Diesel Pigeons win first place in Battle of the Bands

After last year’s successful comeback from a ten-year hiatus, the Battle of the Bands competition came back to the CHS stage May 14.

Six CHS bands got to showcase their talent in front of the surrounding community. The Diesels Pigeons, a pop-punk group consisting of sophomore Zac Vogel and Class of 2009 alumni Evan Vogel, Jonah Weinreich and Eric Taft, left with the victory.

Ever Since Beginnings, Noise, Sheeza Commando, Hot Broccoli and Churchill’s Got Talent winner J.A.W.A.N.J.A all had their turn on the stage. Their genres ranged from pop-punk to jazz and every type of rock in between.

“Our class officers had shown some interest in doing a school event so Scott Selman, our SGA advisor, figured out that we could be in charge of Battle of the Bands this year,” freshman vice president Hana Quirós said.

Battle of the Bands was a solution to help funding for the class of 2013.

“My idea was to create an event that could kick-start the fundraising for the [freshmen] class early,” Selman said.

Auditions were held by the freshmen SGA officers and Executive Board members April 20 and 21. Bands were primarily judged on preparedness, talent and stage presence.

The Diesel Pigeons performed at After-Prom and received a recording studio microphone package donated from Guitar Center as their prize.

After the past two years’ turnout, Battle of the Bands will probably become a CHS tradition once again. While it is a way to help support the freshmen class, Vogel also cites Battle of the Bands as a valuable opportunity for local bands.

“I really hope that events like this will encourage CHS students to respect and support local music,” Vogel said. “I’ve seen kids who appreciate it in other areas, but the support is nowhere to be found here.”

Musicians take their talent to the Internet

Ah, YouTube. A place of wonder and procrastination. A place where you go to laugh at crazy cat antics and scoff at Kanye West’s disgrace of Taylor Swift. A place where recently, musically talented CHS students have begun to gather.

Junior Nikki Fraser is a talented vocalist and musician who posts videos of herself performing in order to further her chances of being discovered musically. Her covers of “Breathe” by Taylor Swift and Colbie Caillat and “Lucky” by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat are her most popular videos.

According to Fraser, one of the best aspects of maintaining a YouTube account is the constructive criticism she receives from her viewers.

“Although most of the comments I get are just compliments, I’ve gotten plenty from people who suggest I change certain things about what or how I sing or play the songs, which have been really helpful,” Fraser said. “Many people leave comments about a certain genre being good or bad for my voice, the instrument overpowering my singing and other helpful ideas.”

Junior Leo Wang, lead singer of the band Ever Since Beginnings, posts videos of their songs to increase the band’s popularity. He also posts amusing blog videos also known as “vlogs,” to keep fans up to date on the band’s inner workings.
“I have a YouTube account so I can promote my band,” Wang said. “When we post funny YouTube videos and videos of us playing, people watch them and enjoy them and follow up by checking out our MySpace and start liking our music.”

According to Wang, YouTube gives everyone a chance to shine.

“It is very useful for someone like me who is in a band and trying to make it because there are all these different kinds of ways to get our music out there and just promote our band,” Wang said. “All these frequently viewed websites and their features help aspiring musicians a lot so it is much appreciated.”

Sophomore Zac Vogel is part of the widely-known CHS band Diesel Pigeons.

According to Vogel, YouTube is a fun and creative way for him to communicate with his fans.

“We gain that access to fans to say what we’ve been working on in the studio, or what we’ve been digging recently, just basically anything we want to say, we have that window,” Vogel said.

YouTube is more than a website with the explicit songs your mom will not let you buy; it has become a place of opportunity for CHS students.