by Danielle Katz ‘18

Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival might be just a fun high school side activity for most participants, but for others, it gives them early performance experience that leads them to study music in college or pursue it as a career.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival inspires many teens to discover the importance of music and the appeal of studying music in college. Nick Huff ‘17 played in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival band in high school, and it taught him the importance of music.

“Rock ‘n’ Roll showed me the impact that music has had on people in the past and how that music influences people today,” said Huff. “It made me realize that music has been and always will be a necessity in society.”

This inspired Huff to pursue a music-related major at Belmont University, taking advantage of the local music scene in Nashville. The musical degree program that he is in offers courses which cover every aspect of the music industry in order to provide a well-rounded insight on the industry.

“I want to be a bassist that plays for artists on tour and on their studio recordings,” explained Huff. “I am not looking to be the famous artist that you pay hundreds of dollars to see, but, rather, I want to be a musician supporting and performing with that person.”

Participating in Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival during high school exposed Huff to this mentality of supporting other performers with his own strong instrumental skills. The teachers and peers in the show helped him find his passion.

“Rock ‘n’ Roll helped me discover this because even though I had solos and such, I really felt that being behind the soloist in the band was where I belonged,” said Huff. “[Sherwood’s music teachers] helped me realize that I have a lot of power to make other musicians sound better by supporting them, and that is what I want to do in life.”

If Huff reaches his dreams of a career in the music industry, he could follow in the footsteps of Allison Miller ‘92. The former Sherwood student took her success from Rock ‘n’ Roll and used it to jump start her career. Similar to Huff ’s ambitions, Miller has made a long career as a supporting musician. She is now a professional drummer and has recorded five albums as both a bandleader and session musician. Her path consisted of forming multiple bands, including her own current band, Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom.

“By the time I graduated, because of Rock ‘n’ Roll, I knew how to play over 200 songs stemming from R&B to Rock, Soul, Hip Hop, Funk, and Jazz,” said Miller. “[Rock ‘n’ Roll] made me a versatile Drummer which has definitely influenced the trajectory of my career.”