It’s almost like a right of passage for a group of teenagers to get together and form some sort of band. But on a scale of one to 10, how often do teenage bands stick together? One local band managed to overcome these odds by continuing to play with each other for over four years: Don’t Mind This Band.

No really, that’s the name of the band. The group consists of seniors Zack Masciopinto on guitar, Athan Cruz on drums, Jacob Hart on bass and Prospect senior Alex Soulides on vocals.

“Jacob, Athan and I figured out one day that we all really enjoyed music and would love to play together,” Masciopinto said. “We knew Athan had played drums before and Jacob and I had messed around with guitar for some time. Jacob decided to take on the bass, and we both got lessons at a local music shop, him learning to play the bass, and I the guitar.”

The group of seniors has a ton on their plate this year, such as college applications and various sports, so planning group rehearsals is tough. However, during their off–season from sports and other activities, the group enjoys practicing about twice a week in the Masciopinto’s newly–designed, basement–turned music room.

On top of their busy schedules, both with and outside of the band, the group tries to participate in as many local performances as possible, one of which being an open mic night at a local restaurant called Lamplighters.

“We want to do way more open mic nights and gigs if we can find some, but, overall, I think we just want to get an amazing setlist and perform it perfectly,” Soulides said.

In addition to open mics, the group has also participated in BG’s annual Battle of the Bands for the past three years. Student Council advisor Rich Schram has run the event for the past eight years and is very familiar with the group.

“They are a very well put–together band,” Schram said. “This past year, they put on a great show and helped make it one of the best Battle of the Bands we’ve ever had.”

So how exactly has this group of four managed to stick together for long? There’s no magic formula, but Cruz believes their success comes from a simple–known fact.

“We have stayed together because we are all friends first,” Cruz said.

Though the band continues to rehearse and search for opportunities to grow, at the end of the day, it’s all about loving what they do.

“We are not a band to be extremely critical of each other,” Masciopinto said. “We play music because it is fun and music is a great way to express ourselves. We get off–topic and joke, and in that kind of setting, we can stimulate creativity and fresh thinking.”