Music is an important part of everyone’s life, and the school takes this into account and lets students express themselves through the Battle of the Bands, which will reach a crescendo on November 16. The musical fight is held at 6:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria.

Student bands, such as Vivid Vision, and even bands from outside the school can perform in the school cafeteria and get feedback from a panel of qualified judges.

“The judges are local adult musicians or music teachers that have been in the industry and have been performing for years so that they know what to listen for,” said Evelyn Amelio, the organizer of the event.

The event is open to the general public and charges $7 ahead of time and $8 at the door.

“Any band can enter,” said Walker Wilson, drummer and singer for the band Vivid Vision. “That’s good because the Battle of the Bands is a good way to refine your sound and your live performance.”

The Battle of the Bands can help students in other ways too. It can give new opportunities for all kinds of students, and it can give students the chance to branch out in new directions.

“There’s so many things for kids in sports to do. There’s always meets. There’s park district teams you can join and school teams you can join, but if kids are musically talented as opposed to athletically talented, there’s not as many options for them. It’s important to recognize kids that are musically talented and give them more outlets to share their art and their creativity, so this is a good way to do that,” Amelio said.

The Battle of the Bands is not only a good way to support musically talented kids, but it is also a way to support students with low income.

“The money goes to Student Council, who is donating some of the money to a holiday program that gives food and gifts to kids that are financially struggling,” Wilson said.