College isn’t easy. It hasn’t been for me, anyways. But there is one thing that has kept me sane through it all. Music, or playing drums in particular, has always been a release for me, but never have I felt its full anxiety relief as I have in college. Moving out of my parents, a home where drums were allowed at all times day or night was difficult. Going from playing every day at any time to nothing at all took its toll on me. Within six months of being in Wichita Falls I started seeking out people to jam with. Through the next six months and multiple jam sessions with different people, I met who would be the guitarist of Matter Of Time.

When writing styles click, it’s exciting to say the least. We immediately found the only local storage facility that would allow us to jam and got to work. Our first day in the unit we pushed out our first song, appropriately named Unit 100 at the time, and later used for track two on the EP. Finally after finding a second guitarist to add to the now established “band,” we started full steam ahead.

Writing songs with a band is similar to a chef creating a new recipe. The mixture of herbs and spices or band members and what they bring to the table, create something completely unique, and hopefully satisfying. Through creating the recipe, herbs are replaced with different ones, until no bitter aftertaste is left. Recipes can takes a while to get right, just like our case, it was only a…Matter Of Time.

For a year we wrote, played our first shows, and recorded our first EP, a seven track early 2000’s alternative influenced record. Multiple demos and home recordings later, we finally took our material to the studio and tracked.

I would recommend playing music to anyone, but college students for sure. Starting a band in college was the best decision I’ve ever made. It forced me to get out into my community, meet new people from new places, and create something unique. It taught me dedication to create and how satisfying presenting your finished work is.

We released our EP ‘An Honest Shot In The Dark’ on April 11. The feeling of finally getting to show people the finished project, after so many ups and downs, is indescribable.

Even if it isn’t doesn’t contain a Top 40 hit, it’s just our first EP. The satisfaction is undeniable. Creating this record with my friends has kept me sane.

It’s been a release, a learning experience that I’ll never forget, and one that I’d recommend to anyone.

Cooper Miller is a junior in mass communication.