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Could the next hit country band be a group of Saint John Neumann (SJN) students? Current senior Brayden Reites, and alumni Mike Joyce and Colton Pointz, have astounding musical talent. The name of their band: The Back Country Boys.

Out of the kindness of their hearts, they performed at Saint John Neumann High School for free! Their hour-long performance was a huge aid in attracting potential donors’ attention to the two fundraisers being held for Beverly’s Angels and the Community Pregnancy Clinics.

The band’s lead singer and guitarist, Mike Joyce, graduated from SJN in 2021 and discovered Brayden Reites’s talent as a drummer during his time at high school. Neither Reites nor Joyce had met Colton Pointz, a 2018 graduate, at this point. Pointz, the keyboardist, planned to be an intern at Arthrex before the COVID-19 shutdown. With the COVID restrictions in place, he was unable to work, so he used his instrumental talent to play at restaurants and bars. Pointz asked to play at The Pub in Ave Maria, and the owner was Joyce’s father! His father recognized Pointz’s skill and suggested he meet his son, who was bussing for The Pub at the time, but Joyce declined the offer and continued to work. After a few weeks, Pointz and Joyce got in touch and started practicing together, then Joyce introduced Reites, the drummer, to the group. Following their multitude of practices, they performed in a legitimate concert for the Eli Young Band in April of 2022.

As for their experience with instruments, Joyce always had a knack for singing, and after a few singing lessons, he continued his self-taught education and practices, intending to become a lead singer for a band. Reites received his music education from his father, who was also a drummer, and says he was “Put in front of a drum set from the time he came out of the womb.” As a child, he watched his dad perform from backstage and found his inspiration and love for drumming, as well as the guitar! Pointz received his innovation through his 4th-grade music teacher, who introduced him to the trumpet. In the 6th-grade, he started playing the piano, from being in a jazz band, and soon learned the saxophone too! His playing style was heavily influenced by Louis Armstrong and Ray Charles, depending on the instrument. In 2020, he picked up the guitar too and started writing original songs.

However, with how long they have been together, they have experienced some hardships. From extended road trips to practices, frustrations with each other can arise, but arguments can easily be avoided by “Being more upfront with each other. If you don’t communicate with each other, the negative feelings fester over time and eventually explode into a huge argument,” says Pointz, a helpful piece of advice to aid communication in situations that can be irritating.

Thank you to the wonderful artists in the making, for your generosity, time, and charity to Saint John Neumann and the fundraisers held.