I was always around musicians growing up and after I picked up my first guitar in my 20s I was hooked. I loved the guitar so much it became an obsession and I wanted to learn more instruments, the piano being one of my other favorites. Music was also a way to deal with my anxiety. I attended a few open mic nights and got involved with other musicians in the scene. That connection in that community had such an impact on the way I developed as a person. I needed to share the creativity and passion I had with others. I now get to write and play music with my friends. Music will always be part of my life. - Lisa LoVell, keyboardist

I first realized that I wanted to make music when I was very young. Towards the end of the height of Michael Jackson’s Thriller album, the Jackson 5 cartoon began re-airing in syndication as a Saturday morning cartoon. I watched it and fell in love with the show, but more importantly the music. That was my introduction to music that I enjoyed for me, as opposed to the music I heard from my parents or older sister. I decided over the course of the two seasons of the show that I wanted to not only learn to play guitar (like Tito), and subsequently bass (like Jermaine), but also make music myself. - Will Blakey, bassist

It’s goofy as all hell, but I first knew I wanted to make music when I was watching reruns of The Monkees with my mom. I was 4 or 5 years old and I just thought, “Man, when you’re in a band you get to go on adventures with your friends? And there are all sorts of hijinks and sometimes you fall in love? This looks so fun!” That and my little preschooler brain being overtaken with saccharine pop hooks had me captivated. And, with a few other formalities, my original assessment of life in a band wasn’t all that far off! My grandma crocheted me a little green Mike Nesmith hat and everything (still my favorite Monkee and one of my favorite musicians in general today).

This was further reaffirmed by “discovering” Dark Side of the Moon at age 12. I was in a real slump with learning guitar, and thought, “I’m never going to be rock and roll! The instrument I’m actually good at is piano and that isn’t cool at all!” Yeah, that album blew my mind wide open. Rick Wright was the game changer, and kept me from giving up on my musical journey. - Becca Cristino, guitarist

I knew I wanted to make music when I saw The Partridge Family on TV and how the drummer looked as old as I was. Never mind that it was filmed 20 years earlier or that it was TV magic and not Jeremy Gelbwaks/Brian Forster playing drums. I saw it and thought “if he can do it, so can I.” - Pete Stern, drummer

My four closest friends in college all played guitar and I didn’t sing or play any instrument yet. Out of jealousy, I bought a guitar when I was 20 and promptly learned. That’s when I knew. The world simply would become better with one more male in college playing an acoustic guitar. How could I refuse to meet my moment? - Brian Erickson, vocalist