Clearspring students learn musical concepts through rock 'n' roll
School of Rock takes the stage at the Music Café in Damascus
This story was corrected on Feb. 16, 2011. An explanation follows the story.
With a little glitter, sparkle and some spiked hair, students in the Clearspring Elementary School of Rock took the stage at the Music Café in Damascus last week to play to a packed house of family and friends.
Two bands took turns playing songs originally performed by The Kinks, Black Eyed Peas, U2 and the O'Jays, putting their own spin on well-known tunes.
As part of the School of Rock, "I feel nervous, I feel privileged," Autumn said before the show.
Nerves appeared to be in check as the 15 third- through fifth-grade students in the after-school club ran through a final rehearsal just hours before the big show.
Keyboardist Justin Ma of Damascus, a fourth-grader, said he liked not being alone when he performs.
"If I mess up, they probably won't hear me," he said.
Being on stage "is not that bad as long as you concentrate on what you're doing and not on what [the audience] is doing," said Daniel Wilson of Laytonsville.
The third-grade guitarist was one of the few students who participated in an earlier session of the rock-focused school, so he was a stage veteran.
Clearspring music teacher Mark Amberg started the School of Rock last year.
"There's so many kids that have instruments but never had a band experience performing in front of an audience," he said.
He has organized the program into three 12-week sessions each a year.
Students are taught to incorporate elements they have learned in music classes during the school day. This helps reinforce the importance of rhythm, melody, beat, dynamics, tone color, harmony and style when performing a piece of music together as a group, Amberg said.
"It gives them a more relevant application of the things they learn in music class."
The School of Rock also helps build self-esteem, Amberg said.
Suhela Luthra of Germantown said playing in the band has made her son Shiv, a fourth-grader, more social. He loves playing the drums so much, she may have to buy him a drum set, she said.
Students pay $20 to be part of the program. In exchange, they get weekly rehearsals and instruments they can take home for practice.
Amberg, a graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, won a $3,000 alumni grant last summer. He used the money to buy four guitars, new amplifiers, microphones and a sound system. A $1,000 grant from the Montgomery County Public Schools Educational Foundation Inc. last year helped pay for instruments to get the program started. Music 4 Maryland, a project created by PRS Guitars and Music 4 More to help make a difference in music programs in Maryland schools, gave Amberg a drum set and a sound system.
"My whole thing is providing opportunities for kids," Amberg said. "As a child, I didn't have those opportunities."
Fourth-grader William Floyd of Damascus thought he wanted to play the drums, but instead he was made a keyboardist.
"I've been playing for two months now and I'm getting pretty good," he said.
His father is a musician and, although William was exposed to music, he never had lessons before, said his mother, Angela Floyd.
"It's a great program and helps those kids that haven't picked up those instruments," she said.
Jacob Gemma, a Germantown fourth-grader who looks like a young Beatle with his mop-top haircut, plays recorder, piano and a little drums and guitar. He joined the School of Rock to learn bass guitar.
"It's very exciting being here," he said. "It's time to relax because I really enjoy music."
Dawn Johnson said being a vocalist has helped build her daughter's confidence and encouraged a love of music.
"Anything that fosters a love of music in kids is great," said Jacob's mother, Debbie Gemma.
ssingerbart@gazette.net
The original version of this story misspelled Dawn Johnson's name.
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