By Charles Nolde

I sit smiling in the band room in Collegiate’s Hershey Center for the Arts, silently observing the up-and-coming band The Twisted Vipers. As each member begins tuning their instruments, the room pulsates with the fusion of melodies and beats. Lead singer Connor Chang (‘24) warms up his vocals while electric guitarists Kelby Morgan (‘24) and Charlie Cheek (‘24) adjust their amp volume. Braden Felts (‘24) plucks his bass guitar, providing a deep undertone that vibrates the room. Amidst the laughter and disagreements, I witness the chemistry of not only a band, but a group of friends. Once ready, they begin to play. I watch Morgan’s and Cheeks’ fingers dance, expertly navigating the frets of their guitars. With his eyes closed and eyebrows furrowed, Chang sings beautifully, adding the icing to the cake.  

The cover image for the Vipers’ first album, titled RVA: Most Wanted. Photo credit: Charles Nolde.

The Twisted Vipers were formed in 2021. Along with the four Collegiate Seniors, St. Christopher’s Senior Ashton Applewhite plays drums. Applewhite, however, has a different perception of himself as a musician than the other band members. He said, “I’m not a drummer, I can just play the drums.” The fact that Applewhite goes to the rival school across town poses problems for the band. When performing at Collegiate events, Applewhite is rarely present, as he is busy at St. Chris. However, Applewhite doesn’t let this get him down. He said, “It’s not too bad, because we all play together on the weekends and have a good time.”

Bassist Felts discovered his love for music at a young age. He told me, “Music always made me feel hopeful as a kid. My parents used to play music a lot, and it really inspired me because it made me so happy.” Felts showcased his passion for music in his Senior Speech on January 8, where the band performed The White Stripes’ “Seven Nations Army.” Initially a guitarist, Felts embraced the bass when the Twisted Vipers sought a musician to fill the void. From practicing and playing with the band, he has grown to love the bass, solidifying it as his favorite instrument. Over the years, Felts has been influenced by Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.

Rock was the genre that inspired Cheek to pursue music. He said that “Every day on the way to school, my mom and my brother would listen to the 80s on 8 Channel. I quickly learned and grew to love so many classic rock and pop songs from that era, and my music listening expanded from there.” In particular, Bob Dylan’s talent and poetic lyrics had a great effect on Cheek’s love for music. 

Like Cheek, Morgan is an avid rock and roll fan, which stems from the influence of his father. He started playing electric guitar after being introduced to Eddie Van Halen and Slash in the 5th Grade. His love for hard rock is evident when you watch him perform. He is often found sneakily turning up his amp volume to be louder, and sometimes uses a quarter in place of a pic to create a more metallic and edgy tone. Morgan, for the most part, is in charge of the set lists. He and the band enjoy covering classic rock songs the most but are working on an original piece called “Modern Day Outlaw,” which Morgan is currently writing. He says one of his greatest influences is Jimmy Page, because “he plays a very unique style by sometimes using a violin bow on his strings, and also his stage presence is incredible.” 

Chang’s background in music looks a bit different from the rest of the band. His talent is displayed with his vocals and on the piano, which he began playing when he was four. He joined the Collegiate chorus in 5th Grade but did not start singing seriously until his Sophomore year. He also loves theater, with significant roles in almost every Collegiate school play since 8th Grade. Chang told me, “from being in the band, I’ve learned a lot about performing for an audience. It is especially scary, given you don’t have a character to hide behind, like in a play.” These nerves, however, have settled as he has continued to sing with the band and gain confidence in himself. Chang plans to major in math or medicine next year at the University of Virginia and is interested in theater programs and a capella groups he can participate in on the side. He said, “I hope I always have the arts as something I can look to as a fulfilling break from my academic pursuits.”

Chang’s calm demeanor and classical music background and familiarity contrasts with the kind of rock that inspired the other band members. This difference gives Chang a perspective that enhances the band’s capabilities. Morgan said, “Chang’s previous musical experience provides a better understanding of the theory of music, which helps us learn songs.” Cheek also shared his thoughts on Chang’s different backstory, and said, “When he first came into the band, I made a rock playlist for him to get familiar with rock, and now I think he likes it. It is interesting with his voice, because it is more trained for choir and classical music, but he does a great job of mixing that with classic rock songs.” 

