It's only rock 'n' roll, but they like it

The blonde wearing dark eyeliner, a miniskirt, over-the-knee socks, a studded black leather belt and a pearl necklace has the bored, eye-rolling demeanor any rock 'n' roll diva might display backstage. In this case, though, there is no stage — only a classroom.

Many of the students milling about have either long hair or spiked hairdos and the requisite skulls on their T-shirts. A girl walks in, tears streaming down her face, wipes her eyes and joins other students at the microphone.

"Okay, let's get focused," says teacher Owen Jackman. "We have a gig on Friday."

The 16 Leonardo da Vinci School students assume their positions and upon hearing "1-2-3-4" abruptly scream "Hey!" and the chaotic scene transforms into a driving rendition of the song "What I Like About You," recorded by the Romantics. In addition to five vocalists, students play an assortment of instruments including drums, tambourines, bongo drums, electric guitars, bass and keyboard.

The students of the K-8 magnet school sound surprisingly good. The vocalists sing in harmony and shout "Hey!" like they mean it. The drummer is substituting for another drummer, but handles the job quite ably. The guitarists deliver some nice licks, too.

After the song, the students look at each other and smile. The vocalist who had tears streaming down her face a few minutes ago manages a faint smile at her classmates.

As the Stones say, "It's only rock 'n' roll, but they like it!"

The Leonardo da Vinci Blues Band, as they are called, is Sacramento City Unified's very own version of School of Rock. In the hit movie of that name, a down-and-out rock 'n' roller is cast out of his band. Broke and on the verge of eviction, he impersonates his roommate, takes a job as a substitute teacher and teaches his students rock 'n' roll when they get bored with all-day recess. Assigned to be either vocalists or musicians, the students eventually learn how to play music and even gel as a band.

"We're exactly like School of Rock," says Jackman, a member of the Sacramento City Teachers Association (SCTA). "One of my students actually said, 'They're copying us.' The only difference is, we have fully credentialed teachers who teach real stuff."

Jackman, who plays the bass, teaches special education. Steve Boettner, who's a guitarist, drummer and keyboardist, teaches general education language arts and a music elective. Ned Hammad, a professional musician, works with the school through the artist-in-residence program. Their rock band, Ed Code and the Violators, performs on request at faculty parties and the parent-teacher talent show.

The rock band class at Leonardo da Vinci is part of the Very Special Arts (VSA) program, which provides arts access for students with disabilities and for mainstream students.

"One of the beauties of this thing is that if you take a look at the band, you can't tell who's in special ed and who's in general ed," says Jackman. "You don't get many opportunities to integrate the kids like this. These are definitely kids who wouldn't be hanging around together if not for this class."

Last year, when the best guitarist and bass player were special education students of his, "other students began to see them in a different light."

The program "brings students together unlike any program I've ever seen," says Jackman. "It's the most fun I've had in my teaching career."

Several of his special education students have told him they'd never been on the receiving end of applause before. One student, who's missing an ear, isn't missing a beat when it comes to performing.

"I think this class is what keeps many kids coming to school," says Boettner. "I've had much more success dealing with some of these kids in Rock Band than in regular class. It helps build teacher-student relationships in a different way. We learn about the basics of music, showmanship, performance and working together. The kids are really excited about it."

Students are encouraged to try out all the instruments before they make a final decision on what they want to play. "I never played guitar before, but they said that I could," says eighth-grader Jesse Taylor. "I came in at lunchtime and Mr. Boettner helped me to learn chords and songs. It's a lot of fun, although performing is even more fun. It's a great feeling."

"I find this class fun and interesting," says substitute drummer Miles Tarr-Raines. "But I think I'm going to stick with the guitar."

While the teacher in School of Rock had to hide what he was doing through elaborate deceptions, even soundproofing the room, the band at Leonardo da Vinci is officially sanctioned by the principal and parents. When Jackman and Boettner first approached the principal about starting the class, they expected to hear it would only be allowed after school or at lunchtime. When she said it could be a twice-weekly elective, they were pleasantly surprised. The Parent-Teacher Association is reimbursing the teachers for the musical instruments, which they purchased out of pocket.

This year, the band has played Sacramento-area gigs at Dimple Records, Tower Records and the Very Special Arts Festival.

"Like most schools, we are facing budget cutbacks," says Jackman. "But we are keeping our music here at Leonardo da Vinci. We are fighting to keep music here because it's so important."

"This is fun, and it lets something inside of you come out," says seventh-grader and percussionist Marlin Jones. He believes the school definitely made the right choice. "Music is good for your life."