Highland High “unlocks the rhythm” for new school year

All the students at Highland High School started the year to the beat of the same drum.

Grammy-winning drummer Nina Rodriguez brought her “Unlock the Rhythm” motivational program to the school for the Aug. 24 “Hello Assembly.” Each of the 1,600 students were given the use of a drum.

“We use the power of music and drums,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve always believed music has the power to transform us, and to put those changes into action.”

Rodriguez and her team of musicians have visited many schools and corporate groups nationwide with “Unlock the Rhythm,” using drumming as a hands-on activity to unite group members and remind them of each organization’s goals and purposes, as well as help them get past feelings of disconnect.

Principal Paul Schulte specifically wanted to remind students through the program that even though they are all from different backgrounds they are at Highland for the same reason -- to get an education, he said.

“It really unites the kids,” he said.

At the beginning of the assembly, the students came into the auditorium and immediately picked up the drumsticks laid out for them and started jamming on their own without being told -- a good thing because it meant they were immediately engaged by the drums. Before long, Rodriguez came on stage and, before she ever said a word about unity, she began a rhythm on her own drum. Then the chaos of sound came together bit by bit, until the entire student body beat their drums in time with each other, she said.

“The performance was successful because everyone contributed their rhythm.”

Drumming together gave the students a unity they could see, hear and feel, far more effectively than if someone had only told them to unite, Rodriguez said.

“When you put the music in their hands, you don’t even have to speak,” she said. “They don’t just hear the message, they feel it.”

Research shows that when students feel connected to their school, they perform better in class, Schulte said.

Highland certainly has a lot that is worth celebrating together, including rising CRT scores, fantastic arts programs and two state championships in athletics, Rodriguez said.

“Unlock the Rhythm” also gave the school a “wow factor,” as students could go home that day and tell their parents how much fun they had at school, Schulte said. Schulte makes sure Highland holds a similar activity every three or four years, so every student gets to participate at least once in their high school career.

“It gives them that energy to have a great start,” he said.