“This is why we’re called ADHD,” senior Drake Walker, guitarist and vocalist for the band ADHD, laughed. His bandmates cracked up as they talked over each other, after a rehearsal of their newest song. Walker’s garage, where the band practices, is always full of music and camaraderie.

The group met at their high school, Caldera, and came together because of their passion for music when Walker invited them to be a part of his band. His previous band had fallen apart. ADHD consists of junior guitarist and bassist Teague Myers, sophomore drummer Luke Austin, senior pianist Brendan Bessman, senior singer/songwriter Nora Jean, and senior Drake Walker.  

So far, ADHD has only performed at Summerfest in downtown Bend. The band has not yet performed any original songs, but they plan to. 

“We’ll probably perform them at our next gig, which is gonna be the Bend Roots Festival,” Bessman said. The festival is an annual event dedicated to showcasing Central Oregon culture, and located this year on the Midtown Corridor, September 15-17.

The process of creating songs is usually something that the whole band collaborates on. Walker and Jean start with writing the lyrics. 

“Then we share it with everybody and we all build off of it,” Jean explained. “[For the instruments] it’s usually major improv. And then if we like it, we’re like, ‘hey, do that again.’” 

“[Drake] comes up with chords and then we tell him, ‘that chord doesn’t work, man.’ That’s a bad chord, pick better chords. We pick better chords for him sometimes,” Myers said. “You kinda just do your thing, and then we all do our own thing, and it just comes together.”

“If you wanna make a song like ADHD, that’s how you do it. We’re the most unproductive-productive band ever,” Jean added.

The main genre of the band is still undecided.

“It’s almost like all of our genres just come together,” Myers explained. “It’s up to the interpretation of our listeners, our fans. I don’t know if we know how to classify it.” The band plays lots of different types of music; funk, indie rock, pop, rock-and-roll, and alternative. 

“Pretty much everything except country,” Walker said. 

School music programs have been incredibly beneficial for the members of ADHD. For Myers, the school bands and choirs have been especially impactful for him. 

“In band I get a lot of opportunities to play different instruments, different beats and patterns. I play bass for jazz choir, and I get lots of opportunities to play good music that I like, with a group of good musicians. And that improves my skills as a musician,” Myers explained. 

Bessman has been involved with the Caldera Choirs, which has given him an opportunity to learn from Luke MacSween, the choir teacher.

“[The music programs] support musicians at our school pretty well. We always get opportunities to play outside of school and inside of school, they’ve been great,” Jean added. “Our teacher, MacSween, he’s wonderful. He wants us to play as much as we can, and he really prioritizes how much we’re able to share our talent. The school helps out immensely, for sure.” 

Drummer Luke Austin received a drum set for Christmas when he was five years old, and has been playing ever since. Austin is involved with the Caldera Bands, which help him develop his skills. 

“I [get to] practice more through school, and not just outside of school. [I do] an hour a day of practice.”

“Before the pandemic, we were in middle school and we had our amazing music teacher, which we had for eight years,” said Walker. His and Jean’s middle school music teacher, Rebecca Nores, was most crucial in his musical journey. “She was really instrumental in our music careers, and she was able to get us a couple gigs in middle school. It started just with that middle school teacher, honestly. We love you, Mrs. Nores.”

Most of the band would love to become full-time musicians. As Myers put it, “It would definitely be my dream job, dream career, in any scenario, to be a full time musician, but no matter what I do in my life, music will always be a major part.” 

 “I want to do music for the rest of my life,” said Jean. “I see it hopefully as my entire future and as my entire career. So I hope whatever steps I do now will allow me to make that a full time job.” 

Bessman does not plan to go pro, but he enjoys music and that’s what matters. “I hope to make some side gig off of it, make it a part of my living… Hopefully our band does pretty well, and if I just make some side money off of it, I’m doing what I love, so it’s fun either way.”  

In the future, ADHD hopes to become successful, all while becoming better musicians and having fun.

The post ADHD: An up-and-coming Central Oregon Sensation? appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

A popular Central Oregon activity in the summer is heading to the Hayden Homes Amphitheater to see a concert. The popularity of the concerts has increased, due to more big-name artists performing at the venue in recent years, drawing in tourists. 

The amphitheater is located in the Old Mill District in Bend, which sprung from the conversion of a 1923 logging mill into a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike.

“There’s a lot of out-of-town attendees.They create their vacations around the concerts,” Alan Blickly, a front gate admissions worker for Hayden Homes, noted. “[The shows bring] a lot of tourism here, [and] add to [culture] overall.” Hayden Homes Amphitheater brings in millions of dollars for Bend’s economy each year, with a wide variety of music. 

“[We are] definitely busier on a concert night as opposed to a regular night,” said Assistant General Manager at Pastini’s, Robbie Moore. These concerts are a part of the summer tourism industry that partly fuels Bend’s economy. “It brings in revenue, it brings in tourists and people, so I would say [the concerts are] a plus.” However, not everyone who listens to the shows pays to do so. 

Hayden Homes is a favorite because it’s a short walking distance away from restaurants and shops, and adjacent to the Deschutes River. This also makes it convenient for groups to gather in the Old Mill. People float the river, listening to concerts outside of the venue  by anchoring themselves down near the amphitheater. 

Restrictions have been implemented to deter non-ticket holders from eavesdropping, such as charging customers more for outdoor seating at restauraunts. 

“Security closes off part of the walkway to the restaurants – patrons – and that’s controlled, because it’s private property owned by the Old Mill,” Blickly explained. “And the river is a public waterway. There are no restrictions on the waterway, so there’s quite a few people that stay in the river and listen to the concerts.” 

