MOORHEAD – A brand new on-campus band has formed, deeming themselves “GG and the Groove,” after the first letters of the two lead singers’ last names, according to sophomore Megan Gunnerson, one of the lead singers of the band.
The band has 11 members, including two singers, a drummer, two trumpeters, two trombonists and a saxophone. The members of the band come from different ensembles on campus, including the Concordia Choir and Concordia Band.
“It’s really exciting to be making music with a community of people that I don’t usually make music with. Yeah, like Josephine and I are both in choir but everyone else is in band or jazz band or something like that,” Gunnerson said. “So, it’s awesome that we finally get to have this nice small group of musicians where we’re making music for fun instead of like, serious music, which like, as fun as that is, I think it’s healthy to have an opportunity to make music together where it’s just fun,”
With 11 members, it can be difficult for the band to blend their sound and learn how to play with one another, especially since they haven’t played together before.
“I guess, you know, it’s a little bit difficult because the brass and the rhythm sections, they’re so loud. So, we have to really work on balance and it’s a little bit difficult sometimes, but it comes out very nice,” first-year trumpet player and member of the band, Joe Stoll said.
When in a new band, it is very important to be able to get along not only musically, but socially. The band has been focused on getting to know each other as well as making music, according to Gunnerson.
“It’s been really interesting and super fun to meet a lot of new people. I haven’t interacted with a lot of the people in the band previous to this. So, it was really fun to kind of get an invitation from one of my friends and be able to make new friends and make some awesome music together. It’s been really fun,” junior vocalist, Josephine Golla, said.
“I love being in GG and the Groove because all of the musicians are so talented and it’s so fun to work together. We have such a good relationship as people and also as musicians,” Stoll said.
GG and the Groove is competing in the Battle of the Bands, the winner of which gets to be the opener for Cornstock, the anxiously awaited Concordia concert that is to be held in April.
“We have a lot of covers things that hopefully are going to make you want to get up and move your feet and dance. Some oldies, some fun stuff and some nostalgic throwbacks. But I think once we get done with battle of bands, we’ll start expanding that a little bit and figuring out exactly what our sound is as a band,” Golla said.
As for what the band has in store after Battle of the Bands and potentially Cornstock, the members are still discussing.
“We might do performances in the summer or like, the later weekends of the school year or the weekends of next school year. We have a lot of good spaces where we can just have performances and have people come to see them. I think it’s going to be a good thing,” Gunnerson said.
