Immersed in Music kicked off it’s fifth year with 11 bands, many working together for the first time. A 12th band, the Drum Ensemble, will get started in a few weeks. And what an awesome start it was!
The Young Rockers picked their first songs, chose instruments, and got started learning their parts. Advanced Young Rockers learned how to set up equipment, chose songs and instruments and began rehearsing. The Rockers bands discovered they needed to haul equipment, as well as set it up, before they could begin their rehearsals.
Everyone rose to their challenges good-naturedly, and then got down to work. Some bands took time to get to know each other. Others jumped into a jam to feel out how they approached playing music. They all talked within their bands in order to choose their first song and then made decisions about how they wanted to approach learning it. Several bands did something that never happened before on the first night of rehearsals: they got through learning their first song and actually began choosing, researching and learning a second song.
The Watergate, IIM’s longest running band, debuted a new original song that turned everyone’s head. They have continued to work together throughout the summer, getting their new drummer Patrick Schmidt worked into all their older songs. The new material is definitely showing that they are taking another step up in development.
All in all, it was an exciting beginning. The staff couldn’t stop talking about what an amazing collection of musicians have come together in the program this year and what great chemistry seems to be developing within the bands after only one rehearsal.