Watching the crowd dancing, seeing the lights flashing, rocking out on stage. For many young musicians, being in a band is a dream, but for sophomore Johny Rohde, this is his reality.
Johny is the bassist for Tucson’s very own Znora. When he was in 8th grade, there was an opening to be the bassist for Znora, and he was encouraged by his middle school guitar teacher, Mr. Nickles, to audition. Being new to playing bass, unfortunately, he didn’t make it; however, luckily, during his freshman year of high school, the bassist spot opened up again, and having more experience, he auditioned, and he made it!
When Johny found out that he got the gig, he said, “I thought it was pretty crazy, but I really didn’t know how much work it would really be.” Johny had to learn about 30 songs when he became a member. He says it’s a lot easier now.
Johny’s favorite part about working with his bandmates is, “…creating music with them. It’s fun to play covers, but it’s more fun when he can show us an idea and we can take that and try to do whatever we want. So, it’s a mix between creating songs and performing the songs we create.” The band is currently working on recording an EP (a half-length music album).
Being in a band means spending lots of time together, and luckily for the boys of Znora, Johny said, “We’re all kind of just a bunch of friends hanging out, playing, and making music. So, it’s definitely a lot of fun to work with them and go on trips and stuff.” Znora has hit the road and gone out of the city to places like Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Silver City, New Mexico. Johny has good memories of these trips and shared a time when the drummer of Znora, Josh, packed a ball of sand to take home because, as an Arizonian where beaches are nonexistent, it’s a free souvenir!
If you live in Tucson, you most likely know that The Rialto Theater is one of the big venues for checking out Tucson’s music scene. Johny had the chance to play there, and he says that it was one of his favorite shows because it felt professional. Another favorite venue of his is The Gaslight Music Hall because they get to perform their own original music and showcase their eclectic set list – everything from the oldies, to Taylor Swift to classic rock. Johny shared that Znora has an upcoming show at The Gaslight Music Hall on October 13th.
“I always remember whenever people come tell us they like it, and they like the show and they see us going somewhere because it means a lot to us. Especially when people say, ‘Oh this is the best band I’ve seen play here’ and it might be like our first time playing there,” Johny said about memorable interactions with the audience. Johny also recalled a funny memory of a group of children who seemed to be about 8 years old taking turns break dancing in a circle during one of their shows.
Not every show will run perfectly, and for Johny, he says, “…every concert you kind of have to roll with what happens.” There was one concert where he found out his bass was broken and had to borrow one from the venue. He usually plays a four-string bass, but this bass had five strings, and Johny had to overcome the challenge and roll with it.
Johny’s schedule is busy, and he stays active with the shows he performs. Shows are usually on Fridays and Saturdays because those tend to be the busiest days for entertainment. Johny said balancing school and being in a band can,”…be a little tricky sometimes,” and to stay on top of his work he either gets as much done as he can in class or stays up late to complete assignments. He says you have to know what you’re doing, and how you’re doing it. He’s thankful not to have a busy school schedule this year, and overall, he would put education before the band. He said, “Whatever I do contribute to the band in a way is my career, but I definitely do think school is important, and I’m definitely going to at least graduate high school.” Johny and his bandmates all hope that they can make their band their main career.
To prepare for his performances, Johny explained his thought process by saying, “I make sure not to overeat, not to overdrink water. A lot of it is you got to feel the best you can for the performance, otherwise, you might be a little stiff on stage or you might not sing right, but a lot of it just comes from trying not to stress about the performances I think, because if you’re up on stage and you’re stressing too hard, that’s usually where you might like mess up on something because you’re overthinking it. Really, it’s just going into it with a clear mindset and have fun. Try your best.” This mindset has worked for Johny, and it’s something that every performer should hear, and consider for the next time they’re on stage.
Znora has been a great experience for Johny, and he’s become a better bass player, and a better singer since he does backup vocals on a lot of the songs. He’s still working and improving, but he’s happy with his progress.
You can follow the band on Instagram or Facebook to keep up with their shows, and everything they’re doing!
