Samantha Norton
Equinox Staff
Music is more than just the harmonious construction of lyrics and chords; it’s the technicality. However, more than skill is required to create memorable music; passion directly influences the craft of music.
For the band Technicality, a passion for music is what defines band members Zach Gilbert, Katherine Desy, Aaron Ridgeway, and Nick Bayer’s lives.
“I have been a drummer at heart my entire life. When I was little, I banged on pots and pans in the kitchen. As I got older, family members started to realize my affinity for the drums and got me toy drums and mini electronic sets,” Desy said.
Desy, who studies at Syracuse University, uses music as a way to relieve stress.
The beats created through the use of her fingertips correlate to the ones conjured up in her mind.
“I internalize beats. When I walk to music, I end up walking to the pace of that song. When I hear beats, I end up drumming on whatever surface is near me. Drumming is a part of me; always has been, always will be. That’s what inspires me,” Desy said.
Technicality, which was formed in November 2009 in South Windsor, Conn., is inspired by the genres of rock, ska, and punk.
When creating music, the members of Technicality ensure that each note of every original song possesses a strong rock foundation.
Green Day, Reel Big Fish, and the Offspring are bands by which each of the members are inspired.
“It was striking how similar our musical interests were. We saw that as something to be valued because whenever you are starting a band you have to overcome that people like different music,” Gilbert said, who is a freshman here at Keene State College.
Gilbert, who plays guitar, also writes the original material.
Gilbert’s lyrics have evolved with time. “They evolve when I change as a person, when your mood changes, and when society changes,” Gilbert said.
“There are so many different ways to write a song. The Chili Peppers, what they will do, they will just jam as a band and throw in some vocals and see where it fits in there. I’m a perfectionist so I like to organize a whole song and then present it to the band,” Gilbert said.
Lead vocalist, Bayer, who is a senior at South Windsor High School, mainly sings the lyrics Gilbert creates.
These original songs will be featured on Technicality’s EP release, which will debut in May 2012.
This EP will feature four original songs and two covers: “Song 2” by Blur and “Joker and the Thief” by Wolfmother.
“People see an EP as a precursory to an album, which is not the case in this situation because we don’t have the time. We recorded the EP on the last day before we all left for college, so it almost didn’t happen. But, I am so glad it did because it captured all the original that we had just wrote and the newest covers,” Gilbert said.
The EP will showcase Technicality’s newest studio demo called “A Friday Afternoon,” and a single, which is available on iTunes, titled “Don’t Take It Out on Me,” which was written by Gilbert.
Desy, Gilbert, Bayer, and Ridgeway, are all hoping that the EP will expand their fan base.
“I hope that we get more recognition of the band. The more fans the better. We love our fans,” Ridgeway said.
Ridgeway, who play bass, attends Drexel University.
For Ridgeway, music provides him with the opportunity to share his experiences with his audience.
“We love each other. We have each other’s back. We get in trouble with the police together. We get awarded together. Whether good or bad, we’re in it together. We would help each other out with problems and give advice. We are brothers and sister. We are family essentially,” Ridgeway said.
Technicality has been through a lot and then some with one another. Music is a channel for them to vocalize these experiences through musical notes and expression to their fans.
Their fans are the ones that ultimately inspire their performances. “What inspired me to play was the feeling I would get when I would perform at shows. I love the feeling. The chance to jump around the stage ‘slappin’ da bass’ and having a crowd at your feet cheering and raising their hands towards you was priceless. It’s truly an amazing feeling. Moreover, rocking out with my close friends inspires me,” Ridgeway said.
Even though this group of friends is no longer together in the heart of South Windsor, Conn. that does not stop them from producing music.
The distance between schools does not distance them further from their passion: creating music together.
The construction of memorable music is one these members do not want to lose to the miles between them.
“When our music is flawless and we’re all smiling, it just makes everything better,” Ridgeway said.
Samantha Norton can be contacted at snorton1@ksc.mailcruiser.com