The winner of this year’s Battle of the Bands competition was a group called Wishful Thinking, that had only been together for two weeks.

Led by senior Gabi Montes de Oca singing, the group played their way to victory. Other band members include Dominic Maier, Trevor Hobbs, William Chase and Jacob Velasquez.

Montes de Oca is no stranger to the spotlight. Just the week before, she had been participating in the AHS production of The Music Man as the female lead, Marian. While the stage may not be new to her, the group she was working with was.

“I didn’t really expect us to win, so it was not only a shock, but it felt like a good accomplishment to have people vote for you,” Montes de Oca said.

Other competitors in this years competition included AfterDawn and Steve Aderton performing under his stage name, Voxel.

Aderton produces Electronic music using a combination of computers and synthesizers.

“I produce electronic music because it is something that allows me to be both expressive and creative at the same time,” Aderton said.

While each person has a different process and a different style, all kinds of performers are welcome at Battle of the Bands. The competition provides an opportunity for each person to showcase their talents.

“Many students at Annandale have talents that others- their friends, their classmates- don’t know about,” Aderton said. “Battle of the Bands is an excellent experience to both showcase their talents and have a good time. Really, when it comes down to it, it’s just a bunch of musicians congregating and having fun.”