Starting Cherry Tomato during my junior year is probably my favorite thing that I did during my time in college. I had played in a band in high school, but we broke up once we all went to college. I didn't know if I would be able to form another band again because I wasn't sure how to make connections with other musicians. However, I eventually convinced my friends Vivian and Liv to start a band with me again. Our first gig was at the UW Ethnic Cultural Center for the Rainy Dawg Radio Battle of the Bands. We played a very short set, only three songs. I was super nervous the whole time. However, once it was over I felt so proud of myself for playing my music on stage. After that first show, we played about three shows a month consistently (up until the coronavirus pandemic happened, at least). Our sets ranged from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on what was asked of us. Playing so many live shows made helped me to gain confidence and to push myself out of my comfort zone. I learned skills such as networking, public speaking, and how to plan and organize events. I also improved my bass playing. However, my favorite part of being in a band is getting to interact and become friends with so many new people. Every time we play a show, I get to meet two or three other bands and talk about music with them, something I am so passionate about. I ended up making so many friends this way, and I still regularly speak with many of them. Currently, our band is working on putting out an EP, titled "Don't Eat That." We have worked very hard on it and I am stoked for it to finally be released (hopefully sometime in the next couple months)!