Bandos takes place at fictional Central Pacific University (CPU), which I set in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The school is a good sized Liberal Arts school with a very strong Music Department that recruits top talent from the West Coast.
Bandboyz (and girlz)
Ethan Perry is a semi-local, having grown up not far from the University. He's tall and thin, with dark hair that he keep cut short and vibrant green eyes. He's a brilliant pianist, and he double majors in Piano performance and Music Education. He plays percussion for the Bands because he enjoys it.
He's very outgoing, easy to get along with, and prefers to get out of sticky situations with a joke or some kind of witty remark, which isn't to say he's not serious. He can drive himself to exhaustion without realizing it when he sets himself to a task. He often forgets to eat when he gets on a roll and will practice for hours at a time, completely losing track of the world around him.
Ethan doesn't hide his sexual preferences, but niether does he go around adversiting. He's comfortable with who he is and doesn't much care what other people think, but at the same time, he values his friendships and doesn't want to lose them. Ethan is very much a people person, likes to be surrounded by people, while not necessarily being at the center of attention.
Paul Miller is from Northern California, and he decided to attend CPU both for it's wonderful music program, and it's strong English department. It helped that his best friend, Lara, also decided to attend CPU. Paul is thin and wiry, lean from running and several inches shorter than Ethan. His blonde hair is kept short and he wears glasses over blue eyes.
Paul plays the trumpet as his primary instrument, but he also plays the piano proficiently, and he can play anything with enough time to figure out the fingerings. He gets himself roped into the percussion section in one of the bands, and has problems with the tympani. He gets embarrassed easily and struggles with that at the same time he tries to get the drums to do what he wants.
Paul is very quiet and introverted; he would rather spend time with a few close friends rather than going to a party or noisy restaurant or bar. He will go out with his friends, but usually doesn't have a good a time as the others because he's uncomfortable. He's shy and it takes him a while to open up, but once he does, he's a good a friend as anyone could want. That shyness has extended into his understanding of himself; Paul is really unsure of himself sexually, and he struggles with his identity for quite some time.
Lara Flanagan has been best friends with Paul since they were very young. She's the more outgoing of the two, and its mostly because of her that Paul has any other friends at all. Lara is fairly tall, with a beautiful figure that she shows off with light flirty skirts and dresses, but she really only wears them for herself. She has creamy pale skin and curly red hair that reflects her Irish heritage hanging down to her shoulders.
Lara majors in Music Education; she knew very early on that she wanted to be a music teacher. She plays the clarinet, and will eventually become the Band Queen, the student leader of the band and the Director's right hand gal. She is a natural leader, observant, and able to balance many things at once.
As a natural leader, Lara is outgoing and strong willed. She listens to other people's ideas and suggestions, but isn't always willing to entertain them. She makes friends and "falls in love" easily, and usually remains on good terms with those she has fallen out with. Most people admit to liking her, even when she can be the raging bitch her job as the Band Queen sometimes requires.
Ralph Greene, is from Alaska. He's short and stocky, with dark curly hair that generally gets left to grow out into a floppy mop. His dark eyes often sparkle with mischief, even if there's no apparent cause for it.
Ralph plays the bassoon and majors in Japanese Studies. He goes abroad to Tokyo his Junior year and doesn't return, choosing to stay and teach English.
Ralph is quiet until he lets people get to know him, and then he's roudy and loves to have a good time. He's a good student, but he lets himself get distracted easily, so he has a hard time getting his work done in a timely manner.
Aimee Smith is the only non-bando in the group. She's a Townie, and moved onto campus to escape her rather large family. She's plain, tallish and thin, with straight brown hair than hangs to just above her shoulders.
Aimee majors in Biology, with a minor in Chemistry, and plans on attending medical school after CPU.
Aimee sometimes feels left out, being the only person in the little group that's not in band. But she goes to all the concerts and becomes soemthing of a roadie. Everyone loves her, and though she's quiet at first, she's always watching what's happening around her, even if she seems blissfully ignorant.