If you’ve recently been curious as to who exactly Groovouq (pronounced groove-oh) is, look no further for your complete guide to one of Mamaroneck High School’s favorite bands. I was given the privilege of having an in-depth interview with its current members: Daniel Baigel ‘13, Bob Phillips ‘13, Teddy Bellis ‘13, Noah Goodman ‘13, Wes Troeger ‘13 and Alex Lederman ’12.

When asked why “Groovouq?” Phillips grinned and responded, “Well, we’re all just pretty crazy guys who like to groove a lot.” Regarding the official formation of the band, which was estimated to be in May of 2010, member Goodman explains, “We’d all been playing together since middle school. We really became Groovouq after organizing with Lederman to play at the Walkathon and the Kids For World Health talent show during what was freshman year for most of us.” The band members play a variety of instruments, with Bellis on tenor sax and vocals, Baigel on the alto sax, Phillips on lead guitar, Lederman on drums, Troeger on bass and Goodman on rhythm guitar and vocals. Will Sach ‘15 fills in for Troeger when he is unable to attend the events.

Groovouq has played in numerous events. Many, but not all, have been sponsored by MHS. Before they were officially Groovouq, they played at Jones Beach in 2009. In both 2010 and 2011, they’ve made appearances in the Kids For World Health talent show, the MHS Walkathon and Jam For Sudan. They’ve also recently played at the MHS Club Fair and the Larchmont Arts Festival, which was Baigel’s personal favorite performance. As far as the future goes, you will find them featured in upcoming school events, especially if Student Council organizes them. Goodman expresses a strong desire to perform at Larchmont Avenue Church and possibly at Flint Park.

If you’re looking to buy some of Groovouq’s music, don’t bother visiting iTunes! They have various CD’s of live performances. You can also find them easily on YouTube or listen to and download some of their most popular songs through their Facebook page. As far as their music goes, Baigel says, “We do a lot of covers, but we will probably start playing and making some originals in time.” Their music doesn’t quite fit under a single genre, and they claim to be influenced by various artists, their main one being Dave Matthews.

You can look for upcoming Groovouq events, or contact the band to schedule future events by liking their Facebook page. For now, expect to see them jamming out at nearly any MHS event. Groovouq embodies a genuine fascination with all things musical, and it is displayed in their incredibly diverse performances. They are definitely a band worth checking out!