We’ve all seen the typical, washed out garage bands screaming angst-ridden lyrics into their microphones while ripping at their guitars. The Carter Hedge and Rock and Roll blues band keeps their cool and demonstrate maturity and unique style as they turn to more traditional flavors, such as classic rock, arguably well represented by eternal icons, such as Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix. This Paly teenage band has played for a variety of audiences, including for 500 people at the San Francisco Exploratorium and recently, for Paly students last Friday, after school.

The three musicians, Reed Carter, Tim and Andrew Hedge, united under The Carter Hedge Rock and Roll Blues band three years ago, after meeting in the same Boy Scout troop. Since then, they have rehearsed on weekends and frequently performed for public audiences for students of all ages.

The band reflected on their first performance at Paly and also offered insight on the emotional process before playing in front of an audience. Sophomore Reed Carter acknowledged that the band had generated a wide variety of performances and occasionally felt nervous before their concerts.

“We have had good and bad experiences [on the stage],” he said. “You’re always going to be nervous. Even if it [the performance] doesn’t go well, you’re happy that you did it.”

Senior Tim Hedge had felt compelled to play better when he faced familiar faces in the crowd. Despite having faced with a smaller crowd than that of the Exploratorium. he felt extremely pressured to perform well in front of Paly students. He acknowledged the difficulty in maintaining a large crowd after school on a minimum day while also having to set up their equipment.

“Playing in front of people, especially people that I see every day makes me set the standards for my playing really high,” Tim Hedge added. “What you don’t realize on stage is that no one, except for your band members, will know if you mess up a little bit.”

Freshman Andrew Hedge expressed some dissatisfaction with their recent performance. However, he also felt pleased with his first performance at Paly and enjoyed meeting with other Paly musicians who saw their performances.

“Friday’s performance was good but not the best we have done,” Andrew Hedge said. “It was a good first performance at Paly because I got to meet some new people who played music also after the gig was over.

Unlike most other bands, the gifted trio does not merely stick to performing already published songs. It has furthered its musical career by composing their own songs featuring elements of rock and roll, influenced by their favorite artists, such as Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton, and from their own artistic inspirations.

However, the band collaborates in a relatively relaxed manner that is different from the typical process of song writing and composing. Despite their deviation from these standards, they embellish each of their performances while also acquiring spontaneity and improvisation, an important skill for performers.

“We don’t really sit down and write songs,” Tim Hedge clarified. “Instead, we usually jam for an hour or two and whatever we come up with during these sessions usually becomes part of our live set. Usually Reed will start playing and Andrew and I will follow along. This makes every show a little bit different and it gives us a lot of improvisational experience, which is a valuable asset for a musician to possess.”

Some of the band members have also pursued music in the professional realm and with other musicians in addition to playing with this band. Carter has been playing the upright bass for the Paly symphony and has also established himself in the professional musical world at an early age. He was even offered to audition for well-known bands, such as Lane Fore. Both the Hedge brothers have pursued music ever since they were in middle school and have also joined other bands.

“My interest in music started when I began playing drums in eighth grade,” Tim Hedge explained. “I have taken lessons since then, and I am a member of two bands. This particular band was the first of the two. One day my brother invited Reed over to jam with us, and we have been playing together ever since.”

Unlike most young teen artists, the band feels reasonably comfortable balancing schoolwork and other extracurriculars with intensive rehearsals and performances.

“It [playing the guitar and music] is an enjoyable experience,” Carter said. “When you get home, it’s something to work your brain on. It is something to do, something to talk about, and something to keep you busy.”

Most of the band members look forward to continuing music even after finishing school. All three of them wished to incorporate music into their lives and open to careers of performance. Already a successful guitarist and musician, Carter looks forward to continuing his musical career in the future. He would like to explore all different kinds of artistic careers, including writing soundtracks and possibly touring and performing around the world. Both Tim and Andrew Hedge have articulated that they wanted to pursue music as a hobby and potentially as a career.

“I will definitely be doing something with music, even if it’s just for fun and not my career,” Tim Hedge said. “However, if I got the opportunity to make performing my career, I would seriously consider it.”