Schooled by Rock

Teaching for LAUSD by day and playing in a band by night can lead to mysterious and difficult double lives for L.A. musicians. But with grown-up punks ruling the classroom, the kids might just be better off.
by Shannon Flaherty
photos by Aaron Farley

Summer nights at The Smell are sweaty. Kids thrash around and migrate back and forth between the cavernous heat and the sweet, alley-stench breeze. But as the season turns to fall, those toting a guitar case are soon toting a backpack or briefcase by day. Collared button-ups replace sweat-soaked T-shirts; and although it’s sometimes difficult to differentiate between the two, it’s back to school for both students and teachers alike.

Flutter between conversations behind The Smell this month-or by the bar at Spaceland, even art galleries and shows all across town-and you’ll likely overhear a few lesson plan ideas interspersed among the drink orders and mic feedback. Reading assignments, presentation strategies, disciplinary methods. What seems at first to be the world’s nerdiest stage banter, or some seriously heady spoken-word, is actually a fairly frequent phenomenon among L.A. musicians: A number of our most talented instrument wielders and mic maulers are also some of our hardest working, most innovative school teachers.

So, who let the punks into the teacher’s lounge? Has the ethos of “no future” become “yes future?”

Not only is the trend of L.A. musicians working as teachers increasingly common; it makes sense. Few of the teachers we talked to cared to make music their living. Instead, the liberation they find on stage fills a part of their lives that a day job just can’t. It’s a hobby, not to mention a state of mind, they try and turn students onto. What’s more, some administrators-whether they’ve learned to love the Sex Pistols since we were in school, or they’re so tired of failing schools that fresh ideas are a hot commodity-say they love the enthusiasm and experiences that rock musicians bring to their classrooms.

But school’s not out forever just yet. These rebel teachers battle the same sluggish bureaucracy as their bow-tie counterparts. And for them, the frustrations can be particularly tough, trying to juggle two very different cultures-destruction and detention. Add the late nights, not to mention the late days, and you’ve got one hell of a lifestyle.

Hot for Teachers

A year ago, Randy Randall showed up for his first day of school as a substitute teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District with a dirty, rust-stained bandage covering his hand. Two days before he had split open his hand by playing a guitar with a broken beer bottle at a show in London-the last one he’d play with his infamously fierce L.A. punk trio Wives.

This year, Randall will spend his days at the chalkboard, and nights playing all-ages shows as one half of the art-damaged, sound collage twosome No Age. The difference, he says, is not so great.

“Teaching and performing music are actually similar in that you are a performer and there’s an audience-an audience to whom you’re trying to relay a message or share a feeling.”

Sabrina Stevenson, lead singer and songwriter for the writhing rock band Third Grade Teacher, is-surprise-a third grade teacher. With 10 years of classroom experience under her studded belt, Stevenson teaches at Fourth Street Elementary in East L.A. According to her, the dual life informs her work as an instructor.

“Our school is an arts prototype school, which means we have visiting artists, actors and dancers on a regular basis,” she explains. “I also sing to my students daily, and I included them in my movie.” Stevenson is the author and performer of a one-woman show, now in production as an independent film, entitled Diary of a Third Grade Teacher.

“I enjoy teaching kids, and part of that is making sure they’re also having fun while they’re learning; if the kids aren’t having fun, I feel like I’ve failed them.”

Eric Pritchard, guitarist for ’80s-inspired indie-rock band Golden Arms, has four years of experience at LAUSD schools both as a full-time and a substitute teacher. Employed to teach art, guitar and English at an East L.A. options school-a continuation school for students who have dropped out of traditional high school-Pritchard, like Stevenson, says he incorporates music into most lessons and assignments. This summer his English students analyzed song lyrics, such as U2’s “Pride (In the Name of Love)” about Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The lesson was to see if they could figure out an underlying meaning,” says Pritchard. “Using the same critical thinking skills to analyze poetry or prose, students analyzed song lyrics and then gave group presentations with their responses.”

Pritchard even kicks it with the kids after school, playing guitar and skateboarding with the guys as the girls dig through his iPod. They share stories and quiz each other to see who knows more about the music they’re listening to. “Sometimes I don’t feel like I’m working and they don’t feel like they’re learning, but this is actually when most of my work and their learning occurs.”

Tara Tavi, kindergarten teacher in the Pomona Unified School District and mindful musician/artist, is a force to be reckoned with. In addition to 10 years on the job as a teacher, Tavi plays the Chinese dulcimer (yangqin), Chinese zither (guzheng), marimba, Marxophone, Tibetan cymbals, bass guitar and performs and sings in numerous acts including Auto Da Fe, Blue Silk Sutures, Amps for Christ, Aye Aye Captain, ThunderSnail and Soddamn Inssein. She is passionate-about her students, the system, standards, scores and the pressure to perform. “For me, kindergarten is as important as college when it comes to building an academic foundation and an inclusive world view,” says Tavi.

Anarchy in the LAUSD

Like many of L.A.’s more creative teachers, Tavi is not a huge fan of the No Child Left Behind Act. Increasingly, the strict standards imposed by it and other legislation make the job of teaching a balancing act between the Man and the kids.

“I used to have kindergarteners learn the Calfornia Standards via more art projects, thematic science units, Reader’s Theater, dramatic play and music, and my children always were well prepared for first grade, having met the standards in engaging ways.” Now, she says, things have dramatically shifted and highly rigorous, scripted programs limit her ability to write specialized lesson plans for individual learning styles.

Pritchard says that most of the obstacles he faces in the classroom are ones embedded in the school system itself. “The job is different when you’re trying to survive an inner city class with no lesson plan and the students have had different subs the entire semester,” he says.

