Up close with EU Student Chaplain Ben Smither and his band, Stereos

There is definitely a need to pump up the volume, as the rock band Stereos mixes a diverse variety of Christian messages with powerful rock.

The band consists of Ben Smither, a sophomore and student chaplain at Eastern, as well as Kina, Bryn and Ryan Graybill, and Scott Leonard. With the exception of Bryn, who is a senior in high school, the rest of the band members either work or attend college.

Smither plays the keyboard, while Bryn takes care of the guitar role. Smither and Bryn share lead vocals. Kina also helps with the vocals. Ryan and Leonard play the drums and bass, respectively.

Stereos started roughly four years ago according to Smither. All of the members of the band attend Praise Christian Fellowship Church in Reading, Pennsylvania.

“Four years ago we came together to record a song for a contest in Breakaway magazine, and since then, we have been together,” Smither said.

When asked about the style of music Stereo features, Smither laughed and said that was a tough question to answer. Smither said that the band is rock-oriented, driven by both the guitar and the keyboard. The band also tries to have a wide range of diversity, while still maintaining a Christian flow in their music.

Since the group has come together, it has put out one album, entitled When it All Comes Down, which was released on January 13, 2006. Recently, the band has just finished recording a new song, “Never Fall.” This past summer, the band played ten shows. The highlight of the summer, according to Smither, was when the band traveled to Phoenix, Ariz. to perform at a church conference.

“We got to play for both a youth conference and an adult conference, as well as stay at a four star hotel, so it was awesome,” Smither said.

Now that the band members are back at school and work, they average about two shows each month. These include playing at churches, as well as youth events and different concerts around the area.

The band’s name, which Smither specifically added does not have The in front of it, comes from the Greek word meaning steadfast. Smither added that finding a name for the band was an interesting process.

“[Coming up with the name] was a long process of picking random names and asking our pastor for the Greek meaning of words,” Smither said.

Looking toward the future, Smither is optimistic and excited about what is in store.

“Wherever God will take us, that is fine with me. I would just like to continue maintaining a rhythm of shows, and we will see what happens,” Smither concluded.

For more information about Stereos, you can visit their website at www.stereosmusic.net, as well as their myspace at myspace.com/stereosmusic. If you are interested in having Stereos play at your concert, church, or youth event, send them an email at Booking@stereos.net.

Also, be on the look out for the band in the month of November, as they will be performing at an Eastern coffee house.