Written by: Jaidyn Gayman, Staff Writer
COMMUNITY: Music gives people a voice that brings them together.
Poly High School is home to a wide variety of musical performers that are a part of the band, orchestra, or choir. However, many of the musicians at our school aren’t able to show their great talents in these formats. For those who want more options, Music Technology offers an outlet for many more artists out there. Founder and president of the club, Melissa Lysiak (11), says, “I wanted to create a community of musicians, producers, and basically anyone who likes music, because I felt like there wasn’t really a community for that. I don’t have too many friends that are into it – so I wanted to create this club to create this community for all of us.” There are two bands in the group: an indie band named Indigo, and a rock band named Stroke.
When asking some of the members if they wanted to pursue a future in music, many of them plan on sticking with it for the foreseeable future. Shane Probst (11), one of the guitarists for Stroke, explains his plans for these upcoming years. “I want to be a producer, or at least be in a band. I plan on at least going to college, and going to Julliard, or some music school.” With many of the musical artists in the club seeing a future for themselves in music, it rightly begs the question as to what inspires them to share their art with the world. Noah Bates (11), another guitarist for Stroke, tells us, “Just hearing great music from a young age, and my parents exposing it to me. I just want to make good music so people in the future listen to me the same way.” Listening to music on its own is an outlet in itself, but being part of the community sparks a different light.
Coming together to make new sounds is a powerful tool for self-expression and creating a sense of belonging. While it might seem scary to enter a place where everyone in it seems to already have everything figured out, it’s best to go into it with the mindset that you can learn and grow from these established musicians. Many of the club members reassure these ideas by giving their take on giving advice to beginners. Koston Espiritu (11), the current drummer for Stroke, states that “People should just try to learn the songs they enjoy, cause it will only motivate you more. Also just throw yourself into music head-on, even if it does make you anxious. Try to jam with people as much as possible too.”
The club even holds a “Beat Contest,” starting on the first of every month. There is a different theme for each contest, and on the last day of the month, a winner is announced and receives a $10-$20 gift card. Following the Music Tech Instagram page (@polymusictech) provides all the answers to all the questions you may have. In addition to that news, the band’s next performance is on February 24 in the Polywood Bowl. They plan on showing their support for Black History Month by performing songs by African-American artists. Make sure to keep an eye out and show your support for the awesome bands here at Poly!