The bands and soloists

Contemporary

Crimson Sky
Bonnie Childs, Erik Childs, Christian Klausner, Ryan MacLadd, Paul Tasaka, Erik Van Derheydt

When people find out your age, what is their reaction?

Some adults are surprised and don’t think this is the type of music kids play.

If you had to pick three words to describe your band, what would they be?

Gnarly, Journey and funky.

What does a chance to play at the Crest Theatre mean to you?

It’s very important to us. It’s a great opportunity to play for a lot of people.

If you could open for any band in the world, who would that be?

John Mayer or Pink Floyd.

One Eyed Rhyno
Andrew Daniels, Elaine Hunter, James Hunter, Michael Skelly

What have you had to sacrifice for your music?

James: My life, socially and lovelike.

Where do you want your music to take you?

James: I want to inspire people, and if they are having a bad day I want to make it better!

What inspires you to write songs?

James: Mostly women, things that touch me … or that I’m scared of.

Simpl3Jack
Cole Apperson, Wyatt Cermak, Ryan Kendall

Who are your main musical influences as a band?

As a band, all of us have different influences individually, but Bob Dylan, the White Stripes and Led Zeppelin.

What was your first band practice like, and how have you grown since then?

It was sort of awkward. Back then we weren’t very good, but we all started in a talent show and now we’re in the Jammies, so it’s cool. We’re playing more advanced songs and we’re getting better at our instruments.

How did you decide on your band name, and where did it come from?

We decided on Simpl3Jack from the movie Tropic Thunder; it’s our favorite movie.

Absolute Zero
Jessica Holm, Tucker Holstein, Kiersten Piekarz, Christian Wilke

If you could open up for any band in the world, who would it be and why?

We’d probably want to open for Nirvana because of their style of music; they’ve worked harder than everyone else, and they’ve made a statement. Kurt Cobain worked really hard to get what he had. No one’s ever been like them; they’re like pioneers.

What advice would you give other students who would like to make it to the finals next year?

Holm: For the finals, I would say be ready with all of your music, know how to do it, practice it a lot. Don’t just practice once a week and say you’re good. You have to practice this, and you have to work hard and just hang out with your band and trust what you’re doing.

Who are your main musical influences?

Probably Automatic Static. They’re our coaches, they’re the people who are very supportive of us, they have really great music, they’re really fun to listen to, they’re an upbeat band, and everyone likes them and has fun when they listen to them.

A1 and the Mystery of Da Multi-colad Raincoat
A1, Chettus Brancus the Philosopher, Fongee, Hammerhead, TyTanik!

When people find out your age, what is their reaction?

“Dear God.”

If you had to pick three words to describe your band, what would they be?

Wuz fuggin’ goy?!

What does a chance to play at the Crest Theatre mean to you?

Lots and lots of people to hear our music.

If you could open for any band in the world, who would that be?

Brotha Lynch Hung.

Why do you and your band play music?

We played a lot and sucked, but we kept doing it because we liked it. Eventually we got better, and A1 hatched into a rapper and we decided to exploit him for money.

Perfect Example
Ryan McAllister, Robby Cunha, Glenn Ridnerhard

When people find out your age, what is their reaction?

They usually say we sound like we are in our 20s, and they’re surprised we’re only a trio.

If you had to pick three words to describe your band, what would they be?

Really, really awesome.

What does a chance to play at the Crest Theatre mean to you?

A ton. It’s our first chance to play at a huge venue.

If you could open for any band in the world, who would that be?

Automatic Static and Gnarls Barkley. At the same time.

Why do you and your band play music?

Nothing better to do.

Carcerys Vale
Austin Butler, Will Cahoon, Jeremiah Keemo, Michael Lopez, Josh Morrison

When people find out your age, what is their reaction?

“You’re lying.” But once they believe us, they say we’re awesome.

If you had to pick three words to describe your band, what would they be?

Juicy, metal, clowns.

What does a chance to play at the Crest Theatre mean to you?

We think it’s awesome. It’s the biggest venue we’ve played, and we’re excited for it.

If you could open for any band in the world, who would they be?

Mötley Crüe, back in their heyday.

Why do you and your band play music?

We all share the same passion for music. We all did other things before this, but music is what we all bonded over.

Julianna Zachariou

When people find out your age, what is their reaction?

“Wow,” I guess. They’re usually impressed with the depth of my songwriting.

If you had to pick three words to describe yourself, what would they be?

Sarcastic, caring and leaderish.

What does the chance to play at the Crest Theatre mean to you?

A lot! It’s a chance to share my music with people who haven’t heard it before.

