From bopping to the jukebox to moshing at an underground punk show to screaming at a One Direction concert, music has always played a defining role in one’s teenage years. Listening to music can be very influential in a person’s life, more so if it is them writing and performing their own music. Carlsbad High School has no shortage of musicians, many of whom are members of bands.

One such band is Magnolia Avenue. The band is comprised of sophomores Luke Petersen (guitar, vocals, keyboard), Ryan Dennis (guitar), Daniel Novoa (guitar), Cole Kaplan (bass) and they are currently searching for a drummer. Dennis describes their music as indie, post-punk rock that is occasionally experimental. They also play a mix of originals and covers but would like to eventually play more originals, according to Dennis.

“We had a lot of fun [playing originals] but we didn’t know how to please the audience,” Dennis said, “We are probably going to end up doing half and half and get our best songs that we feel the audience will like.”

Dennis feels that one of the most important parts of playing music is affecting the audience. He said that playing music helps him in rough times as well.

“To me it’s unbelievable that you can play a few notes on a guitar and just make someone really happy for that three minutes,” Dennis said.

Dennis is also grateful for the support and friendship of local bands Shangri-la and Neet Freeks. The former consists of sophomores Mitchel Schreibman (guitar, vocals), Foster Provo (guitar), Jake Watts (bass), Nick Francis (keyboard) and Sean Boyle (drums). Their music is a vibey kind of indie-rock, according to Schreibman. Their “vibey” music is popular among students as they have many fans and have played quite a few shows in the past few months. They are currently working on an album that is set to drop in late November. Neet Freeks is made up of San Marcos High School student Jake Curran (guitar), La Costa Canyon High School student Jackson Zirbel (bass) and CHS students Elijah Shepherd (drums) and Noah Shepherd (guitar) who are a sophomore and senior respectively. Their music is a blend of surf-punk and indie-rock. Shangri-la and Neet Freeks are also very close.

“They’re kind of our brother band,” Schreibman said. “We jam together and everything.”

Many other bands get their start by playing covers. One of these groups is Starcraft. Of the four members, two attend CHS. They are sophomores Hunter Arnold (drums) and Justice Guevara (guitar, bass). The other members, Reagan Williams (guitar, vocals) and Jayden Goodwin (bass), are home-schooled and attend Oceanside High School respectively. Arnold characterizes their genre as classic rock and old blues.

“[We play] music that you listen to when you just want to be more upbeat,” Arnold said. “Most people wouldn’t even hear the music that we play on the radio anymore. People need to appreciate old music.

The youth music scene in Carlsbad is thriving because many students are playing music and starting bands. Their music is not only important to them but also their friends and fans who relate to it and enjoy seeing their shows. These bands and their fans are the backbone of the future of music and the future is bright.

“If you don’t support local bands then we wouldn’t have any bigger bands,” Arnold said.