every time we are all free to work together. We will probably try to meet twice every week or something like that this year.
What is the process like for choosing your set list for performances? Chang and Lopez: Usually, we try to find songs that are well known and will get the audience excited, but, at the same time, songs that we love and enjoy make our playing so much better. Altogether, we have a variety of tastes in music. Because of this, we try to do one song that each of us chooses and likes. We also like to finish with a slow song.
Broun: We often have a list of songs that we want to play/we think would sound really cool, and then from there we focus on the ones that we can solidify before a performance. After that, we try to go back and work on the others from that list. I think we have four different Spotify playlists of songs that we all want to work on.
What experience do you have with music? Lopez: Before Omnia, I played the bass guitar for all of eighth grade and ninth grade. My music knowledge
comes from Jazz Rock Ensemble and Omnia. Playing jazz standards in class is easier than playing in front of a crowd but my band mates make it fun.
Broun: I started playing piano in third grade, then picked up the saxophone in sixth grade, drums in seventh, and actually started learning guitar this summer.
Music is just something that surrounds my life: whether I’m working on homework or trying to write some music of my own, I can use my background to really try and make everything sound good. Omnia has been really helpful with this: we all have such great ideas about how the music can sound better, and we can work ideas off of each other. We’re also collaborative, which makes it super fun.
Chang: Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It’s probably the area I’m the strongest in, and most passionate about as an artist. I grew up listening to many different types of music that have inspired the music I try to create today. I started playing piano when I was four, and when I was in sixth grade, I found a ukulele in our basement that I learned to play. I started playing guitar in the summer after sixth grade, which then led me to start writing music. I love exploring new genres with Omnia that I probably would not have gotten into otherwise.
What are your hopes for the band this
year? Chang and Lopez: We would love to perform more this year! Last year we only performed at Back to School Bash, so we want to try to expand from that because it is so much fun to play for Hopkins students.
Broun: We‘re also working on creating some original songs that could turn into an EP or an album, so we’re super excited about that.