Berkley High School offers a variety of music performance classes from beginner to advanced levels. However, some students have decided to take their love of music out of the classroom. A group of seniors at Berkley has created their own band. They call themselves “Quarrel Reef.” Lead vocalist Fionna Demsey, bassist Henrik Campbell, guitarist Alex Edwards, and drummer Peter Wardrope practice once a week in Edwards’s basement. There, they rehearse covers of their favorite songs, as well as work on original songs. They plan to perform their songs at outdoor concerts and other pop-up gigs. Most of their original songs originate from jam sessions. They find a riff that sounds good, and then they come up with a bass and drum part to go along with it. Then, Dempsey writes lyrics to match the song’s feel. Finally, they record the song so they can practice it individually.
“I think the first time I ever said to [Campbell] ‘We should start a band together’ was in early 2024,” said Edwards. Edwards has been playing electric guitar for two years. He created this band with his friends because he wanted to find a way to play music more. “I was into guitar music super heavy at that point and was like, ‘That’d be cool’,” he stated. Music is a very important part of Edwards’ life. He listens to music every day, and he loves to perform it as well. Edwards is a member of the Berkley High School Marching Band, where he is the trombone section leader. He says his passion for music has helped him grow with the band.
“I’ve always wanted to be in a band,” said Dempsey. Although she had little experience with singing, Dempsey became the lead vocalist for the band. She enjoyed doing karaoke and found singing fun, so when Edwards asked her if she would sing for his band, she agreed. She was prepared to help with plenty of name ideas for the band. “I had a Google doc full of name ideas, and I sent a few to the group, and they liked Quarrel Reef.” Since joining the band, she has performed well-known songs on stage, such as “Basket Case” by Green Day, “Pavement” by Pavement, and “Creep” by Radiohead. Joining the band has taught her about what making music means to her.
Campbell has been playing the bass guitar for three years. He fell in love with the bass lines of Nirvana and Krist Novoselic. He has also been the bassist for both the Berkley High School Marching Band and Jazz Bands. “I’ve had an interest in making music or joining a band since I was 12,” said Campbell. He and Edwards founded the band in April of 2024 with the hopes that they could make music with their peers. He likes to perform with the band, and he enjoys writing original songs with them. His favorite song to play on bass is “Ride the Lightning” by Metallica because of its interesting bass part.
“Up until the beginning of sophomore year, I never listened to music,” said Wardrope, “I guess I never really saw the point.” In sophomore year, though, Wardrope joined the drum line for the marching band, where he started to realize he loved music more. “Now, my greatest tragedy is when a teacher tells me I can’t listen to music in class,” he said. Wardrope has been drumming for three years. He was previously in two other bands, but neither worked out. When Edwards reached out to him, he was eager to join a band again. Edwards had asked Wardrope if he would do vocals for the band, but after their drummer dropped out of the band, Wardrope was ready to fill that role. He enjoys playing songs by Green Day, but his favorite to play is “You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Ukulele” by Chris Christodoulou.
The band loves to play their music for whoever will listen. Their music has brought them closer together, too. Music has had a powerful impact on all of their lives, and the band has taught them about how to use their music to help others. In May of 2025, Quarrel Reef performed their first live show at a charity concert in Royal Oak. “It meant a lot to be able to play music with people while also helping out a good cause,” said Edwards. Their music was very well received, and many guests at the concert commented on how much they loved the band.
