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Rant & Rave
ALL those critics of boy bands who say that pop stars have no more substance than cotton candy, and merely glide to fame and fortune, should watch the ABC television series, "Making the Band" 8:30 p.m. Fridays on KITV. Perseverance part
of pop successThe show follows eight singers (Erik, Jacob, Paul, Trevor, Michael, Ashley, Brian and local boy Ikaika Kahoano) as they compete for five spots in the band O-Town, another brainchild of Lou Pearlman, the man behind 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys.
Fans of the series (myself included) know it takes more than just a few rehearsals to create a band. They eagerly tune in every Friday night to catch up on what's happened to the guys that week.
They usually are not disappointed. What they see is hardly fun and games. The guys spend most of their days practicing -- several hours devoted to learning complicated dance routines followed by several hours of vocal coaching.
CRITICISM is more prevalent than praise, as each of the eight are scrutinized to determine who will make the final five. Partying after hours is also limited and, in fact, several guys got into hot water recently for staying out too late.
"Making the Band" appears to be more of a boot camp for aspiring musicians than an easy route into the limelight.
The series also dispels the myth that all pop music is manufactured and without substance. It's true that O-Town will record some pre-packaged material, but so do many other artists. (Hey, Elvis never wrote any of his own songs.)
Plus, the guys are encouraged to write their own music and several actually have.
Before making the show, Ikaika had released his own CD with completely original material; Erik and Jacob have also been collaborating on several songs they hope to include in the band's repertoire eventually.
"So what?" you might say. "It's all saccharin pop anyway." To that I say, lighten up! Not every song in the world has to be full of deep meaning. Why can't a song just sound good?
The series clearly shows how much time and effort goes into creating the catchy tunes and dance moves many people take for granted or attribute to natural ability. In reality, what's on stage is the result of hours of rehearsals, and often frustration.
There's also the fact that the chosen eight had to beat out 1,800 hopefuls across the nation to get to where they are, and still anxiously pray they are not among the three that will be cut from O-Town by month's end.
I'm sure they spent years working toward and waiting for a big break such as this show provides.
ANYONE, including teen-agers like myself, can see how this tenacity and perseverance apply to their own lives.
I have no aspirations to be a pop star but I can relate to that spirit of endurance in overcoming obstacles to situations in my own life, such as mustering the willpower after getting a bad grade on a test to work doubly hard on the next one.
Who knew a TV show about a boy band could be so inspirational?
The lesson for young people -- or even adults -- may be this: Don't be so quick to judge boy bands, or any pop stars, for that matter. Sure, they seem to have it all, without much effort. But behind all the so-called "glamour" lies good old-fashioned sweat and labor.
(Note: ABC has pulled "Making the Band" from its schedule.
Anna Weaver is a junior at Sacred Hearts Academy, where she is editor of the "Ka Leo" student newspaper. Rant & Rave is a Tuesday Star-Bulletin feature
allowing those 12 to 22 to serve up fresh perspectives.
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