On Friday, Jan. 24, The Split Ends hosted an event at Crescendo Studios in Falls Church to raise money for the current Los Angeles fires. The band wanted to make an impact with their event and being able to donate to the people in need during the tragic fires made the gig especially impactful.
“All the money we raised will go to McLean PTA, who will send it to the LA fires,” said junior Lily Rowland, singer and bassist of The Split Ends. “We decided that was the best issue at the moment considering how it has devastated so many people.”
The Split Ends is made up of Rowland, guitar player junior Julien Dipatri and drummer junior Sophia Aleyd. The three practice at Crescendo Studios and were able to host their performance there, playing a variety of popular songs including Brazil by Declan Mckenna. Rowland even added to the mix with two original songs titled Hypnotized and Right Through Me.
“I felt a mix of nervousness and adrenaline,” Rowland said. “I usually feel like I have a job to do and seeing all the people there to support us made me feel really exhilarated.”
The performance also included two openers for the band, which are essentially opening acts before the performance. Junior Juliana Sanchez was the first for the night, singing popular songs by Phoebe Bridgers and Radiohead. Following her act, the band Soda Pop took over the theater with their incredible stage presence.
“The audience was blown away by their presence in the space,” Dipatri said. “Sanchez has such an angelic voice. They chose really cool songs to cover and had a great full sound.”
Being able to balance band practice with the hardships of junior year can be testing, but the members believe that even with a busy schedule, being able to show off their talents and raise money for a crucial cause was worth the strain.
“It was honestly just such a thrilling experience, Rowland said. “We all work so hard and it’s rewarding to see all our friends and family support us.”
