Cedars, November 2017

November 2017 13 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT idea, sound, or lyric to work with. “We are really just driven by the fact that we are a bunch of friends who just like playing together” Hitchcock said, and the others wholeheartedly agreed. “I think these guys are some of the highest caliber musicians, thinkers, and art- ists that I may ever have the grace to work with,” Apol added. “And the friendships have been a huge blessing to me.” The band members have high respect for one another and they know how to have a good laugh, Hitchcock said. It has been difficult for the band to find time to practice since Apol is currently in Alaska, Smith is working in the Dayton area, Grandouiller is working on his masters at OSU, and Hitchcock is in the middle of his senior project. Despite the differences in lo- cations, they continue to practice and plan for the future. “None of us are certain about what our future holds,” Hitchcock said, “but as long as we are all able to, we will still be playing together.” The band is currently working on re- cording some of the music from their first show they played in The Hive. Those songs were popular with the fans and Noticing Icarus seeks to re-record some of those live tracks for the listeners. Among the songs they perform “Groove 2” is one of their favorites to play. They are excited about their new music that is in development and they enjoy playing those songs in rehearsal as well. Their goal as a band is to be open and honest with their art. The lyrics are “my record of engagement with Christianity,” Grandouiller said. “I want to offer an honest, vulnerable faith commu- nity to my listeners.” The songs are produced with honest in- tent to accurately reflect real things such as doubts or missteps, and what those look like for real people. “We strive to play with excellence in order to draw an audience who then can have healthy community as a group,” Smith said, “especially as Christians” In addition, Apol said that writing music together “taps into what it means to be made in God’s image — God is a social being and a creative being … It’s also real- ly God-glorifying to be able to make new things and point to Him with it.” The members of Noticing Icarus are increasingly appreciative of one another and their encouragement. Grandouiller said that although he had the vision for the band, Apol was the one who went out and recruit- ed others to make it all happen. They are grateful for every person who is in the band, and those that played with the band for just a short while. Noticing Icarus seeks to direct attention to the suffering that happens in the back- ground, that most people wouldn’t notice. “Empathy is integral to humanity,” Hitchcock said. “Being open to that is an in- credible thing, and I think our music reflects that.” Allison White is a junior organizational communication major and arts and en- tertainment writer for Cedars. She enjoys learning about cultures, traveling, and pet- ting as many dogs as she can. Photo courtesy of David Grandouiller Left to right, Noticing Icarus members: Calvin Hitchcock, Ben Heath, David Grandouiller and Connor Smith practice after releasing their first EP. www.resoundradio.com Listen Online Now! Student Focused Radio 24/7