Waitsburg’s School Of Rock

WAITSBURG - In the band room at Waits- burg High, students pick songs, suggest changes and work together or with music teacher Brad Green to master or adapt the music.

In the urban dance ballad Titanium by David Guetta, senior Cheyenne Frohreich works on her Travis picking while senior Matt Hoilman takes a try at bass.

In Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men, Green per- forms an accordion solo on an instrument recently donated by Kate Hockersmith, as Alex Leathers plays "the egg."

Green pulls up Zombies by the Cranberries onYou- tube and sends it over the speakers for the students to play along. Jen Nichols and Frohreich provide strong, unique vocals as Leathers finds the power cords he's searching for and DJ Leroue switches over to drums.

Welcome to "Rock Band," the unofficial name of a new contemporary music class by and for the students. The class is a prime example of Waitsburg High trying to meet the needs and interests of its students, a number of whom are into rock, according to school officials.

"It's a funny story, actu- ally," Green said when asked how the class originated. "I was supposed to teach a math class, but most of the kids left the district for one reason or another."

While brainstorming with high school principal Stephanie Wooderchack and secretary Denise Win- nett regarding a replacement class, the secretary pulled a list of available students and suggested that a music class might hold more interest for that specific group of kids.

The class roster of five talented seniors includes: Frohreich, Hoilman, Leath- ers, Leroue and Samantha Henze. Nichols is an unoffi- cial member, joining in when she can escape her computer- based, third period class. Mi- kala DeRuwe also provides vocals when possible.

Music is suggested by the group with styles ranging from Alternative and Sixties to Crosby, Stills & Nash and Classic Rock. The students have even collaborated to write their own music. The culminating project of the class will be writing their own songs and compiling a class CD.

Green takes advantage of a pause to ask the kids if they know what the line, "It's been the same old theme since 1916" refers to, then fills them in that the song is a reference to World War I. "It's just fun. I'm amazed that I get paid to do this," said Green, who offers the follow- ing thoughts regarding the value of music training:

Music kind of wires you together, coordinating visual, audio and fine muscle con- trol, he said. It's also a group activity, more intimate and refined than any sport. It's a discipline and grows as you grow, improving over the years, and allowing you to express yourself creatively. You can play guitar long after you can no longer play football. Not to mention, it's just plain fun. It's a joy, unlike anything else we do, Green proclaimed.

"God invented music," he concluded.

All "rock band" students carry their music beyond the band room walls. Henze plays a variety of instruments and said she's loved play- ing music since she began in fifth grade. Frohreich and Nichols, who enjoy jamming together in their spare time, participated in Sweet Ade- lines until this year, when a hectic senior year schedule took precedence.

Hoilman and DeRuwe both sing in a church choir in Starbuck. Hoilman recently took the initiative and, col- laborating with Leroue and Green, re-worked a church song to make it easier for the choir to learn.

Leathers, along with for- mer Waitsburg student Will Garcia, plays guitar in a "progressive/post-hardcore" band called Amontillado's Cask. The group was re- cently recruited by Sumerian label representatives to play at Headbang for the Highway in Spokane, a two-day contest showcasing bands selected for their talent and potential.

Bands play sets for the label and receive feedback on their performance with the winning band landing a recording deal. Leathers felt his band performed well and they received constructive feedback. While he doesn't anticipate a career in music, Leathers enjoys weekly band rehearsals and playing the occasional gig.

DJ Leroue, on the other hand, does hope to build a career around music. Ler- oue, an aspiring songwriter, is basing his senior project around the potential of music to help teens deal positively with depression.

"Throughout my whole high school career I've seen depression, so I thought it would be interesting to talk about how it affects teens and how teens can cure it with music involved, and how music can affect their emo- tions," Leroue said. "I wrote a song about a teen breakup and how those types of life setbacks are temporary and that there is more to life than just that one issue."

He performed his song at this year's Christmas concert, receiving a positive response from fellow students. Leroue is gathering on-site research, talking with counselors and teens, and hopes to find a way to better aid and encourage teens to deal with their emotions through music.

Interested parties are encouraged to see "rock band" perform at the Mr. WHS talent show at 10:00 a.m. on March 29 as well as the spring concert on May 13.