Montville School of Rock Rolls Out the Talent

auditorium was rockin’ with the beat as Montville School of Rock performed songs that spanned from the 1960s through the present on Tuesday.

“This was our first concert of the year. The theme was ‘Something for everybody,’” said Anthony Sia, club advisor and teacher of strategic design/networking at the high school. 

“The songs were picked based on the fact that we would have an audience of teachers and students. We’ve been working all year on this,” he said. 

Sia plans to hold least two more concerts this year. 

The club has 23 students and provides educational opportunities for students who want to be involved in the music industry, including performing, rehearsal, stage crew, production, public relations and administration.

Dylan Grabinsky, a senior, works behind the scenes. He joined in September.  

“I’m a roadie. I help set up equipment and make sure things go smoothly,” he said. It’s my first year. I wish I had started sooner. It’s a great experience.”

According to Sia, roadies are extremely valuable because they make it possible to have the concert.

At 10:33 a.m., students and teachers got seated. Sia introduced the band. They all wore black shirts and jeans. 

They opened with “Can’t Always Get What You Want.” The sound was huge, filling the auditorium. The students, whose parents were just children during the Rolling Stones era, sounded like the real thing. Mike Ripley, lead singer, did a great Mick Jagger.  The performance was polished. Instruments included two guitars, drums, several keyboards, bass guitar, and percussion.

School of rock covered eight songs from the 1960s through the present:

“Can’t Always Get What You Want,” by The Rolling Stones – ’60s
“You Lost Me,” by Christina Aguilera, – contemporary
“The Only Exception,” by Paramore, – contemporary
“Hooked on a Feeling,” by BJ Thomas, – ’70s
“Bring Me to Life,” by Evanescence, – ’90s
“Forget You,” by Cee lo Green, contemporary 
“Ordinary World,” by Duran Duran, – ’90s 
“Video Killed the Radio Star,” by Buggles, – ’80s

The music drew people in from the rotunda. By 11:10 a.m., about three quarters of the seats were filled and people stood by the doors to watch and listen.  It had the feel of a professional rock concert at a real venue.

“It’s really amazing to see how much talent we have in this one school,” said Mario Maullon, math and computer science teacher. “I came to see the concert last year. Each one is getting better and better. “You see these students in the hallways and the bathroom, and then you see them on stage. It’s a whole different side of them.

"The School of Rock is great in that it exposes the kids to music they would not have discovered, and also lets them make music on their own. It bridges that gap,” Maullon said.

“The music really comes alive,” said Dan Ramirez, a spanish teacher. “It’s a great idea to bring all these decades of music into a unified theme.”

They played through the lunch hour. The singers and musicians were changed up for each song to allow everyone's strengths to be showcased. Songs followed one another seamlessly, thanks to the stage crew’s efficiency.

At the end, the band presented Mr. Sia with a bouquet of flowers.

“It’s okay for a guy to get flowers… right?” Sia said. He then asked the audience how they liked the show.  They clapped and cheered.

“We’d like to do another show in June. Would you come?”

They roared. The bell rang, and the room emptied out. The crew broke down the set.

Montville School of Rock was founded in 2005 by Anthony Sia and a student named Dylan Novack. It is a club in the public school funded through a grant from the Montville Educational Foundation. 

Sia is passionate about his work with the club, and dedicated to students who join School of Rock.

"Students with varying talents and abilities join each year. The focus of the club is on putting them in touch with their talents and teamwork,” he said. “Once that falls into place and the band starts to sound good performing becomes a very rewarding experience."

School of Rock Members:

Male Vocalists: David Vinder, Mike Ripley, Gabe Weiss, Anthony Claus
Female Vocals: Amanda Lustbader, Salena Wilson, Tara Martinez, Stephanie Lindskog, Sage Spitz, Amanda Mason, Sarah Melamed
Guitarists: Zach Kressaty, David Vinder, Jake Fleisig, James Marshall, Nathan Buckler, Yonni Nakash
Drummers: David Vinder, Mike Gelvan and Nick Senatore
Keyboards: Sarah Melamed, Tim Shim, Ken Chan, Jenay Crispin 
Roadies: Rob Tancer, Jeremy Book, Adam Davis, Dylan Grabinski, Eric Galley, Chris Gianfrancesco, Andrew Cercanowitz