Walls vibrate, headaches evolve and all who reside in the household come to a sudden standstill as the barrage of drumbeats and guitar notes emerge from the once peaceful garage.
As the band continues their long awaited debut of their new song, the very foundation that bonds the house to the ground begins to quake underneath the stress of the reverberations caused by the amplifier.
Although this may seem as an exaggerated illustration of the band’s rehearsal, to the family of Jason Damm, ’06, this remains a common scene throughout the progression of one of his band’s many renditions.
With only two years of actual playing experience, Damm’s band, Clark’s Cousin, has managed to release their first CD and continues to excel into the realms of heavy metal glory as they further their experience with new records created every few months.
Band members Wesley Wells, ’06, and Seth Lane, ’06, join Damm to create their own musical masterpieces, taking after other world renown groups that have made their way to the top by starting off just as Clark’s Cousins did years before.
“Generally we listen to various hard rock groups such as Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, and Sting as well as other bands that play similar notes like the ones that we both write and play ourselves,” Damm stated in response to their groups favorite inspirational artists.
While garage bands such as Clark’s Cousin play lyrics like those found at a Metallic or Led Zeppelin concert, others choose to play music based more on their love for God and school spirit rather than today’s popular contemporary music.
For seniors like Nic Westburg and Hillary Kell however, playing for other purposes, such as during worship services and in the campus’s chapel band, offers more of a spiritual incentive for those who enjoy the less rebellious genre of music.
Both Kell and Wesburg, experienced in playing such instruments as the guitar and drums, have been playing for worship purposes during chapel for two years now and currently lead the student body in their songs of worship.
“I enjoy participating in the chapel band because it allows me to both give back to God by leading worship as well as guiding the student body as they sing,” Kell said in explanation of why she joined the chapel band rather than become a member of a garage band.
Whether an individual chooses to fulfill their musical pleasures by entering into a garage band or rather to please God in a more subdued manner, bands, as they have in the past, will continue to shape the world around us both in the worldly as well as spiritual realm.
