It can be difficult finding a place that feels like belonging, especially in high school, but that doesn’t mean not to try. A group of students have taken matters into their own hands and went an extra step into creating a safe place for friends to come together and share mutual interests.
Juniors Ella Way and Corrine Nessel have had similar interests in creating music for awhile. It wasn’t until the beginning of 2024 they decided to take action.
“Cori and I were both always talking about bands and how cool they are, since we both like to mess around with writing songs. Then we realized, ‘wait, we know people who can play guitar and other instruments,’ so we asked them about joining and it all worked out,” said Way.
Ella Way is the lead singer and primary lyricist of what is now known as Centralia music. She has a passion for theater separate from her band, but values the outcome of her achievements equally.
“I love getting to perform non-theater songs, because it’s more similar to the music I mostly listen to. I also just love live music and the feeling that I can create it as well,” said Way.
Corrine Nessel shares that appreciation towards music, and the reward of completing a difficult but desired task is very fulfilling.
“I really like playing music and actually being able to put work into something. Seeing things go together and then having a product come out of it is really fun,” said Nessel.
Although, it takes many instruments to fulfill a song’s needs. Junior Alex Guido, Centralia music’s lead guitarist, shares how he appreciates the opportunity to be in a group of people who share similar interests.
I’ve never been a part of a group for music outside of school, and it gave me a lot more freedom to express music in a way I chose rather than was forced into,” said Guido. “I enjoy being able to have a lead role as a guitarist, but also being able to play a supporting role, giving more light to the other members of the band.”
Supporting the band is just as important as having a role that compliments each member well.
“I’ve always loved singing, songwriting, music, and analyzing song lyrics. I also love poetry, so I feel like it fits me well to be the singer,” said Way.
Nessel feels her role in the band is fitting, and appreciates even the smallest things that benefit her bandmates.
“I’m not really myself when performing, I’m not very out there, so as the bass I’m supporting the band which is just as fun,” said Nessel.
Although nothing ever starts easy, it takes time coming out of the comfort zone. Way shares how a slow but trusted process created joy among all members.
“When we first began it was a little awkward of course, because we were just trying to get to know each other better, but some of us already knew each other, so after mixing together a bit we began having a lot of fun,” said Way.
While some band members had past experiences with one another, junior Andrew Barnard became a part of the team unexpectedly.
“[The band] was planning to perform for international night, but the other guitarist, Alex, wasn’t able to do it, so they asked me to fill in for him. I was just filling in at first, and then I joined the band officially,” said Barnard.
Once the group was finalized, it all came down to practice schedules.
“It’s important to have constant practice because if you stop for more than like two days, you lose all of the muscle memory,” said Guido.
Yet that’s much easier said than done, especially at the beginning of the school year, Centralia music found it difficult finding time to get together.
“It’s hard to meet sometimes, especially with everybody in certain times of the year. In the fall, we’ve barely been able to meet just because of how busy we all get,” said Way. “Luckily, we don’t have deadlines or anything like that, so we pretty much just meet when we’re available to.”
Due to the band being created by the students themselves, the possible intensity of overexhaustion isn’t a common issue, or a hard fix.
“[The workload] is as intense as we make it. Like, if we want to do like 50 songs, which is crazy, we could play 50 songs. Or if we just wanted to do one, we can just meet whenever we are available,” said Nessel.
Being able to have full control over something that brings joy can be very inspiring. Centralia music has worked hard in creating original music to share among friends, as well as covers for songs such as “Schools Out” by Alice Cooper, and “Enter Sandman” by Metallica. Overall, representing that feeling of belonging and how it comes from pursuit, not just luck.
