“Little Bang Town” to perform Saturday
Little Bang Town is made up of North Gem music students.
Like many things in Bancroft, the music program is a bit unique. Unlike a traditional program, the North Gem band allows the students to choose their own path, to some extent. While at first it may sound odd, there’s a better than average chance that the approach will keep students more interested in playing music, as well as provide them with practical experience in doing so.
As North Gem’s Hailey Hatch tells it, “We started Little Bang Town in 2020. It’s hard to explain what our band is like, because it is completely unlike any other high school music program. We don’t spend time learning about music, we spend all of our time making music. I have Willie Nelsonʼs quote hanging on the band room wall: “The life I love is making music with my friends.” Thatʼs what we try to do every day. We donʼt buy sheet music; in fact, I donʼt know if any of my students could read sheet music if I put it in front of them. We all have binders filled with song lyrics, and letters signifying what chords to play with which words. We listen to the songs, the harmonies, the driving rhythms, the feeling, and we work together to arrange a version of the song that fits our band. And itʼs a dang good time.”
To show off what they’ve been working on this year and give students the experience of performing at a live show, the “Little Bang Town Band” will be playing a free concert at the bandshell in Bancroft this Saturday, May 10, at 2:00 p.m.
“We are hoping for good weather,” Hatch says, “so we can have an outdoor concert. We want everyone to bring their camp chairs or blankets and have a great time hanging out in the sunshine with friends and family, listening to classic hits covered by Little Bang Town. The North Gem Ed Foundation and my parents are helping me provide snacks and drinks for the show, so it really should be a great time.”
Anyone who would like to get familiarized with the band’s set list can check out the Spotify playlist that is our class set list. It is called “Little Bang Town 2025.”
Because the students are involved in directing the music selection, there will be a wide range of songs performed. Hatch explains: “This year has been unique because my lead guitarist can play basically anything we want in any key we want him to. That kind of talent gives us a lot of song choices. It was a running joke this semester that we were constantly adding new songs. We added two new ones just this week. As far as what kind of music we play, there is something for everybody. Fleetwood Mac, Creedence, Green Day, The Beatles, Poison, Tom Petty, Cher, Eddie Rabbit, Elvis, the list goes on.”
For what it’s worth, the forecast calls for a sunny Saturday in the 70s. In the case that forecast turns out to be as accurate as they usually are, the concert will move to the Auditorium. The concert is planned for 2:00 p.m., and should be a great time!
