Within the diverse, almost 2,000 student population of Franklin High School, many talented musicians can be found. While you may not always be able to tell, in our midst are individuals living double lives: students by day and seasoned musicians and band members by night. During high school, young people are figuring out what they want to do with their lives and who they want to be. For some, the world of music is what sparks their fancy. People can explore these interests through school sanctioned activities, like the school band, choir, and other music programs, but in some cases, they’ll take the initiative outside of school and create something even bigger. Let’s look at a couple of bands that can be found in the Franklin community.
The 205’s are a garage rock band who have been in the making for years. It started as just an idea but quickly evolved into the real deal. The bassist of the 205’s, Ruby Rippetoe-Crawford, recalls the day before their seventh grade year that she and her friend, Frankie Silverstein, decided they were going to start a band. “It was mostly a concept at the time, and neither of us played guitar, but we decided to start learning,” they recall.
After that, Rippetoe-Crawford and Silverstein asked Astrid Robin to join, and she became their drummer. The 205’s were taking shape. Soon, they were on the lookout for another guitarist to add to the group to live out their dream of having a four-person band. This is when they found Parker Cicilian, a guitarist who was the perfect addition. Unfortunately, Silverstein could not continue with the 205’s, but the remaining three practiced, wrote music together, and have even had some shows. They’ve played a handful of shows, including one at local bar Turn! Turn! Turn! Their setlist includes both covers and singles. They play music inspired by bands like The Beatles, The Velvet Underground, and women’s rock bands from various eras. Recently, they have also added back a fourth member, Sylvia Glazier, on the keys.
The group is very dedicated to their craft, and it’s evident whenever they play just how much they love what they do. The 205’s, having performed at local events and venues, are looking to get out there and play more, maybe adding some new original songs to the list. “Long term, we want to record and release music, and in our biggest dreams, our music would reach a large audience, and we would get to go on tours,” they say. “Basically we’d love to be famous.” And even though it’s said in a facetious manner, this aspiration seems entirely possible
Another band whose members are scattered about the Franklin campus is Dust Bunny, an indie soft rock group comprised of three of our very own community members. For Dust Bunny, it all began about a year ago on the floor of Mara Babasin’s bedroom, where she and her soon-to-be bandmate, Norah Dixon, created their debut single, “La Lune,” a sweet and soft acoustic love song. Dixon was the brain behind the lyrics to “La Lune,” and she had enlisted Babasin to help put melody to the words. “Oh yeah, this is fun, I can make a melody for this,” Babasin remembers thinking. So she did. After that, with the help of a MacBook and many, many hours of working on it, the song was ready to be released. It’s now streamable on popular listening platforms, like Spotify and Apple Music. Along the way, they gained a new member: talented drummer Amelia Koss, and then the band was complete. Dust Bunny has moved further into the public eye as they have begun playing shows, performing locally in backyards or basements where they play for friends, family, and neighbors. The members of Dust Bunny are quite the trio of musicians, and they come together, each bringing such a passion and love for their craft.
Mara Babasin, guitarist and lead singer of Dust Bunny, has been surrounded by music practically her whole life. “I have been playing guitar and singing with my dad since I was very young. He was the one who really got me into music, and most of what I learned is from him,” she recalls. As she has grown up, Babasin has continued on with her music journey. “I love to play alone in my room and either learn songs that I love or just mess around and make up little melodies. Music is probably my biggest form of expression,” she says.
Amelia Koss is Dust Bunny’s resident drummer. Just like Babasin, she too has been dabbling in music since she was little. After an unsuccessful attempt at learning the piano, she found that her interest lay more in the drumset than the keys. “…I’ve been playing [the drums] ever since,” Koss says. Music is also an important aspect of Koss’s world outside of her bands. Whether listening, playing, writing music, or learning a new instrument, Koss says she couldn’t imagine a life without it.
Norah Dixon has also been making music for years. Like her counterparts, Norah is passionate about music and spends much of their time both listening to, writing, and playing music. “I play my guitar during a lot of my free time,” she says. “Playing guitar and writing music has been an important and special outlet for me.”
These three have been friends for years, and they now spend time playing and writing music together when there’s time in their busy schedules. “[Babasin] has rehearsal after school, and I have to go to [soccer] practice,” mentions Koss. “… In [the] winter when that stuff’s over, we’ll probably practice every week or every other week,” she adds.
Moving forward, Dust Bunny plans to release more music, and they tell everyone to stay tuned. “Right now, we want to actually record and put music out,” says Babasin. These three high school seniors are on their way out next year and say that the fate of Dust Bunny is yet to be decided. But no matter what, they all agree that the band will always hold a special place in their hearts. Separately or together, these talented musicians will do great things. Music is in their blood, and there is no doubt that it will take them far.
If you are interested in keeping up with either of these bands, you can find them on Instagram @_dust.bunny_ and @the.205s!
