Are people born into the “Under Pressure” lifestyle, or does David Bowie choose them? Germantown Academy Upper School students Nina Sager ‘26 and Zoe Hellman ‘25 have collaborated with their musical skills which extend outside of GA’s stage as they find themselves spending countless hours at School of Rock–a revolutionary music program offered to high schoolers–in the heart of Fort Washington.
Using instruments ranging from bass, keyboard, guitar, piano and their own vocal cords, teenagers organize a band under music director Mark Terrizzi and vocal teacher Laura Merranda. The musicians meet once a week for 2 to 3 hours where they spend their nights rehearsing playing the instrument/s of their choice.
“There’s just a lot of stuff to do that goes into a show,” said Sager. “With the lessons, there’s a lot of time commitment which goes on in your own time frame inside and outside the studio with memorizing lyrics and sheet notes,” Sager said.
Sager emphasizes the importance of time management when balancing School of Rock with the course load at GA. Although the long hours can be draining, she believes that it’s worth it considering the relationships she makes with people outside of school.
“The world is just a lot bigger than the people at GA. Going to School of Rock every week and interacting with different people is refreshing,” said Sager. “They all are really big music people with really good music taste.”
At School of Rock, conversations between the students usually are on the topic of their favorite singer, musicians and bands, along with the exchange of playlists on Spotify and Apple music.
Although Sager’s parents taught her the importance of music from a young age, School of Rock has helped her discover and broaden her musical knowledge and taste. “Hypnotized” by Fleetwood Mack is one of their songs that only previously had been added to her queue.
Their shared interest in music works together to form precise shows: Power Trios, The Beatles, The Heart Show, Pop Punk, Fleetwood Mac, and Judas Priest versus Iron Maiden.
Being on stage for a bigger audience has given Sager and Hellman experiences that have become part of their core memory. Sager mentions how she has learned how to communicate with her band onstage without words as they have grown to understand each other’s body language.
“Being flexible is one of the most important components of a show. There are going to be times where something goes wrong, and you just have to learn to roll with the punches,” Sager said. “If you forget lyrics on stage, you just have to sing something because the audience doesn’t tell the difference between gibberish and the actual lyrics as long as your stage presence is all there.”
Hellman was introduced early to classic rock music as a child and began playing the bass and oboe at a young age. She had her first show in the fall of ‘23 when GA alum Madeline Donches ‘24, who played bass and drums, inspired her to join School of Rock.
At her first show, Hellman played the bass of 5-7 of David Bowie’s underground. Hellman had always been intrigued by the world of music; however, School of Rock initiated her to begin her own career.
Apart from School of Rock’s select shows, both Sager and Hellman have applied their musical skills into the spirit of GA. The microphones played on a loudspeaker during GA’s pep rallies don’t produce live music on their own. With Sager on vocals and Hellman on the bass, their lively music has made its impression on every GA student and faculty.
“I’ve made a lot of friends there who I love hanging out with,” Hellman said. “I’m doing it partly not because I am obsessed with the music so much but because my friends are doing it. It has taught me to be open to do new stuff and find new music.”