Whether you’re a freshman, a sophomore, or a senior student, you’ve no doubt given music a fair thought in terms of your extracurriculars. Music is intricately linked with being a student, whether that be through studying, partying, or playing music to blow off steam.
According to a recent study, 27.3% of students expressed a preference for alternative music, with over 20% belonging to the Pop camp. No matter which genre or instrument you prefer, there are some major benefits to joining a band as a student or simply just playing music in your spare time.
- Distress from studying
- Meet like-minded music-lovers
- Expand your social skills
- Improve your motor skills
- Simply have some fun
To drive the point home, let’s take a look at some of the most popular music groups which were born while their members were still students.
- Pink Floyd – 1965
Pink Floyd was founded by a group of college friends, including Nick Mason and Roger Waters, who studied architecture in London. While it took the pair some time to build the group now known as Pink Floyd, they expressed their passion for philosophy early on. This is reflected not only in their music but also in the crowd they gathered around them, finally settling on the group lineup we’ve come to identify with Pink Floyd to this day.
- Radiohead – 1985
Radiohead was created by a group of school friends who went to an all-boys school in Oxfordshire. First-dubbed “On a Friday”, the band was quickly spotted by a manager who agreed to help them produce their first demo, clearly impressed by their potential. Radiohead still has that same manager along for the ride and is a great example of how a high school band can skyrocket in popularity given the right circumstances.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers – 1984
While the Anthony Kiedis-led band debuted in small local Los Angeles clubs and music festivals earlier, they published their first album in 1984. Red Hot Chili Peppers have a very mundane but inspiring backstory behind them, starting as a simple high school band playing tunes in a garage. Their charisma and approach to music propelled them through the Los Angeles music scene and resulted in them landing their debut album only a year after officially forming.
- The Pixies – 1986
Contrary to many of the entries on our list, The Pixies band was formed by a group of college students who never planned on “going big”. However, given the popularity and appeal of their music, they were quickly spotted by large music producers who offered them lucrative contracts. Today, The Pixies are considered a vital part of the alt-rock movement in the US, often identified with the grunge and psychedelia genres that mark so much of their music.
- Coldplay – 1996
Formed by Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland in 1996, this band is also a product of two college friends meeting and finding out that they share a deep passion for music. They both attended college in London and immediately realized that there was something they could do well together – make music. Given that they lived close together in their dorm, this allowed the pair to meet regularly and work on their music. However, Coldplay only gained its renown after its band members eventually left college and fully devoted themselves to music.
- Imagine Dragons – 2008
Founded by Dan Reynolds and Andrew Tolman, this highly-popular band is also a product of chance, given that they’ve both attended the same college. Imagine Dragons is now known as one of the most successful Indie-Rock bands out there, but it started as a small project. A group of friends decided to do gigs around Las Vegas while also attending Brigham University. However, once they performed at the Last Vegas Festival as a substitute for a band that couldn’t make it on time, their trajectory has taken an upward trend and hasn’t slowed down since.
Starting your Own Music Group
Starting a music group of your own with a group of high school or college friends is quite the endeavor. You’ll need to get your hands on the right instruments, find a place to practice, and have the time to do it.
Don’t let your academic performance dip due to music by using LetsGradeIt to get your essays and papers written and submitted on time. Use these music groups as a point of reference about what’s possible if you put your mind to it and don’t listen to naysayers.
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Bio: Christian Duke is a professional content writer, blogger, and social media content writing specialist. He loves the process of researching and writing about new topics in a variety of industries and niches because it allows him to learn new things. Christian constantly listens to music from around the world while writing and spends his free time dabbling into music history.
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