When asked who the band leader is, they all agreed on Morgan, although he was too humble to admit this. “Kelby,” they said, “you basically started this band, and for the most part you pick all the songs.” Morgan thanked them for saying that, and proceeded to say that Chang is the most talented. Those kind words, however, seemed to catch Morgan, someone who rarely gives compliments, by surprise. He quickly said, “That’s vocals, though. It’s easy, so I’m the best.” Everyone laughed, and Chang replied sarcastically, “Yeah, bro, it wasn’t that hard when you sang ‘Feathered Indians,’” a performance where Morgan’s vocal range was pushed to its lowest limits.  

A photo that reflects the band’s communal personality. Photo credit: Charles Nolde.

These jokes sparked a conversation about how that performance was actually the most crowd-interactive. It took place at Collegiate during Feast of Juul, a traditional dinner for Senior boys right before Thanksgiving Break, where they feast and play games late into the night at school.  

Feast is one of many Collegiate-sponsored events the band has played at. Typically, every year there is some sort of band that is invited to play in some of Collegiate’s assemblies and events like Feast. These bands usually mostly consist of Seniors. In the start of the year, the Twisted Vipers told Upper School Head Patrick Loach about their band, and he enthusiastically told them he’d love for them to play at assemblies. While they have performed at a few, most of these were for their own Senior Speeches. The Twisted Vipers have found themselves gaining more popularity and traction from this increased exposure by Collegiate, which they enjoy. 

Each Twisted Viper is extremely grateful that the school promotes them, but they express even more gratitude for the school’s lending of equipment and room space. They mostly practice at the Cheek or Applewhite house, but when they need to play during school hours, they are found practicing in the band room, where they are generously fitted into the schedule.  

In the eyes of The Twisted Vipers, however, as the band continues to use Collegiate’s space and perform at school events, the relationship between them has morphed. Although tremendously grateful, they feel Collegiate has occasionally encroached on their independence. Felts stated, “We did not create ourselves because of the school, but rather because we’re all good friends who have a passion for music.” While sometimes disagreeing with the control Collegiate has tried to impose on them, they also feel micromanaged sometimes when playing at school. The band understands they must accommodate their, for lack of a better word, employer, but often feel limited with song choices, volume levels, and clothing. These struggles make The Twisted Vipers even more excited to play this spring during class of 2024 graduation events that are not school-affiliated. 

Mike Boyd, the Director of the Arts at Collegiate, shares a strong bond with the members of The Twisted Vipers. Like them, Boyd has a strong passion for music, evident in his history with the band Fighting Gravity, with whom he toured the world as a drummer for almost 20 years in the 1980s, 90s and 2000s. When discussing limitations imposed by the school, the band emphasized that Boyd is not the source of such constraints. According to Cheek, “Mr. Boyd wants us to do the stuff that we want to do because he wants us to get the full experience. He is really chill.” 

The band’s logo, designed by Holland Galloway (’24).

When Applewhite was unable to drum for the Vipers during Cheek’s Senior Speech and Feast of Juul, Boyd filled in behind the kit and demonstrated his talent. Cheek’s Senior Speech took place on October 12, and the band played “Simple Man,” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, which was the first guitar solo Cheek ever learned. While Cheek and the boys were outstanding, Boyd’s professional rockstar past came through to anyone watching him perform. In every song he plays, he hits each beat with power, injecting a contagious groove that propels the band’s sound to a whole new level. Felts described Boyd as a mentor and friend, and the whole band said something positive about his character. 

The Twisted Vipers have many fans, which mostly consist of Collegiate students. They have also captured the attention and love of some faculty members. Upper School English teacher and Match advisor Vlastik Svab, a veteran of high school band shenanigans himself, thinks the Vipers, all of whom he has taught, are awesome. “I loved their performances at Feast and in their speeches. Kelby’s shiny orange shirt at Feast made that gig extra special. I always try to support student musicians, and it’s great to see them putting it all out there in front of their peers.” 

Collegiate Senior Stella Williams (‘24) said, the Vipers have good chemistry. They all shine in different aspects of the band and are very entertaining to watch. I’m excited to hear more music from them as we move towards the end of the year.” 

Internal conflicts have been the downfall of numerous bands in the past, yet The Twisted Vipers have demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of such challenges. Members of the band have had a past of disagreements and arguments regarding setlists, but also about unrelated conflicts. When this occurs, Chang and Cheek serve as peace mediators and help find consensus. Through their intervention, conflicts are resolved, allowing the band members to set aside their differences and reunite in pursuit of their shared passion for music.

The Twisted Vipers plan to go their separate ways next year for college, but look forward to reuniting when everyone comes back to town. They are excited for performances this spring such as post-grad parties, so stay posted for their next gig, and don’t forget…

Don’t Get It Twisted!