Whether they are in band practice or playing a show, they love to mix sounds in order to create music that is fresh to their listeners.
In Walked Five is a jazz, hip-hop and soul band that was created in El Camino last year by five students who are all majoring in music.
The band met on campus through the music program.
It took them about a year to come up with the name, “In Walked Five.”
“We went through six different names and finally there was a song called ‘In Walked Bud’ by Thelonious Monk that we all liked, so I said, ‘Hey guys let’s just call ourselves In Walked Five,’ and the guys finally agreed to that name, so we kept it,” Tyler Johnson, 22, saxophone player said.
Some of the names they went through before deciding were, “Tyler Johnson Group,” “Groovy Cats” and “Walter Jones and the Jazz Bandits.”
The youngest member, Srimal Del Mel, 19, plays the pianofor the band.
“We all are studying jazz, but we started to play around with the jazz and mix it with the hip hop groove and funk groove, to make it a little easier for people that are not accustomed to listening to jazz, more open to listening to jazz,” Johnson said.
John Aparicio, 24, plays the guitar. Walter Jones, 26, plays the drums.
“The hardest part about making music is getting the music down,” Jones said. “We try to make it as difficult as possible, to give our music a unique sound.”
The last member, Gavin Vellems, 22, plays the bass.
The band wants more people to listen to their music and they are looking to stay together during the new school year.
“Right now, we are trying to get more gigs and really get people to hear about us and listen to our music,” Johnson said. “Most of us are transferring this semester, so we are also trying to figure out how to keep the band together while we are all gone.”
Aparicio and Johnson will both be transferring to California State University, Northridge, this fall.
Setting up times that all members can agree to is one of the challenges that the band faces.
In Walked Five practices every Friday from 4 to 7 p.m.
“The hardest part about being in a band is setting up rehearsals that everybody can make, having productive rehearsals, getting stuff done making sure that everybody knows their parts,” Del Mel said.
The band does not have a manger so Johnson handles most of the promotion. Although the band tries to work as a team, Johnson does most of the speaking when talking about the band.
“The hardest part is getting gigs, because you have to really market your band to other people and get your name out there,” Johnson, said.
This Saturday, the band will perform at the Redondo Union Jazz Festival from 2 to 2:30 p.m.
Later that day, the band will also perform for the Spring 2016 Student Recital in the Robert Haag Recital Hall from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are available for $10.
