Coda, a student rock band at Deerfield, was founded by Joshua Fang ’19 and Andy Han ’19.
Q: Why did you choose “Coda” as the name for the group?
Andy Han ’19: “Coda” is a musical term — it’s a passage that brings a piece to an end. We chose it because it’s short, it’s catchy, and it has meaning to us! It also ends in “DA.”
Q: How do you decide which songs to play?
Joshua Fang ’19: Typically, someone in our group will suggest a song, and Andy and I will take a look at it and see if it’s feasible with our instrumentation. Often we will have several songs on the docket for an upcoming performance, and the band will discuss what song will be best for what occasion.
Q: How do you make instrumental adaptations of existing music?
Fang: Andy and I will first look online to see if there are existing scores that we can adapt. Eventually, I will arrange the piece with Andy in the studio. Andy will normally lay out the big picture arrangement: the verses, the choruses, any solos, and I’ll brush up all the small details like horn fills, little rhythm section hits, etc.
Q: How has your music evolved since you first started playing together?
Han: We’ve all just become much more in sync. I remember the first piece we learned, “I Will Survive,” we rehearsed multiple times a week for multiple weeks straight before it was ready. This fall, we pulled together a completely new piece, “September,” in only a week!
Q: What plans do you have for the future?
Fang: Next year will be big for Coda. We’re hoping to host some special concerts or jam sessions to bring Deerfield’s musical community closer together. We want to offer more chances to perform besides the two KFCs every year. After Andy and I graduate, we’re hoping to pass the band on to another pair of leaders that can arrange the music and keep its spirit alive. We’re proud of what we’ve done so far to help the music community here thrive and we can’t wait to continue in the future.