Freshmen bond through a love of music

Freshmen Zach Chesser and Brayden Evans have been close ever since they were in the same second-grade class, and have enjoyed making many memories together since elementary school.

According to Evans, being close in proximity has allowed the pair to be close friends.

“We can see each other since we live close together,” Evans said. “So we spend a lot of time with each other.”

Chesser explains that both boys also bonded over a similar love of music and sports.

“We both enjoy music and basketball,” Chesser said. “We both play guitar and are in the band. I play trombone and [Evans] plays the saxophone.”

Between living close to each other and enjoying music together, Chesser and Evans’ families have become closer and enjoyed activities like concerts together.

“Our moms are pretty close,” Evans said. “We do a lot of stuff with them sometimes, like go to concerts. We went to the Imagine Dragons concert a few years ago. [It was] good, it was the first time we did that.”

Evans considers the pair’s dynamic to be fairly normal and believes he would be less social without Chesser.

“We’re the really stereotypical, close friends,” Evans said. “I probably wouldn’t have seen friends as much [without Chesser], because he’s the friend I see the most.”

Evans believes that the COVID-19 pandemic was the hardest time in the boys’ friendship due to being isolated, but still feels as though they were able to remain close.

“Well, during COVID-19, we didn’t see each other for a couple of months,” Evans said. “[Chesser] changed, like his voice dropped and everything, but [our friendship] wasn’t affected that much.”

According to Chesser, Evans has been a good, reliable friend through the years.

“[A friend is] somebody who’s there for you,” Chesser said. “I would want [Evans] to know that I’m thankful for him.”