Garage bands are notorious in pop culture among high school students, often portrayed through media and word of mouth. From Diary of A Wimpy Kid, to Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, small garage bands have been a pinnacle of the high school experience. A few years ago, Newport High School students Tyler Gardner, Matthew Tubioli, Benjamin Stewart, and Nathanael Stuck formed a garage band. Practicing any genre that seems fit, they occasionally get together to jam out. Tubioli plays the guitar and is on vocals, Stuck plays the bass, and Stewart plays the drums.
Together, they cover several songs, all varying in difficulty. From metal to pop, the band practices for hours, attempting to hone their craft and have fun; however, no published work has resulted from these practices.
The group has a unique taste in music, favoring the sounds of the early 90s grunge scene.
Tubioli and Gardner are both self-taught guitarists who have been learning for over 3 years. Stuck is also self-taught on the bass guitar, working on his skill for the last 3 years. Stewart is trained in piano but is also self-taught in drums.
The band has no name and is merely just a jam session for now, but recently assembled to perform for entertainment at the senior Baccalaureate service.
Students of today are struggling with finding an outlet to channel their creativity. For these students, this is the outlet. The band is still growing and improving, learning from mistakes and persevering. With a goal in sight, Stuck states about the band, “It’s very well-rounded… everyone is pretty good at the instrument they chose.”