Alternative pop/rock band Trapdoor Social released its latest single and official music video featuring The Pride of Mesa Ridge (Colo.) High School Marching Band. Lead singer Skylar Funk wrote the song with the band’s big sound in mind.
“It was all about the sound,” Funk says. “A few weeks after meeting the band [in 2014], I was driving the tour van late one night, and it occurred to me to feature the marching band in one of our songs. ‘Fine On My Own’ was perfect because of those big hits on the verses. Those three dotted eighth notes were just begging for a huge brassy marching band sound.”
When Trapdoor Social returned to Colorado for a Christmas concert, the group planned a recording session and video shoot with Mesa Ridge.
“I got there a couple days early to rehearse with the kids and make some last-minute adjustments to the score,” Funk says. “It was evident they had been practicing, and everyone worked hard to fine-tune their parts.”
The marching band recorded as a whole and by section, then got together with Trapdoor Social for the video shoot. “[‘Fine On My Own’] is my proudest achievement as an artist,” Funk says. “I believe in the music and the message, and the production is my dream come true. It gave us the opportunity to advocate for music and arts education.”
Trapdoor Social also ran a fundraiser benefitting the Pride on crowdfunding website PledgeMusic.com, raising more than $7,000.
“[Band director] Phil Olivas and his band worked really hard to help make this happen,” Funk says. “Plus, they came out to the shows, told their friends and families about the project and really supported our band. We’ve leveraged our music to fuel fundraisers before, and this one seemed like a no-brainer. It was the least we could do to thank them.”
Funk was a tenor saxophone section leader and band president. “It taught me an instrument and some theory and, probably most importantly, that music could be fun, Funk says. “The culture of band kids and piling onto a bus to go put on a show and the excitement of taking the field … those experiences definitely inspired me to keep music in my life.”
From Los Angeles, Trapdoor Social will be releasing its first full-length album in 2016 as well as playing shows and developing its own mobile, solar-powered concert setup.
To watch the video, visit youtube.com/trapdoorsocial.
