Have you ever heard the echo of guitar notes mixed with the reverberations of vocals and drums at Crescent Hill Parking Garage? 

USF bands have been around well before I came to campus in 2022. These local bands make up a network built on the mutual love of all things music. 

Supporting local bands is a great way to build community and promote a scene that is diminishing. 

Related: USF’s Taylor Swift course is the latest hit

Elyse Ruel is the vocalist and guitar player for the band Hot Honey. She said the campus music scene used to thrive on Friday and Saturday nights when bands would get together and jam in the garages.

“That kind of community in the garages isn’t there any more,” Ruel said.

It’s vital to support local bands because they may not get the recognition and support that they should. 

It’s hard to make it “mainstream,” but the easiest and fastest way to project our USF peers into success is to support them now, while they transition into something bigger.

As listeners, we can help by following these artists on social media and on listening platforms, such as Spotify and Apple Music. 

Attending local shows is also a fun and easy way to show rapport.

“In addition to the bands, there are a good handful of really eager and active musicians that are coming up from USF,” said Bailey Chavez, a senior psychology major and drummer of Hot Honey. 

If we want to promote the sentiment “support local businesses,” we should keep this same energy towards local musicians and bands.

There has been a push within clubs to create a space where musicians can uplift one another.

Related: The USF Herd of Marching Band is underrated

Ruel said the USF club, Music Makers, seems to have a lot of people interested in the local music scene.

Another club on campus that is perfect if you are a listener, and not a musician, is the Music Appreciation Club.  

The club is for students who enjoy music across all genres. It’s a great way to discover new music, curate your music taste and build new friendships.

But why should students care? 

Morgan Bridges, the drummer of Sure Thing and Maily Rock, said there are multiple reasons. 

“You get the opportunity to  make new friends at shows, listen to new music, and maybe join a band yourself,” Bridges said.

Related: USF, make this new School of Music curriculum your jam

And if you do want to be one of those listeners who becomes a bandmate yourself, lead singer and founder of Maily Rock, Maily Nguyen, has some advice for you. 

“Just do it. And just keep going and just have blind faith. Just jump right in and just trust the process even if it seems like it’s going nowhere. You’re doing more than you did the day before,”  said Nguyen, a senior English major.

So, take the chance to be a part of this musical revolution, and go support our local USF bands. 

If you want to support any of the bands mentioned in this article, here’s where you can find them.

Hot Honey: Spotify, Instagram

Maily Rock: Spotify, Instagram