Students catch Cabin Fever as group of seniors start rock band
A small cabin sits in the woods off Granger Road. This small cabin has no electricity, no heat and no furniture besides a few lawn chairs, a torn up couch and a rickety table. This small cabin, however, held the very first concert of many to come, and it holds a special place in the hearts of seniors Anthony Umina, Patrick Guerreau and Ramon Pardo.
In March Guerreau and Umina created their band, Cabin Fever, which they named after a cabin owned by the Uminas.
The two boys needed a new member after their old drummer left the band, so Pardo filled the position in May. Umina plays bass and sings, and Guerreau plays guitar, occasionally singing some songs. The boys practice in Guerreau’s basement in their free time to prepare for concerts. Cabin Fever has held two concerts and played at a pep rally, and they plan to perform more often in the future. The boys write their own songs and cover songs by some of their favorite artists, having fun while they pursue their musical ambitions.
Umina told his thought process in creating the band name, explaining that his cabin influenced his decision.
“At first, we struggled to find a name, but once we knew that our first concert would be at my cabin, I thought of the name to go along with it,” Umina said.
Umina explained that he did not know how to play bass before the band was created; he learned his skills from Guerreau.
“Part of the reason I wanted to make a band was because I knew nothing about guitar or bass. I knew Patrick could teach me anything I wanted to learn. Once I got the hang of it, we just wanted to start playing for the fun of it,” Umina said.
Guerreau also commented on why he wanted to be in a band, his guitar experience inspiring him to create Cabin Fever with Umina.
“I had been playing guitar for nine years and have always wanted to be in a band, but I didn’t know anyone else who played the other instruments until Anthony decided to learn bass,” Guerreau said.
After the old drummer left, the position needed filled for the band to exist. Pardo, already great friends with Umina and Guerreau, took the position even though he had little experience.
“After the old drummer couldn’t play anymore, I [joined] the team after talking to Anthony. I loved drumming and was in the marching band drumline already. I figured it would be cool to have a little fun with what I knew. . . . I don’t actually own a drumset and had never even touched one until I joined the band,” Pardo said.
The boys also talked about what makes them love being in a band.
“I just generally love music. It’s a pretty great thing to immerse yourself into it. Listening to music is one thing. Playing with it is another,” Pardo said.
Guerreau commented on his unique attraction to music.
“I have never really been into going to concerts as much as most people. Instead, I will just lay down and listen to the studio albums of my favorite bands, such as Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith. I’m more into the music part than the performing part, which has especially influenced me in songwriting,” Guerreau said.
Guerreau and Umina also write their own songs. Umina tends to make his lyrics meaningful, while Guerreau focuses more on the music itself.
“I usually have an idea of what I want a song to be about before I start writing it. Once I figure out the sound of the song, lyrics come very easily to me. As of now we’ve performed my song Granger Road, and I’ve been working on three more. . . . I try to have my songs [sound] catchy but actually have meaning behind them. It’s easy for me to write lyrics because my topics are meaningful to me. Granger Road, for example, is about a place that is really special to me and has really influenced who I am today,” Umina said.
Guerreau commented on how he comes up with his songs, as well as the meaning behind them.
“I’ll just be playing around on my guitar when I come up with something that sounds cool, and I build the guitar parts from there. I’ll record it and listen to it for a few days, humming along until I come up with a melody that goes along with the guitar parts, and then I just slap lyrics on. Two of the songs that I’ve written that we’ve performed are called Leap of Faith and Past the Storm. . . . I’m not someone who is huge into writing lyrics that are close to my heart. Instead, the instrumentals and melodies are what I treasure most about what I write,” Guerreau said.
Pardo has not written any music yet but he said that he has some ideas for songs and hopes to create and perform his own music in the future.
A novice bass player, a marching band drumline member and a practiced guitarist express their love for music at a small cabin that feels like a second home. They play their favorite music, along with their own music, as their friends cheer, “We’ve got Cabin Fever!”
