Tuesdays and Thursday at 3:45 p.m. mean after school practice for members of the new rock band class. On those days, the sounds of fast-paced contemporary rock music echo through the halls of the fine arts building from the end of the school day right up until 5:15 p.m.. Those two times every week, looking through the window of Mr. Kristopher Winselmann’s band room, you would see a small but tight-knit group of 15 musicians all working together to practice, recite their music and focus in on their art form—the thing they love to do.
This school year is the debut of the rock band at the Broward campus. In past years, this group started as just a couple kids from different fine arts-related clubs who wanted to play that kind of modern music.
“It was actually more Dr. Laurie’s idea [to start it.] He wanted a rock band here he knew that I could teach it, so when I got hired last year, I think it was just meant to be,” said Mr. Winselmann, the teacher of the rock band, as well as many other music classes throughout the day.
Every other Friday, the band plays a live show at the oasis, and while it may seem easy to come out every two weeks and perform a 45-minute set, there is a lot more that goes on behind the scenes.
“First, we usually pick out the music,” Mr. Winselmann said. A lot of times, it’s themed around a holiday or an event that’s coming up. “On Halloween, we picked out some spooky songs; on Christmas, we picked out some Christmas songs, but it can also be a student choice. We just always try to find a theme.”
“Then, we rehearse that music every Tuesday and Thursday after school.” During that time, they run through the same part of a song many times, making sure they get every part of it right. Finally, all that practice adds up to the final product they show off on Friday.
For Mr. Winselmann, the first concert of the year was one of his most memorable moments. “There was a lot of build up for that,” he said. “We had a bunch of cool songs … but I was worried, of course, because it was the first concert. You never know how the first one is going to go, and you need to think about everything you need. You need to worry about the sound levels and all these different things that are definitely outside of the orchestra realm.”
Outside of the rock band, Mr. Winselmann is the orchestra director, and sometimes, the contrast between the two musical groups can be hard to manage. “It was a rollercoaster of emotions,” he said. “I knew how to teach a rock band, but I’d never put on a rock show like that—but they did really well, and I was really happy … that was a highlight.”
As the year has gone on, Mr. Winselmann said the shows have absolutely improved. “It gets better and better each time,” he said. “That’s what’s supposed to happen. They get more familiar with their performance environment, with what they need to do and what they need to bring.” That is exactly what students learn from the rock band: experiences that can help them succeed with music in the real world.
“Speaking from experience, I know being able to have these tools is really imperative for kids to play in the future,” said Mr. Clay Cartland, Heritage’s fine arts director. “I made a living as a musician before I started teaching here, I was performing in front of people, going to open mic nights and playing live shows. It wasn’t easy, we were very slow going for the first year. Our jitters were totally crazy, we had no stage presence, we had no idea what to do if something went wrong, god forbid … If I had something like this, where I could graduate and say I’ve been playing concerts outside for a couple hundred people since I was a freshman in high school, that experience of performing live and getting over that hump [would be invaluable].”
The rock band’s performances also help bring the school community together. “Every time we play at lunch,” Mr. Cartland said, “The lower school kids leave the academy building right [then,] and they look at these older kids playing fun instruments, and they just get so excited. It’s them having the idea of, ‘Oh, I wanna do that,’ That’s really what it is.”
“It brings together a group of kids that all have a similar mindset,” Junior Gavin Thornton said. “So many people like music, and it’s fun to play a genre that I feel like isn’t as commonly performed anymore [in a school community.] It just brings a lot of people together,” he said.
“And music has always been a bond for humans to get together,” Mr. Winselmann said. For the rest of the year, and hopefully for the next many years, that is what the rock band will continue doing: inspiring kids, bringing people together and giving it their all.
“That’s what a real rocker is,” Mr. Winselmann said.
Brady Rice (Guitar) and Kamran Kalwar (Drums) jam with fast-paced rock music in a back practice room of the band room. At the same time in the next room, another group of four musicians focus on another song. “We have a lot of fun in here. It’s super easy staying on top of all the assignments and tasks,” Mr. Winselmann said. “All I ask is that you have the heart to want to play.”
