Being a part of a band and making music with friends is a fun and rewarding experience, but it also has its challenges. Shorecrest’s high school rock band, Very Real, knows this fact all too well.

     The group currently consists of three members: senior Sarah Kingsford on vocals, senior Ethan Creadon on bass, and senior Andrew Myint on guitar. However, something is missing from the band–or rather, someone. Very Real’s former drummer, Jensen Hallock-Wishner ‘24, graduated last year and is no longer part of the band.

     Since summer break, the remaining members have been on the hunt for a new drummer to fill the space Hallock-Wishner left, but to no avail. Creadon said, “No one’s really near the level or the same tastes as Jensen.”

     Being down a member has proven difficult for the group. Kingsford said, “It’s definitely been a lot harder when you have a band that isn’t completely full. It’s hard to find the motivation to all come together.” She also said that the remaining members of the group haven’t yet had a successful band practice this year.

     Creadon agreed. “Now that Jensen left, it’s kind of all, like, thrown out the window, and everyone’s just super different,” he said. “He was kind of a binding force, if you will.”

     However, despite these challenges, none of the members plan on disbanding. Kingsford said, “I personally do not want to end the band. I know some people were talking about it, but I think the general consensus is that if we can keep the band together, we want to.” Myint concurs that the band is not totally over, despite being in limbo at the moment.

     After asking the members about Very Real, it is clear as to why they want to stay together: the friendship and bond they’ve formed during their high school years is not something they are willing to give up.

     “I have a lot of stories [about the band]…we’ve been together for like three years,” Kingsford said. From their iconic Friday night practices in Kingsford’s basement (with root beer floats abound), to Hallock-Wishner’s wacky lollipop wrapper shenanigans (during which he anonymously pasted lollipop wrappers around the school), and to the infamous Curse of the Winter Concert (the annual curse that causes incidents every winter season), the members share an abundance of stories and inside jokes.

     Luckily, they’re still able to retain these connections despite the time they’ve spent apart. Creadon is still friends with Hallock-Wishner, and they chat frequently.

     Band Director Ethan Updike has supported the band throughout their time at Shorecrest and agrees that what the band has is truly something special. “I try to impress upon the group that a band’s success–a rock band’s success–relies heavily upon good chemistry between members, and I think they have really good chemistry,” said Updike. “I think they write well together, and I keep trying to tell them that they can’t expect to find that same chemistry in college or even later in life. You know, once you have it, you need to really explore it because you might not have it again.”

     In the midst of Hallock-Wishner’s absence, the trio continues to brainstorm solutions. Kingsford said, “We’re talking about if we can’t find a drummer, using automated drums or having Mr. Updike come in and do a basic drum beat.” 

     The band’s future may not be determined yet, but one thing’s for certain: Very Real will fight to overcome this challenge and keep rocking on together during their final year at Shorecrest.