If you are a musician, you know that the term is not used lightly. It describes a status that is attained when you are not just fooling around with a musical instrument. It is when your instrument becomes your voice, your soul and your heart. There IS a difference. A handful of people who jam together occasionally to make a few bucks or students who play recitals together are not bands.
Bands are families that bring their talents together to express their hearts with song and melody.
They mesh their creativity and form cohesive works. They make music because it is what they want to do more than anything else, and it is as necessary to them as breathing. Some bands rise to stardom. Some wonderful bands will never be known by you and I, but their music is just as awesome as platinum selling artists. What is important to most of them is that they have the opportunity to play - for their music to be heard and enjoyed by others.