Of course, conflicts with the standards, rules and restrictions inherent in the school system can cause any teacher to stumble, whether or not they play guitar, bass or drums. But in an artistic world so intertwined with the city’s nightlife, the schedule and workload of teaching can be daunting for an active musician.

“Being a teacher and an artist is great,” says Stevenson, “except when one keeps me up late at night, it’s hard to get up in the morning.”

“Most of the teachers I know have no social life because the job we do demands us here 60 hours a week already,” says one L.A. area teacher who plays in both Bipolar Bear and the Pope. He asked not to be identified by name to keep his life as a teacher and as a musician separate. He has six years of teaching experience at the elementary, high school and college levels for both private and public schools.

“After working six days a week, you don’t want to go out much,” he says. “Oh yeah, and usually you’re at school board meetings at night anyway. Basically, to play music is a miracle in this job, because actually it keeps you from doing your job. Music is fun as hell, but I feel guilty that I play music half the time. It is selfish compared to teaching. Anytime I am out playing I could probably be doing something more productive at school.”

Hitting the High Notes

Time was, the wrong punk slogan on your T-shirt would get you sent home by your teacher. With many of these punky instructors, the kids are probably safe from detention, but what do school officials think about rock ‘n’ roll lesson planners?

“My principal, colleagues, kids and their parents all know about my dual identity-teacher by day, rocker by night-and they love it,” says Stevenson.

Richard Burrows, director of the LAUSD Arts Education Branch, says the benefits of employing creative-types in teaching positions are undeniable. According to Burrows, nearly 20 percent of all LAUSD teachers hold a degree in the arts, in addition to their credential to teach regular classroom study.

“It is absolutely beneficial for students to be exposed to adults with a substantial background in the arts,” he explains. “Whether it is a generalist classroom teacher or arts specialists, a young person’s sense of possibilities is always enhanced when adults share the same values.”

Of course, Burrows’ idea of “art” might not include power chords, angsty lyrics and screeching vocals, but it sure does to some of the kids. More importantly, they are exposed to other subjects-from writing to history-through some of the music-tinted lessons, ones that other teachers might not fight to include in their curricula.

“All kids are into music,” says Pritchard. “I did a lesson on the Harlem Renaissance and jazz and then we tied that into a discussion about hip-hop and rap music today. The students really got into it.”

“You’re excited about life when you are creatively fulfilled and this comes through when you work with the kids,” agrees Tavi. “Also, you have developed more talents and skills that you can share with them. You’re like a superhero with powers such as super-drawing or super-musical. They are the most appreciative audience ever-they are super-fans!”

For Stevenson, the flow of inspiration goes the other way as well. “My teaching job enhances my performances,” she explains. “It’s a lot of fun and sometimes there’s nothing better than letting the buildup of the workday go by jumping and writhing around on stage-singing, and yes, sometimes screaming!” Stevenson even dresses up like a sexy schoolgirl, clad in a plaid parochial school uniform, when performing with Third Grade Teacher.

For Michael Stock-half of the Echo’s DJ super-duo Part Time Punks and the Little Pedro’s reggae-punk fusion night Punky Reggae Party-saying his music career and his work go hand-in-hand is an understatement. Stock serves as adjunct professor in the Film and Media Studies Department at UC Irvine where he teaches a class on punk rock and film, as well as instructing two English courses at Loyola Marymount University. He has the unique ability to educate folks about music both inside and outside of the classroom (every Punky Reggae Partier leaves the night with a free CD of music for further at-home study).

“Part Time Punks, and now Punky Reggae Party, is so much about education-at times, even intellectualism,” says Stock. “For that reason, I actually love to keep both academics and the outside (world) closely tied-right down to flyering my classes and sending out postings for Punky Reggae that include reading excerpts out of my course. Many of my students end up coming to the clubs.”

Ashley Cappel is one of those students. She has spent several of her Sunday nights at her professor’s Part Time Punks club. “The music was awesome, and my friend and I couldn’t stop dancing,” she says. “I kept thinking, ‘This is punk music?’ because the beat was so easy to dance to. I had thought that punk was only fast and out-of-control music.

“If a professor teaches a subject without personal work or life experience in that field, I feel like the outlook is objective and consumed with stereotypes,” Cappel explains. “But Professor Stock gives us a subjective view on punk music and cinema, because he considers himself to be punk. I mean, he wears black fingernail polish that his 6-year-old daughter paints on for him! How punk is that?!”

Almost a year since his first subbing gig, Randy Randall now returns for his first school year as a full-time teacher at Lincoln High School. Another summer-fall transition from touring to teaching, he leads a course in Health and Life Skills and embraces his double life.

“The best teachers are those that figure out how to do more than just one thing,” says Randall.

According to Randall, “part of being punk rock or being an artist is being proud of who you are and living a life that you’re proud of. Playing music is not disrespectable. It’s a dream that most people have and let go. So, even if my playing music doesn’t support me financially, I’m happy doing it because it supports me in so many other ways.”

In contemplating whether he thinks he’ll ever run into any of his students loitering in The Smell alley, Randall laughs. “More likely at Warped Tour or KROQ Inland Invasion, then I’d probably see a few of them.” LAA

No Age plays Sept. 9 at 1269 Space.
Third Grade Teacher plays Sept. 11 at Safari Sam’s.
Bipolar Bear plays Sept. 10 at The Smell.
Part Time Punks is every Sunday at The Echo; Punky Reggae Party every Friday at Little Pedro’s.
Auto Da Fe is just home from a tour of England and Scotland.
Golden Arms plays Sept. 9 at The Good Hurt.
Guns N’ Roses plays Sept. 23 at the KROQ Inland Invasion.