In August 2025, two first-years climbed through a window on the third floor of the Sigma Chi fraternity house to sit on a rooftop, fantasizing about a future in a band. A year later, in September, this future band played four gigs in the span of seven days.
Third Floor Window began with Nicolas Echlov, lead guitarist and third-year College student, aspiring to form a student band, which he said had long been a personal goal. On that fateful rooftop, he turned to Anna Kain-Kuzniewski, lead singer and third-year Engineering student, to join him on stage. Echlov and Kain-Kuzniewski are now joined by Connor Koh, lead drummer and fourth-year College student, and Hannah Haywood, lead bassist and third-year College student.
Playing a mixture of rock, alternative and modern music, the group stands out through their one-to-one male to female ratio — which they said is rare among University bands — distinct deep-cut song choices and musical fluidity, with improvised tunes and multi-instrument performers.
All four members grew up harboring passions for music in various forms, with two members coming from a jazz background. Eklov said his high-school jazz band experience manifests today through his blues-influenced guitar solos, while Koh said his trumpet skills allowed him to bring the loose, improvisational atmosphere of jazz to his drum sets.
Haywood’s previous musicality looks slightly different. Haywood said she grew up playing symphonies with her classical training in violin, and it was not until she was asked to join Third Floor Window that she taught herself to play bass. Kain-Kuzniewski said she grew up on multiple instruments — playing piano at age five and guitar at 13 — and even joined a band in high school. Kain-Kuzniewski takes on a unique role not only within Third Floor Window but within the student band scene as a whole, performing as both a singer and guitarist.
“It's very rare to have a guitar player that also sings and does it the whole show,” Koh said. “Even though we're a group of four, we're still able to have that same sound as other bands because she does both.”
Originally playing as Sigma Chi’s house band, Third Floor Window has transformed their lineup of venues over the past year. The group began securing additional gigs outside their initial fraternity through mutual friends and connections, later playing for fraternities such as Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and Theta Chi fraternity before expanding to Charlottesville bars like Ellie’s Country Club and Coupe De’ Villes.
“I think once you get the ball rolling, it's so much easier to get your name out there and get offers from places you haven't played before,” Kain-Kuzniewski said.
The band hopes to offer diverse set lists that go beyond classic, fan-favorite fraternity band tunes — some of which, like Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” they still do play — as a way to honor their own musical taste. Koh said that avoiding repetitive tracks is one key to forming a memorable identity.
“A lot of the college bands play similar songs,” Koh said. “We try to think outside the box in terms of song choice to differentiate ourselves a little bit, so when we play gigs somewhere, [it’s] like, ‘Oh wow, I've never actually heard somebody play this live.’”
As the crew has amassed more gig opportunities, they have grown more confident within their dynamic, which has enhanced their performances. The group recalled a mishap at a recent performance at St. Anthony’s Hall fraternity where their entire speaker system was suddenly unplugged, just before a smooth recovery. Their cohesion and comfort within the group allowed them to quickly adapt to the situation by continuing to play as usual, a professional moment that hinged on their group’s confidence.
“If that had happened last year, it would've been so much more stressful. … But now we've gotten good at just going with the flow,” Haywood said.
The bandmates’ tight-knit relationship uniquely strengthens Third Floor Window’s chemistry. As a pre-show routine, the group attends band dinners to celebrate their friendship and cultivate positive energy before the gigs. Their friendly rapport has built up musical idiosyncrasies within their performances, such as Kain-Kuzniewski’s guitar riff during the band’s rendition of Tyler Childers’ “Feathered Indians,” or Echlov’s spontaneous solos in Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.”
“We all got a lot better at instruments, and in terms of being more cohesive as a unit … as time goes on, you pick up on each other's habits,” Kain-Kuzniewski said. “Before, we had to really pay attention to each other when we were trying to end the song … now we just play it by ear, and we're able to do that on the fly.”
Third Floor Window is one of many student bands thriving in the University’s distinct band culture, which rewards students playing live music at every level. With some opening for major artists, some selling out local venues and others on the partyful wave of trendy fraternity bands, student bands are undeniably a cornerstone of the arts at the University.
The band leans heavily into this communal enthusiasm, with high-octance sets often dependent on their performances being able to invigorate crowds. Kain-Kuzniewski said they appreciate the University’s encouraging musical space for making the experience not only more accessible but also more rewarding.
“It's really cool to have an atmosphere where live music is kind of at the core of the school in a way,” Kain-Kuzniewski said. “Looking out into the crowd and seeing so many people you know, because they also love the live music scene, is just the best feeling.”
However, the group also noted that they feel no sense of competition with other student bands in the local scene — despite a limited number of venues and increasing groups. According to the band, their distinct sound is a natural byproduct of their dynamic and specific musical backgrounds, not a conscious decision in an attempt to score a leg up on their peers.
According to the quartet, being a part of Third Floor Window has already indisputably shaped each member’s college experience. For Haywood, who played the violin until age 15 before beginning to loathe it, membership has been a way to rediscover her affinity for music.
“It kind of made me fall in love with music again,” Haywood said. “It changed the definition of making music for me … It's not just something that you have to do because your parents force you to, it's something that you get to do because you want to.”
For Echlov and Kain-Kuzniewski, the band provides a creative outlet that also serves as a source of community.
“Being able to make or express myself through music has been really a great experience," Echlov said. “With Anna, Connor [and] Hannah, but also through people in other bands … it definitely strengthened the community around me.”
The band encourages students to follow their Instagram to stay up to date on upcoming performances. While they have made recent strides in expanding their venues and performances, Third Floor Window remains determined to keep climbing floors.
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