TORRANCE, Calif. – For musicians, getting a chance to play music and share lyrics of a written song is a feeling most can’t get enough of.

“I’ve always just had this passion for music. Even my mom would say I’d sing when I was a baby,” Christopher Huynh said.

Huynh is the lead singer of Carry The Day, an alternative rock band from Torrance. For the last year, his bandmates came together to create their own music self-described as “Green Day with a twist.”

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Brandon Saldana plays the drums in the band. For him, playing music with his friends feels more like fun than work.

“I always used music as a way to kind of express myself as well as just be myself,” Saldana said.

Recently, the band entered the Opening Act competition that gives up-and-coming bands like Carry The Day a $10,000 cash prize and a chance to play on the same stage of artists like Taylor Swift, Marshmello, and others in front of about 20,000 people for the 7th Annual We Can Survive Concert at the Hollywood Bowl on October 19.

So far, fan votes helped the band make it through half of the rounds of the competition; bringing this band one step closer to their big break.

“Every artist has like a dream. You know every kid has a dream since they were little and like my dream was just play in a rock band in front of a thousand people, tens of thousands of people,” Huynh said.

Huynh’s band checked their votes constantly hoping to see that they made it to the next round and one step closer to the Hollywood Bowl stage. They had high hopes, but they didn’t have enough votes to make it to the semi-finals. It was a disappointing loss, but the band said they were grateful for the overwhelming support.

“It was great to know that there are so many of our friends and even their families that support us and I really can’t thank them all enough,” Saldana said.

This competition isn’t the end for these motivated musicians. They are determined to have their music heard.

“I think the most important thing for a musician is to like persevere and persevere with your passion,” Huynh said.

Huynh said it might be a long road before they get their chance on the main stage. But, they will find their big break and one day play for thousands of fans.