A New Kind of Collaboration: Meet Midnight Monkeys
Midnight Monkeys - Samarth Movva, Sloane Steppe, James Kyler, Crosby Holk, Kayla Danter, Sawyer Beaudin, & Chelsea Lau
For students at Music House, learning an instrument is only the first step; the real transformation happens when they join a band and experience the magic of collaboration. Our student bands don't just learn songs—they learn teamwork, trust, and how to communicate in a whole new musical language. Today, we're diving into the world of Midnight Monkeys, a band of friends who are navigating the stage, songwriting, and the intense competition of paper baseball. From their surprising origin story (involving an inside joke and a strong opinion on midnight) to their dreams of opening for Imagine Dragons and Coldplay, the members of Midnight Monkeys are ready to share how friendship and performance are shaping their journey at Music House.
Why did you name your band "Midnight Monkeys"? What's the story behind it?
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Chelsea Lau: It was the combination of an inside joke and Sloane's opinion on midnight. |
What is the best part of being in a band?
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Chelsea: It involves teamwork, friendship, and music! Kayla Danter: Friendship! Crosby Holk: Playing with others and getting to play the drums. James Kyler: Playing together. Samarth Movva: Teamwork and making friends! Sawyer Beaudin: Being in it! |
What are some of your band goals?
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Crosby: Getting better at our instruments and as a team Sloane Steppe: To remember all the songs! Sawyer: To get better!! Samarth: Getting good at songs and closer with the band. Chelsea: To establish closer friendships. Kayla: To be able to sing by myself and learn all the songs. |
What is your most memorable band experience?
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James: Playing new songs on piano! Chelsea: Playing paper baseball. Samarth: My first hit in paper baseball. Kayla: Meeting everyone! Sawyer: I second that — meeting everyone! |
If you got to open for any band or artist, current or defunct, who would it be?
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Sloane: Imagine Dragons. Chelsea: The Beatles. James: Coldplay. Crosby: I'd like to play at the Super Bowl halftime show. Samarth: Also the Super Bowl halftime show. Kayla: As long as we're wishing, how about Imagine Dragons AND Coldplay. |
What advice would you give to students who are just getting started?
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Chelsea: Don't give up!. Crosby: Try your best. If you mess up, just keep going! Sawyer: You're doing awesome!! Kayla: Have fun! Samarth: Practice and good things will happen! James: Keep your fingers curled! (a little piano advice) Sloane: If you give up, you will miss out on progress! |
What do you guys do that's special – that you think sets you apart from all the Music House bands?
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Crosby: We play chair tag and paper baseball. Chelsea: Games and we're friendshippy! Kayla: We walk on all fours. Sloane: We play games. Sawyer: We are crazy. |
How has playing with other people benefited you?
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Sloane: It has changed my perspective on performing. James: It has just been a really fun experience! Samarth: Learning to interact with other players makes everything more fun! Crosby: Learning to listen to others makes you better. Kayla: It makes me not afraid to perform. Swayer: It is so fun! |
