Your first time attending a concert or listening to a band you love is a lasting memory that will stick with you for life. Your first time creating your own band? That memory will burn even brighter. 

Senior Rhett Bedwell and juniors Louis Faltysek and Jakob Stapleton formed their band, Burning Memory, in December. Following the band’s performance for students and faculty during A lunch on March 7, senior Stephen Fouchek joined. 

“I love playing good music and improving my playing skills, and hanging out with my friends at the same time makes it fun,” Bedwell said. 

Bedwell plays bass and sings vocals, Faltysek plays drums and piano, Stapleton plays lead guitar and sings vocals, and Fouchek plays rhythm guitar. 

“My favorite part is just playing the music,” Fouchek said. “When everyone syncs up, regardless of whether it’s an intricate song or not, it’s just so much fun.” 

To allow more people to join in on the fun, the members are hoping that Burning Memory will gain more recognition and a larger audience. 

“It would be cool if more people knew about us,” Bedwell said. “Playing in front of more people would make it spicy.”  

Although the members would like the band to be more well known, it is mostly just a hobby that they enjoy in their free time. Despite this, they are very serious about the power of music and their love for the art form.  

“I’ve always loved music and would love to set aside everything else and try to make it big,” Fouchek said. “But the reality of that happening is very slim, so I keep it as a hobby more than anything.” 

Burning Memory is especially important to the senior members, Bedwell and Fouchek, who will be able to use the band as not just a casual pastime, but a fun memory to close out their high school experience. 

“I think when I look back on my senior year I will definitely remember how cool it was to be in a band!” Bedwell said. “Being in a band has been a great way to express my enjoyment of music.”