A guitar plays a note as a cable is plugged into an amp. A drummer taps the snare drum two times to check the sound. Someone sings a bit of a song to see how it sounds in the room, and the music hangs in the air for a couple of beats.

These moments are where the student band Sundial found its roots.

The band, made up of singer Paige Leshney ’28, bassist Jayson Park ’28, guitarist Noah Ro ’28, and drummer Gawyn Ross ’26, has performed a few times on campus and played a set on Brogan Deck on February 18 for the Chadwick Upper School.

But, before they had a name and before they played shows, the band was just a group of musicians who liked to play music together at Wavelength, a music co-curricular run by Associate Director of Admissions David Bloom. 

At Wavelength, these musicians would get together and try out different songs. Sometimes they would come up with a riff. Sometimes Park would come up with a bassline. Often nothing would work out, but sometimes the music would come together in a really cool way.

The foursome did not sound like a band at first. They just played music together and had fun. People would switch instruments. Try out different roles. For a while, Ro was the lead singer. They would try out songs and see what worked. It was a fun and messy process.

Things started to get serious when the band decided to play a show.

Leshney said, “I think we started to take things seriously when we booked our first show because we had to pick some songs to play. We had to come up with a name for the band. After that it felt like we were a band, not just friends playing music together.”

They came up with the name Sundial. After that, their practices started to feel more important. They worked on their songs. Got tighter as a band. They came up with a setlist. Bit by bit, they started to feel like they were ready to play a show. 

When Sundial finally played their show, the music sounded great. The guitar sounded clear and bright. The bass player kept a steady beat. The drummer played with energy and passion. The singer’s voice cut through the music. Sundial sounded really good.

Many in the audience said Sundial sounded like another band they knew.

“I think people say we sound like Paramore. I like that because I love Paramore and it gives us an idea of what kind of music people like to hear!” said Leshney. 

The band likes to play songs that are fun and energetic and that people know and can sing along to.

Leshney shared, “My favorite songs to play with Sundial are ‘Notion’ by The Rare Occasions, ‘Mr. Brightside’ by The Killers, and ‘Hard Times’ by Paramore. I love these songs because I have liked them for a time and other people like them too. When we play them people sing along. It is really fun.”

When the crowd starts singing along, it makes the show feel really special. The line between the band and the audience disappears. The music gets louder and more powerful.

There is another person who has helped Sundial become the band they are today. Mr. Bloom has been supporting the band from the start. 

Leshney said, “Mr. Bloom has been a help to us. He helps us set up for our shows. He tells people about our band. We really appreciate his support.”

Every band has a story about how they got started. Sundial’s story is pretty simple: a few musicians got together, started playing music. They liked the way it sounded, so they kept playing. 

Now they really are a band, and their high energy performances at Chadwick have left their fans eager to see where the band goes next.