Have you ever been walking through the back hallway near the locker rooms and suddenly heard someone shred on guitar? How about an epic drum solo? If any of this rings a bell, you might be thinking of Spring Grove’s Select Modern Band!
What Is It?
If you’ve never heard that name in your life, let’s break it down. Select Modern Band is a school band with an audition-based entry process. It is led by Mr. Brenner. In simple terms, It’s a school-affiliated garage band. The band contains flexible and talented musicians. At least one of each can play the piano, drums, guitar (electric or acoustic), bass guitar, other percussion, and many other instruments when the song calls for them. The band also has a few vocalists. On certain cycle days, Select gets together to rehearse in the room below the weight room. Once a month they get together for an after-school practice.
What Do They Do?
Okay, so now you know what Select Modern Band is, but what do they do? Well, in Select, the students involved come up with a set list of songs that they want the band to cover. If a student in the band has written an original song and wants to perform it with the band, that’s an option too. Throughout the school year, the members of the band practice and perfect those songs. They like to take inspiration from the original artist, but they also make the song their own by adding in creative choices and personal flair. When asked how to describe what students do in Select Modern Band, Mr. Brenner explained, “It’s a rock band in school. This is how it works in the industry. If people are thinking of playing in a rock band someday, or having a career in something like that, I try to give as ”real-world” of an experience as possible.” At the end of the year, Select Modern Band performs at the Modern Band concert, alongside Modern Band 1 and Modern Band 2. However, this is not their only performance opportunity. They also get offered gigs from around Pennsylvania, and even drove up to Erie last year for a conference, where they were able to perform.
How Can I Join?
So, say this all sounds like something you’re interested in. How do you get involved? Well, the first thing you should do is talk to Mr. Brenner about your options and how you would like to go about joining. When asked what he would recommend to students looking to audition, Mr. Brenner said, “I would recommend making sure that they are proficient on at least one instrument, whether that’s vocals or an actual instrument. If you think you might have a shot, try!” When selecting what you want on your schedule for the next school year, you can choose to put Modern Band 1, Modern Band 2, or Select Modern Band on your schedule. You will only have to audition for Select. Then, at the end of the school year, Mr. Brenner will add you to a Schoology classroom that holds the audition information. Once you’ve submitted your audition tapes, you will find out the result of your audition before the school year ends.
