Great moments are born from great opportunities.

Those were the words Herb Brooks, coach of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, offered his team before they went on to beat the seemingly invincible Soviets in what is known as the “Miracle on Ice.”

SMU junior and singer/songwriter Carl Sullivan is hoping he and his newly formed band can testify to the truth of those words as well.

The formation of the band, The Rising Suns, evolved out of Sullivan’s involvement in the worship team for Reformed University Fellowship (RUF). This January, he approached junior Salomón Bautista and sophomores Spencer Fox and Vito Gutilla and asked if they would be interested in working on a “little project” with him.

They agreed and started having what they call “jam sessions” with Sullivan after RUF on Tuesday nights.

“Thanks to RUF, we were already a pretty solid group that not only worked well with one another, but felt comfortable playing with each other and sounded pretty good as a group,” Bautista said. “A combination of things that you don’t find just anywhere.”

The chemistry that has already formed among the boys helped stretch Sullivan’s vision from a “little project” to creating his second full album as an artist.

“The process has been amazing,” Sullivan said. “I’m surprised by how it all came together.”

As they started progressing through their work, they started searching for another vocalist. One night while practicing at Meadows School of the Arts, Bautista saw sophomore Esther Craven sitting outside and asked her to practice with them. She became the final member of The Rising Suns.

Fox, who plays both the djembe, an African drum, and the snare drum, is excited about the versatility of the band.

“Everyone is so talented with what we can do. We all have a broad selection of instruments that we can play well,” he said.

The band recently finished recording its album, “Summer Sessions,” and is looking forward to showcasing it at their CD release party Friday from 8 p.m. to midnight at Gilley’s Dallas in the Jack Daniel’s Saloon.

“Our goal is to grow musically together and to share our art with the world,” Sullivan said.

Bautista admires Sullivan’s ambition and attributes it to why things have been going so well for the band.

“I’ve been in bands before, but it’s just so hard to get off the ground. And, I feel like a lot of it has to do with Carl’s ambition and drive,” Bautista said. “It’s contagious. When he wants something, he really goes at it.”