Photos by Gordon Miller
On a recent Friday evening in October, student musicians gathered backstage and their fans filled the Harwood Union High School auditorium, in hopes of winning a day in a professional recording studio, a chance to perform at Higher Ground, and the title of Battle of the Bands Champion.
On October 24, the newly branded Sonic Futures Battle of the Bands + Music Summit attracted 65 students from 11 middle and high schools across central and northern Vermont to learn, perform and compete. Started in 2022 as Battle of the Bands, the event evolved in the 2024-25 school year with the Sonic Futures name and a broader effort, culminating in the sought-after prizes.
During the day, professional Vermont musicians led workshops and music lessons for the student musicians. Eric George, a Vermont-based songwriter, performer and sound engineer, was one of the day’s mentors. He described his role as helping the students “tighten up screws they didn’t even know were loose.”
It wasn’t just musicians engaged in the event. Other students from Harwood and UVM’s music education program were involved behind the scenes – taking photos and videos, conducting interviews, and managing lights and sound onstage during the performances.
Harwood music teachers Brian Boyes and Molly Clark, who organize the annual event, were involved in every aspect as well. From helping with workshops to making sure everyone was where they needed to be.
After hours of preparation by students and teachers, it was time for the battle to begin. The house lights went dark, the audience got quiet, and emcee and Harwood senior Casey Klus took the stage.
As part of the introduction, video clips of interviews with each band and solo artist were played on the backdrop screen ahead of each performance. Before they went on stage, the performers were asked about their favorite artists, musical inspirations, and the songs they were going to perform.
Then, each band took the stage to play one song each. Choices included classics like “Vienna” by Billy Joel performed by The Tones from Harwood; new hits like “Man I Need” by Olivia Dean that Undecided from Harwood played; and originals including “Masquerade” by Harwood’s Glam Cowboys.
The young artists displayed a range of stage presence – some just stepping up to the mic and diving right in, others offering introductions to their performances, telling about their song choice or their band makeup. The band MINC had members from Harwood, Woodstock, Montpelier, and North Country high schools. Its lead singer shed some light on their choice of “Flesh & Bone” by Sammy Rae & the Friends: “I think we all can agree that our country is in an amazing place right now, right?” he said to the audience. “We don’t listen to people unless we like them. I think we need to start standing up for people of color. I think we need to start standing up for queer folks out there. … That’s kinda what this song is about.”
After all 16 of the competing acts had their turn in the spotlight, the Harwood Assembly Band – Harwood’s signature school rock band taught by Boyes and Clark – performed several tunes while the judges deliberated. The band did not compete, Boyes explained, given its role as host. Many of its members participated in the contest by performing in other acts on the program.
The judges for the event were Jer Coons, Bob Wagner, and Stefanie Weigand. Producer and songwriter Coons owns the Jericho recording studio Jer&Co., where the contest winner will have a chance to record music. Singer-songwriter Bob Wagner is a heavy-hitter on the Vermont music scene as a solo artist and lead guitarist and band member with Kat Wright.
A former Harwood choral teacher, Weigand is a vocal music teacher at UVM and executive director of the nonprofit Music-COMP that works with student composers, music teachers, and professional musicians on new compositions.
As the judges finalized the results, student performers anxiously waited backstage to find out who would come out on top.
With a list of winners in hand, Klus returned to the stage one final time to announce the night’s winners: Surf Green, a rock band of eighth graders from Harwood Middle School, for best emerging band, runner-up was Harwood’s Glam Cowboys; overall winner was Junkyard Goats from Twinfield Union High School with their original song “Inchworm.”
Junkyard Goats drummer Gigi Garon said it felt like a dream come true. “We’ve been working so, so hard for so many years. This music is so amazing, and has been such a godsend for me, and I’m so happy it’s finally getting recognized,” Garon said.
Harwood student Lilah Thurston won second place in the solo act category for her rendition of “Georgia” by Phoebe Bridgers, while Piper Hall, a homeschool student, won best solo act with her original song, “Better Now.”
Hall was a returning competitor on the Harwood stage. After Battle of the Bands last year, Hall was inspired to record in a professional studio in Boston, and has released three songs since then. She said that she gained so much confidence as an artist because of this. Now as a winner, she will have the opportunity to perform at one of Vermont’s premier live music venues.
“I’m very grateful, and I can’t wait to perform at Higher Ground,” she said.
Boyes said the Higher Ground showcase date is booked for May 29.
Community News Service is a University of Vermont journalism internship that produces local news coverage for Vermont news outlets, including Waterbury Roundabout.
Sonic Futures Battle of the Bands was livestreamed and recorded.
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