The Show’d Up Band’s music has echoed throughout St. Thomas on Thursdays at noon for around 15 years.

The band is made up of seven St. Thomas faculty and staff members. Swim and Dive Coach Tom Hodgson has been a Show’d Up Band member since its beginning and said music and friendship are his favorite parts of the band.

“The best part is the music. It provides a nice break in the week— but it’s just a chance to see friends.” Hodgson said. “We’ve become very, very good friends, as you can imagine, through the music and playing together and seeing each other on a regular basis.”

Junior Monet Starks said hearing the band’s music from the Anderson Student Center’s second floor is relaxing.

“Normally I’m in here studying … so it’s kind of a nice mental break. I feel like it’s kind of a mind stimulator,” Starks said. “It kind of helps me take a break to be less stressed.”

Starks said the band’s chemistry brightens the student center’s atmosphere.

“It’s more upbeat, and you can see when they’re practicing that they are very cheery,” Starks said. “They’re laughing a lot; they’re talking. It’s positive vibes.”

The band also plays at other venues, but Hodgson said the weekly Thursday performance offers the best time to create community.

“These are people who have kind of come from all over the university and share something in common,” Hodgson said. “It gets us out of our silos and promotes community, which is vitally important to any human being.”

Alison Bengtson can be reached at beng4632@stthomas.edu.