We Rock! Program Teams Students with Members of Rusted Root

Editor's Note: Because Pace School also is a certified medical treatment center in addition to an educational organization, some of the students names in this story have been changed in accordance with the law. We've included an audio file to go along with this report instead of video because of this fact as well.

From the outside, Pace School looks small and is oddly quiet considering it serves students in kindergarten through ninth grade.

Inside, the school is anything but.

Pace serves students with emotional challenges or autism by using a blend of special education and mental health services. One of the programs the school prides itself on are the visiting artists, including Liz Berlin and Preach Freedom of the band Rusted Root.

Finding the music room on days when they are here is easy. On top of all the normal school noises filling the halls is a faint drum beat that gets louder the nearer you are to teacher Carol Burgman’s classroom.

The source of the music is currently a group of third through fifth grade students sitting in a drum circle being led by Preach.

“There were people who thought I could do what Preach does,” said Burgman. “Really? I can’t do what Preach does. Drum circles have not only an educational purpose, but a therapeutic purpose. But they have to be done well.”

“I’m so happy that Pace developed this opening for professional artists like myself and Liz to come in,” said Preach.

Burgman said that when Pace CEO Karen Lamoureux came to the teachers a few years ago she asked them with a simple question: “I’ve got money. What do you want to do with it?”

“It was money that was designated for programs,” said Burgman.

She wrote a short proposal about bringing Berlin and Preach to the school. Both had worked in schools before and were excited for the opportunity at Pace.

“I told [Liz] about how I did residencies in New York and Pennsylvania and then we decided to just hook up and try it,” said Preach. “I guess during that time she had been speaking with Carol and we were blessed with being able to come here. How these ladies worked it out, I don’t know. I just brought my drums and showed up and there was a roomful of children in here.”

Most of the kids in Preach’s class are into what he is showing them, and excited to be playing drums and singing. As Preach later points out, the students may not realize it, but they’re learning the entire time. He’s teaching them geography, math, African culture, including one of Nigeria’s languages, and of course, music.

One particularly excited student stays after class to continue practicing with Preach. The scene draws a crowd and Preach continues to place more drums in front of the boy until there isn’t room for any more. 

After applause, Burgman turns to the boy.

“I want you to tell Preach how you got here,” she said. “Why were you allowed to stay after class?”

“I had a good day!” the student said.

“We need more of those! Congratulations on that,” Preach exclaims. “I appreciate that time you shared. Keep doing what you’re doing.”

Next-door is a calmer group of older students working with Liz Berlin.

“A big part of my mission is to be able to dispel the myths of stardom,” said Berlin. “If you dream of a music career, you shouldn’t be dreaming of rock stardom as a vague concept. These are the actual concrete steps to take to move in that direction.”

Berlin is currently helping Sasha, who is in her last year at Pace, record the lyrics to a song that another student wrote.

“She’s extremely talented,” said Berlin. “I feel like if we were mining, we just struck this little vein of gold.”

Berlin hopes that Sasha will be able to attend the summer music camp that she runs through Creative.Life.Support, the not-for-profit branch of Mr. Smalls Funhouse.

“I get time to express what I like and what I do and I get to do it in school,” said Sasha. “I just like it a lot because I’m interested in it and it’s something I can do.”

Helping these students learn to express themselves through art is becoming an important part of Pace School. Other artists have been brought in, including people from Attack Theatre.

“Pace just really believes in art for our kids,” said Burgman.

Music is how Sasha expresses herself. Burgman says when one student transferred to the school, Preach’s class was where he was able to become comfortable, in part because he recognized the music being taught. Bergman says that for the student who stayed after to practice with Preach as a reward for good behavior, the class is particularly important.

“It’s going to be the thing that makes him understand he’s worthwhile.”

Download the movie