bands and learn how to play together. So why is it really a big deal? Should we really care about the kids who make that loud noise from the garage early Saturday morning?

We asked Senior, Lucas Longmore, his opinion on being in a band, “I think people should care about high school bands because even if they aren’t the future of music, which sometimes they are, it can reflect life in that local area. The music a band creates can say a lot about the community they live in and [their] everyday strife. Besides, [the] music is cool and a lot of high school bands are just having a good time, why not go enjoy it by supporting them?”

Senior, Hannah Tycksen, who is also a musician and played in a band, shares her opinion,
“People should care about high school bands because, for a lot of kids, that’s their outlet. Whether they’re doing it for fun or hoping to make a career out of it, that’s their way of expressing themselves and even a tiny bit of support means the world. If the majority of a student body can go support the football team at a game, why shouldn’t they do the same to students in bands?” There is a huge emphasis on ‘outlets’. They do it for accomplishment and the rewards it brings them now and later on in life.

Schools are even incorporating that element through Jazz Band. The Jazz instructor here at Herriman, Mr. Larsen, explained how being a part of Jazz Band helps kids feel a sense of belonging in school when they can’t find it anywhere else. “We strive for inclusion, but we also strive for excellence,” he explained, “[with that,] it’s not just a kumbaya, holding hands…we work really hard down here.” Kids in bands may seem like they are just making a bunch of noise, but they are actually working their little fingers to the bone creating music. At jazz festivals, the Herriman jazz band has always done well under Mr. Larsen in their performances. “The judges have never rated us less than superior.”

Whether kids play rock, metal, punk, country, or even jazz, being a part of a band is more than just playing music together, it’s about being a part of a family and doing what they love.