Some believe it is grossly unfair to listen to concerts without paying. Others say that the areas being used are public spaces, and therefore, it is completely reasonable to utilize them during the shows. 

“You can’t really monitor that,” said Joanne Duffey, a resident of Sunriver. “It seems like the concert tickets are kind of expensive. Excessively so.”

“I think it’s fair [to listen outside the venue]. People that are paying for going in there, it’s like a different experience,” Ella Cochran, a junior at Caldera, remarked. “Nobody owns this space…[and] the space around [the amphitheater]. Anyone should be able to go and listen.” Cochran believes that the concerts are beneficial for Bend culture because music brings people together, and that no one should be restricted from that experience. 

The debate will likely continue into the future and rules will continually be changed. However, it is to be expected that the public will still be able to access the river and areas not adjacent to the amphitheater.

The post “Stealing” the Show? appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

If you’re in Bend, Oregon at the end of July, you might look up to see colorful, 60-foot-tall balloons floating in the sky. If you do, you’re in luck; you’re in town for one of Central Oregon’s favorite events. 

For the past 18 years, the city of Bend has held its hot air balloon launches and connected festivals as an annual summer event, celebrating ballooning culture in Central Oregon. 

For many attendees, this tradition consists of getting up early to watch the balloons take off at R.E. Jewell Elementary School, and attending the Night Glow festival in the evening, this year hosted at Central Oregon Community College. In the past, balloon takeoffs have been at Summit High School and Hayden Homes Amphitheater, and the Night Glow festival in the Old Mill District.

The festivities at Night Glow include a race through a kids’ obstacle course, live music, a marketplace and a show-stopping performance. At sundown, the pilots reinflate the balloons, and put on a dazzling show, featuring bright lights, colors and patterns against the night sky.

Robert Raper, a balloon pilot in the event this year, learned to fly a hot air balloon in Wyoming, and heard about Balloons Over Bend when he moved to Oregon. “[Ballooning in Bend is] small, very personable. Ballooning is a very social event… I get [to show] people that are riding with me various features of Bend.” Raper also appreciates how the community gets behind the event.

“I think it adds variety and color. It’s a fun thing… The process of blowing up the balloons is amazing, and they’re like flowers in the sky. They’re beautiful,” said Taylor Pointer, a Bend resident, who began attending Balloons Over Bend takeoff because a friend invited him.

“[Balloons Over Bend] adds a lot of opportunities for people to get together, have fun and watch all the lights and the colors, and have all the stands where people sell stuff. I think it’s really cool.” said Josiah, a local high schooler interviewed at Night Glow. “I like that they have live music, and I think it’s a lot of fun to come out and hang out.” 

Balloons Over Bend, a focal point of Bend’s culture, is not one to miss.

The post Balloons Over Bend Celebrates Local Tradition appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

Over the next few days, the courts will be teeming with competitors, many of whom are not local to Bend, as they vie for the championship in the Bend Pickleball Club’s Pacific Northwest Classic, held from July 26-30. Pickleball, declared by NBC News as the fastest-growing sport in the United States, currently boasts almost 5 million players globally.

What draws people to pickleball—a sport that seems to be a hybrid of ping-pong, tennis, and badminton?

“It’s fun. It’s addictive. Anyone can play,” explained Lynette, a recreational player who was interviewed at Pine Nursery Pickleball Courts. “It’s a game for everyone and can be fun, competitive or recreational. [Pickleball] adds a lot of joy to my life. I’ve met many fantastic people while playing.” 

The same elements that have captured Lynette’s affection for the sport have resonated with millions worldwide. 

Christie Gestvang, Co-Director of the Pacific Northwest Classic pickleball tournament at Pine Nursery, first discovered pickleball as a PE teacher. After ending her career as an educator, she found herself drawn to the rapidly evolving sport. She noted the shift of pickleball from a family backyard pastime to a more competitive sport, with tennis courts being replaced by pickleball courts. 

Gestvang’s interest in pickleball deepened over time, and she became an active member of the Bend Pickleball Club. She helped raise funds to build the first eight courts at Pine Nursery in 2013, as well as another eight the following year, bringing the total to 16. The superior quality of these new courts attract hundreds of participants of all ages to the annual pickleball tournament that Gestvang co-organizes. Looking forward, she hopes to add an additional 16 courts to cater to the escalating interest in the sport.

She is not alone in her aspirations; many other facilities and groups plan to expand their pickleball courts, programs and opportunities. Sunriver, according to its resort website, intends to completely convert its tennis courts into pickleball courts. The interest in pickleball, initially popular mainly among older adults, has also extended to the youth. According to a report from USA Pickleball, the fastest growth in total participants from 2020 to 2021 was among players under 24 years of age, with a 21% increase.

Ryan Cruz, a PE teacher at Caldera High School and the Head Boys’ Tennis Coach, has made pickleball a key unit in his courses. 

“It’s a fantastic sport because most people can pick it up pretty quickly. It’s a good social sport so people can have fun with it. It’s a great lifestyle and lifelong activity. It can take just weeks to months to become somewhat competitive,” Cruz explains. His students seem to appreciate it; during the Wolfpack Expo in advisory – a time when students can explore different class options or participate in mental health activities, the pickleball sessions are always fully booked.

Whether you’re fiercely competing for gold in a pickleball tournament or just grabbing your friends for a casual match at your local courts, pickleball offers a fantastic way to enjoy the outdoors and have fun in Central Oregon this summer.

The post Pickleball Popularity Rises in Central Oregon appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.