One Last Jam: Christendom Seniors Record Final Tracks at Money Pit Studio

Late Sunday evening at Money Pit Recording Studio in downtown Front Royal, the warm glow of analog gear, the strum of guitars, and the hum of memories filled the air as five college students gathered for what may be their final jam together.

Left – Steve Jenkins, Money Pit Intern, Band members: Andre Morales, John Hill, Kenton Wassum, James Sullivan, Francis Gulide, and Steve Bailey, Money Pit Intern, and upfront Money Pit owner Bob Wilson.

The band, aptly named In Progress, was formed at Christendom College and has performed on campus and at local events throughout the past two years. With graduation fast approaching for most of the members, they decided to capture their music and their friendship in a lasting way.

“This will be something they’ll remember for the rest of their lives,” said Bob Wilson, studio owner and longtime supporter of local music. “They contacted me a few weeks ago with the idea, and I knew right away it was something special.”

The session was more than just a night of recording. It was a culmination of impromptu rehearsals, campus shows, and countless late-night practices — a farewell to an era before these friends go their separate ways.

“The band just kind of started because of Andre,” said John Hill, a senior from the Woodlands, Texas, and the group’s unofficial frontman. “He reached out to a few of us to perform for a campus talent show. We played together, and something just clicked.”

That first act was a success. Soon after, more gigs followed, including halftime shows and campus events, as well as a growing number of original songs.

“People started asking, ‘What’s your band called?’” Hill recalled with a laugh. “We kind of jokingly said ‘In Progress’, and it stuck.”

Hill plays rhythm guitar and sings, often leading the group’s original songwriting efforts. “I’ve unlocked this whole creative side of my brain,” he said. “It’s helped me write better for everything — even my senior thesis.”

Joining him in the studio were Ande Morales (bass), Kenton Wassum (lead guitar), James Sullivan (drums), and Francis Gulide (piano).

“I started out on guitar, but now I play bass,” said Morales, a senior from Woodbridge, Virginia. “I think we’re all kind of cogs — we just fit together.”

“I auditioned last spring,” said Wassum, the band’s newest member from Alexandria, Kentucky. “I didn’t really know these guys at all. I showed up, played the solo from Stairway to Heaven, and somehow it worked out.”

Drummer James Sullivan, a junior from Pittsburgh, had connected with Morales years earlier through Christendom’s summer program. Their first performance together? Tom Petty’s Learning to Fly.

“I told him, when I come to Christendom, we’ve got to start a band,” Sullivan said. “And here we are.”

Francis Gulide, a junior from Dayton, Ohio, rounded out the lineup on piano.

“I just hopped on the bandwagon,” Gulide said, grinning. “I saw them perform and thought, I want in.”

Though juniors, both Sullivan and Gulide are heading to Rome next semester as part of Christendom’s study abroad program, adding even more significance to this recording session.

As the band took turns sharing their post-graduation plans, from grad school and the military to law school and teaching, a common thread emerged: uncertainty, hope, and a shared gratitude for their time at Christendom.

“Christendom helped expose me to a lot of different ideas,” said Wassum, who plans to join the U.S. Coast Guard. “It’s taught me to communicate and to think critically, and I know that’ll help wherever I go.”

Wilson, who has guided many musicians through their first recording sessions, encouraged the group to focus less on perfection and more on capturing the real energy of their sound. His approach set a relaxed tone in the studio, one focused on preserving the moment rather than polishing it.

Hill agreed, explaining that the goal wasn’t about chasing flawlessness but about preserving memories. The band had eight original songs they’d performed together over the years, and this night was about getting them down on record, something tangible they could hold onto and look back on with pride one day.

As the night wore on and the red light blinked on the reel-to-reel, the studio filled with chords, laughter, and a kind of quiet magic, marking one last session to signify the end of something in progress and the beginning of something new.

“It’s a pipe dream come true,” Hill said. “This was just an idea I had over the summer, and now we’re here. I just want to thank Bob for making it happen.”

Wilson smiled, aware of the moment’s significance. Recording isn’t just about the music; it’s about capturing a snapshot in time. One day, he knew, each of these musicians would listen back and be transported, remembering not just the songs, but the friends beside them, the feeling in the room, and the chapter of life they were closing together. That’s the real power of recording.

Click here for more information about the Money Pit Recording Studio.