ViewPoint: Woodbury Teen Rock Band

Woodbury’s teen band will rock your world.

By: Misa Chappell | From the issue: February 2013

Photo: emily j davis

Clockwise: Kyle Christianson, drums; Jonathan Veracka, guitar; Nathan Richter, bass; Trevor Wolfe, lead guitar.

If you haven’t yet heard of ViewPoint, you will soon. Woodbury’s teen rock band is on fire and determined to get their music out to the world. Musicians Kyle Christianson and Nathan Richter (Woodbury High School) and Jonathan Veracka and Trevor Wolfe (Math and Science Academy) are in it for the long haul—playing music is their career of choice.

Christianson and Veracka first met while taking music lessons at Music Go Round. The two hit it off and decided to start a two-person band with Christianson on drums and Veracka on guitar. After jamming for six months, they decided to expand and brought in Veracka’s classmate, Wolfe, on lead guitar and backup vocals. ViewPoint’s final incarnation was complete with the addition of Richter on bass.

The band is hesitant to brand their music with any one particular style. “It’s not necessarily punk,” says Christianson, “but we do draw from the heavy side of spectrum.” Richter prefers the term “alternative” to describe their sound, and according to Wolfe, “we bring in anything we can that we have an interest in.” Their musical tastes are eclectic and include Green Day, Sum-41, Linkin Park, Mayday Parade and Rush. Wolfe finds inspiration in classic punk bands such as The Clash, Sex Pistols, Dead Kennedys and Black Flag. He notes that “we pull all these influences together so we’re not too scattered—it’s not like we go from rock to opera from one song to another.”

As for the band’s name, Veracka says, “I sat in my room and thought about it for three hours. I considered what kinds of things influenced people around the world when they all have their own point of view.” Wolfe adds that the name “reflects our musical viewpoint and our point of view on life.

The band’s songwriting process is a collaborative one. One member might introduce a guitar lick or bass riff, or it could start with a rhythm from Christianson. They each add musical parts until the song is complete. Veracka adds lyrics after the music is in place. ViewPoint rehearses together every Saturday for at least four hours, but often stretching the sessions into eight hours. Wolfe says, “If we didn’t have school we’d be at home playing all day.”