IF IT MEANS A LOT TO YOU ; ASHTON IRWIN

ONE: BAND PRACTICE

"I don't wanna hang out with a bunch of wannabe corporate sellouts. I'm gonna form my own band and we're gonna start a revolution, okay?" – Dewey, from The School of Rock

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IT'S HARD TO BE AN ASPIRING MUSICIAN, from what they've gone through, Drew, Quinn and Avery have had their fair share of struggles. Over the past few years, they grew up together, adapting towards a better sound.

They learnt how to blend their instruments, created their own style and beneath all the hard work, they managed to build a strong foundation of friendship. They trusted each other, enough that it made the music they created a lot more special than it normally was.

It was difficult however, having to deal with disapproving parents and some of the people at school who thought they were simply fools for believing they'd get past the stage of dreaming. Every time they walked the hallways, scornful looks cast their way, telling them that they'll never make it, that they're stupid to think they would.

And it got to them, at first, even if they denied it to be true. They felt ashamed, humiliated that it took a toll on their band practices. It affected their creativity, diminished their drive to make music and they began to have doubts. They made a mistake of thinking too much of what people said about them but they knew it would be stupid to just quit for that reason. It took a while but they soon recovered from it. They figured out that not everyone was going to like them, what mattered were the ones who did. That's one important thing they learned about making music, though it manifests as a form of self-expression, it's also a way of connecting with people that understood.

It was about making music for the people that cared enough to listen. So, they fought to push through, even if everyone else tried to undermine them. Having pulled a few strings, Quinn decided that holding their band practices at her family's garage would be far more convenient than staying after school in the music room. In addition to that, her older brother, Mitch, knew a friend they could borrow a set of drums from, since that person rarely ever used it anymore.

They gathered all the necessary equipment in the garage and it became their own space. They'd hang out whenever they could at Quinn's house after school and practice for a few hours if they weren't buried with school work which unfortunately, isn't exactly a regular occasion. They also became invested in posting a couple of covers on YouTube to earn some exposure over the Internet because to be fair, it was easier that way, and somehow it worked.

People who've heard their covers at school commented that they were actually pretty good and those positive remarks helped motivate them even more. They made sure to stay active on social media, whether it'd be Facebook or Twitter, it was one of the most effective ways to reach out to a wider audience. For the meantime, they also tried to purchase a decent microphone, with the use of their own pocket money, for better-sounding quality in their covers and it'd also help record their original material on a software.

After spending countless of months rehearsing, they collectively decided they wanted to start playing gigs. They'd been testing the waters for a while; they even invited a few of their friends in school, Quinn's older brother and some of his friends to see them play and critique their performance and judging by their reactions, they surprisingly did well. They took note of where else they needed to improve on but overall, they were ready. With that being said, they began setting up small gigs, particularly in local bars and clubs and contacting booking agents through e-mails to notice their band.

As expected, it took a while for them to receive a call in return but when they actually did, they were completely thrilled yet at the same time, nervous. They already established the set they were going to play for an hour and they were all set to perform on a chosen date. They promoted the show on social media, inviting people to come see them.