The members of the band Spectrum rehearsed daily this week in a basement in Westbrook. The five high-schoolers, with two Westbrook natives, are hashing out three new songs that they hope will help them win the 2015 Maine Academy of Modern Music Slam in Portland on May 9.

But win or lose, the five-piece band of teenagers is looking at the event as a learning experience and a chance to practice their chops in front of Portland music scene veterans. Ranging in age from 14 to 17, band members have been playing as Spectrum for more than a year. Lead singer Andy Penk and drummer Michael Young are Westbrook residents who both attend Cheverus High School.

Penk, a 16-year-old sophomore, said he met Young in jazz band when he was in eighth grade at Westbrook Middle School. Last year at Cheverus, Penk said, he met the band’s eventual lead guitarist, Darren Thiboutot, and Spectrum came together.

Rounding out the band are bassist Thomas Hiscock and rhythm guitarist David Fitzpatrick. The band competed in the preliminary round on April 11, and was selected as one of 6sixbands to compete for the top prize in May. According to the Maine Academy of Modern Music website, bands are judged on a variety of factors that face real-world musicians, such as songwriting, performance, web presence, and marketing.

The competition is the premier event of the Maine Academy of Modern Music, which labels itself as an independent music school for rock and contemporary music. The organization hosts rock camps and offers individual lessons and more.

On May 9, the winning band will take home $1,000, studio time, radio appearances, a tour of the renowned Gateway Mastering in Portland, and scholarship opportunities for Maine College of Art.

The American Journal spoke with Penk this week, as the band geared up for the competition finals.

Q: With the Maine Academy of Modern Music Slam under way, you must be rehearsing quite a bit. Where does Spectrum practice? What are your rehearsals normally like?

A: We practice in my basement and occasionally in my garage if it’s nice outside. Our rehearsals normally include a lot of songwriting and playing covers.

Q: Is the MAMM Slam event the first competition Spectrum has performed in? What has the experience been like so far?

A: The MAMM Slam is the first competition that we have participated in. It has been a great experience thus far. It’s a great opportunity to be able to get up on stage and play our set for an audience, get feedback from other local musicians, and watch other teenage bands perform.

Q: What can you tell me about the upcoming finals on May 9? Do you guys have new material worked out?

A: We have a 30-minute time slot to get on the stage and set up our equipment, play our songs, and take down our equipment and get off the stage. We are really looking forward to the final round. We need to perform all original material, so we’ve been busy writing new songs.

Q: Who would you say are some of Spectrum’s biggest influences? What are you currently listening to that is affecting your songwriting?

A: Each of us is influenced by different genres of music, which I think is good for a band that does a lot of songwriting so that we have a lot of inspiration to draw from. Darren is a huge fan of blues music and Thomas is a big metal fan, so the spectrum of our musical taste is pretty extensive, no pun intended. As a group, we are probably most influenced by Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and ZZ Top. Darren, David, and I do most of the songwriting and as I said earlier, Darren draws a lot of influence from blues artists, but David and I draw a lot of influence from popular music. The songs that the two of us tend to write often turn out to be ballads, and our influences include artists such as Adele, John Legend, and Ed Sheeran.

Q: Win or lose, what will your takeaway be from the competition?

A: We have gained a lot of experience from participating in the competition. It has given us an outlet to go out and perform, which is really cool because performing is the most invaluable thing that a musician can do to get better. Also, it has given us the opportunity to receive feedback from local musicians who serve as judges for the competition. These musicians are familiar with the music scene in the Greater Portland area, and any feedback that they give us could go a long way in improving our future performances. The whole marketing piece has been educational for us too.

Q: Do you think Westbrook’s history of having strong music programs and musicians has played into your interest in music?

A: Of course. Westbrook’s music program starts in elementary school, sparking the musical interest in children at a young age. I started playing alto saxophone in fifth grade at Canal School with Mr. Rich, and he helped me grow a lot as a young musician. At Westbrook Middle School, Mrs. Smith encouraged me to learn the bassoon, and I also joined the chorus and founded the Falcon Choir under the direction of Mrs. Andrade.

Q: After the MAMM Slam, what’s next for Spectrum? Have you been playing a lot of local shows? Do you have any short-term or long-term goals for the band?

A: As of now, we are working on expanding our set list and finding gigging opportunities. We’ve played a few open mic nights at the Run of the Mill in Saco, and we are always looking for more venues to play. Win or lose MAMM Slam, we hope Spectrum gains exposure and opportunities in the Portland music scene.

Members of local band Spectrum are finalists in the 2015 Maine Academy of Modern Music Slam. From left, Michael Young, Darren Thiboutot, Andy Penk, David Fitzpatrick and Thomas Hiscock, will try for the title on May 9. Young and Penk are Westbrook residents.Courtesy photo