Music is a major part of many young people’s lives, and that’s no different for Ryan Rouse, a senior at Central who started playing guitar after going to many concerts throughout 2022. Rouse enjoyed playing music on his own but wanted to work with someone else and potentially form a band. He reached out to AJ Schinco, a Millard North student who was making music on his own, so he could learn more about making music. “That same day we first met, we ended up making a song and decided to keep making music together,” Rouse said.  

From there, the two of them became The Burgundy Boys. There are now four people in the band: Rouse on lead guitar, Schinco on vocals and rhythm guitar, Jimmy Reay (Central senior) on bass guitar, and Elliot Schutt (Central sophomore) on drums.  

Rouse enjoys making and playing music with his friends. “Being able to just play through songs live with the others makes me happy,” Rouse said.  

The band was originally going to play at a Central International Baccalaureate (IB) event, but it fell through. Rouse and Schinco have only played at one open mic, but the band has a gig coming up on Dec. 30 at Maloney’s Pub in Council Bluffs. They will also be playing on Jan. 20 at Hardy Coffee Co. in Benson.  

With school and work, it makes it difficult for the high school band to collaborate and play events often. Even though they are not constantly playing together, the group is close-knit and works well with each other.  

You can find the band on all streaming platforms under the name “The Burgundy Boys.” “Our first gig will be a release show for his [Schinco’s] new 16-track album that came out after three years,” Rouse said.