At Pyle Middle School in Bethesda, six students formed a jazz band in the basement of drummer Bradley Rich. Six years later, they are students at Whitman High School and still perform with their band aptly named The Basement. They are one of countless bands formed by students across MCPS, composed of students who are passionate about music and have decided to pursue this passion outside school hours. Along the way, the members of The Basement met instructor and tenor saxophone Nii Akwei Adoteye who both coaches and performs with the band. Bassist Eleanor Ohm cites their love of jazz as what brought the band together and what keeps them playing after so long, but they enjoy playing a range of styles such as bossa, swing, and waltz.
The Basement’s most memorable gig so far was the grand opening of the KID Museum, a Bethesda business that teaches kids skills such as robotics, coding, and 3D printing. Many local government leaders were in attendance, and the band enjoyed the opportunity to showcase their experience. Playing in Montgomery County has other benefits, too. “The ability to drive into DC easily provides amazing opportunities to see world class performances whenever you want,” Ohm said. The band hopes to perform next at the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival in February.
Fifteen minutes away at Richard Montgomery High School, students are collaborating with Whitman students to form a band that crosses school boundaries. Lockhouse 11, a band that comprises of two RM students and two Whitman students including Ohm, was formed earlier this year. The name comes from the time the musicians spent biking along the C&O canal, next to the eleventh lockhouse. Saahil Rao, a RM student and the singer for Lockhouse 11, says that his favorite memory with the band is the two hour set they played at Bannockburn Pool, a popular site for student bands to perform. For Rao, music is “cathartic” and allows him to express his emotions, an outlet which many students need as mental health struggles become increasingly common in young people.
Students aren’t the only ones making their way onto the Montgomery County music scene, though. MCPS Parents, too, have joined in on the fun in a band called Uncommon Core, a play on the Common Core standards that have been used in MCPS since 2010. Drummer Dave Welch started the band by putting out a notification on a neighborhood listserv asking for musically inclined parents. They are primarily a cover band doing college rock, new wave, and alternative, but they have a catalog of around 100 songs to use in their performances. Singer and guitarist Michael Abate says the band started as a “PTA band,” but has since moved beyond their connection to MCPS.
These are only a few examples of the countless bands and groups formed by students, and parents, across the county. Although most of these bands may not be destined for a Grammy-winning album, and many may break up when their participants go to college, their presence enriches and diversifies the local music scene. Montgomery County is full of opportunities for musicians of all different levels to perform, and the skills and experience gained along the way will undoubtedly aid them in whatever path their future takes. In a world that is becoming increasingly more solitary, these local bands provide a chance for the community to come together and enjoy great music. “It’s been fun to be a part of,” Rao said.
Written by Naomi Scissors of Richard Montgomery High School
Graphic courtesy of Prachi Shirguppi Albert Einstein High School