Rockfest: A Major Success

The dancing of the lights across the stage, the tapping of the drums, the strumming of the guitar, and the sounds of vocalists can only mean one thing: Rockfest. This year’s concert brought students to the auditorium with more energy than ever to see their comrades perform. Junior Gia McIntyre, ‘26, one of the singers at Rockfest, was “happy to see so many recognizable faces in the crowd.”

Since the beginning of the year, Rock Band has met on Friday and one extra help a week to practice their craft. All of this hard work leads to Rockfest each spring where the students perform the pieces they have worked on for months for the Grier community. Swaths of students and staff dance and sing along to the live entertainment. “You don’t know what you’re missing out on until you come,” said drummer, guitarist, and singer/songwriter Lucy Hanlon, ‘26. This unique experience offers people a chance to enjoy the talents of friends as the musicians proudly show off all their hard work. Students can support their peers in this massive undertaking and rock out to great hits, all for free. 

McIntyre said that Rock Band was something very new to her this year. “I have a busy schedule and never thought about being musically involved,” she said. However, Rock Band ended up providing her an outlet for her musical talents while working with her hectic riding schedule. The club of passionate students and faculty push each other to be better not just musically, but in other pursuits as well. 

While Rock Band certainly works around student schedules, each student has to be committed to the high expectations of the program, working hard and putting in time so that the band is set up for success. As Hanlon says, “At the end of the day, you’re putting on a performance, and to be good, you have to put the work in.” 

Teamwork is an integral aspect in being a successful band and putting on a show. Every musician has to give a singular, cohesive performance while simultaneously making sure their parts can be heard. “I’ve never worked in such a cohesive group to pull out a performance like that,” McIntyre said. The band members see themselves not just as performers, but also, as a team. Without each other, the instrumentalists, background vocalists, and singers couldn’t collaborate to craft perfect pieces.

The band has been a long standing Grier tradition and Hanlon, the quintessential musician, was involved in the club earlier on. She attested that the recent performance was more lively, exciting, and put together than previous years. As an up-and-coming songwriter, Hanlon had the opportunity to perform her first solo piece. “It was kind of nice to see people singing to my own lyrics,” she said. “It made me appreciate the music program here.” 

Students are encouraged to become involved in Rock Band. Whether they sing, play, or simply enjoy the performance, anyone can “rock on!”