If you could open for any band in the world, who would that be and why?

Led Zeppelin. I think it’d be a big shocker for people, but I’d love to be there.

Why do you play music?

I enjoy it. I like coming up with new things people haven’t heard before. I love communicating with people through music.

Dog Party
Gwendolyn Giles, Lucy Giles

What was your first band practice like, and how have you grown since then?

Lucy: The first band practice was kind of weird, because it was in my room, and we had the microphone hanging from the bottom of my bunk bed. It was rough, and we had the mic coming out from the karaoke machine, and it just sounded really bad. We have done better than the first [practice], and we have better equipment, a lot better than a karaoke machine.

Where do you want your musical talents to take you in life?

Wherever it will take us, just let the music take control of our lives.

What does the opportunity to play the Crest Theatre mean to you?

Lucy: It’s, like, really big, because we’ve played it last year and we’ve gotten a lot of newspaper ads and cool shows since last [year] … so, this year it will probably lead to more press and awesomeness. I went to a concert and saw a famous person there one time, and it’s awesome because we are playing on the same stage.

Do you feel music is an important creative outlet? Why?

Music is really good to just let your feelings out and to express yourself through song.

Hotwire
Brady Corcoran, Riley Donahue, Theo Farnum, Cole Morse

How did you decide on your band name, and where did it come from?

Donahue: We were practicing in my dad’s office and I saw a phone, and then that became Hotline and then it became Hotwire. I swear I hadn’t heard of the travel company before.

What does the opportunity of playing the Crest Theatre mean for you guys?

It means everything. It’s a dream come true to play in front of a lot of fans, and it’s just awesome. It’s super fun to play a huge place where there’s tons of people where it’s real loud. It’s a good opportunity to start our music career.

Where do you want your musical talents to take you in life?

We want our musical talents to take us as far as [they] can, to take us to the top!

If a Tree Falls
Chris Adams, Peter Duff, Zak Graves, Michael Judy, Dirk Tiche

If you could open up for any band in the world, who would it be and why?

Tiche: U2. I’m a huge fan of both their style and their attitude. I believe I’d learn much from the experience.

What was your first band practice like and how have you grown since then?

Tiche: [Our] first band practice, I was extremely uneducated in making music. From one keyboard with simply basic chords, I have matured into a more skilled musician.

Where do you want your musical talents to take you in life?

Tiche: As far as they can. I love creating and playing music and am content to go wherever that leads me.

How did you decide on your band name and where did it come from?

A simple conversation with some friends led us to unanswerable questions, and we figured it was the most appropriate as a band name.

What does an opportunity to play the Crest Theatre mean to you?

The Crest is an amazing opportunity for young musicians to get more involved in the local music scene. The extra publicity and venue is a great way to help stimulate a fan base.

Classical

Ray Anthony rujillo
Concerto Soloist Finalist | violin

What sacrifices have you had to make to be as proficient on the violin as you are?

Well, the sacrifices I have made were to give up a lot of less fun things and more time practicing and dedicating and committing to my instrument.

Why is playing classical music important to you, and what life skills does it teach you?

What it teaches me is love and respect. It also gives me ways to express myself in how I interpret certain music.

What advice would you give other students who would like to make it to the finals next year?

I’d say to keep working hard and be dedicated to your instrument, and also to just think how good you can be if you keep working hard.

Eunghee Cho
Concerto Soloist Finalist | cello

When people find out your age, what is their reaction?

They’re amazed. They tell me that they picture somebody else playing.

If you had to pick three words to describe the musical you, what would they be?

Headstrong, unique and focused.

What does a chance to play at the Mondavi Center mean to you?

I’m really excited, because this is the first time I’ll [play] solo with a symphony, and playing at the Mondavi Center is an added bonus.

Who is your favorite musician right now?

Yo-Yo Ma is the person to get me started playing the cello, but my favorite changes every year. Right now it’s Gustav Rivinius.

Why do you play music?

It was my mom who first sat me at the piano, but the cello has always been my favorite. I’ve had many chances to stop, but the idea never occurred to me.

Fantee Jones
Concerto Soloist Finalist | piano

When people find out your age, what is their reaction?

Surprise, because I am somewhat young.

What does a chance to play at the Mondavi Center mean to you?

I’ve played there several times, but I am excited to return.

If you could play with any musician in the world, who would that be and why?

Martha Argerich, because the way she plays is really dynamic.

Why do you play music?

I started when I was young. My mom used to teach people piano, and I would climb on the bench and bang the keys. When she saw I was interested, she started teaching me.