Pubdate: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 Source: Providence Journal, The (RI) Copyright: 2006 The Providence Journal Company Contact: http://www.projo.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/352 Author: Linda Borg, staff writer AND NOW, THIS IMPORTANT MESSAGE Perry Middle School Students Take A Break From Classes To Hear A Rock Band And Its Lessons On Substance Abuse PROVIDENCE -- At first blush, it isn't a match made in : Three hundred middle school students, mostly Latino children from Hartford Park, and The Jonas Brothers, a grunge-rock band from suburban New Jersey. Band manager Nathan Smithson takes the stage at Perry Middle School. It's 9 a.m. "This is taking us back," he says, looking at the crowd of quiet, well-behaved preteens and teens. "I forgot how early middle school starts. Don't be afraid to rock out. Feel free to start a mosh pit." The adults look at one another as if to say, "Mosh pits? Here?" Then the Jonas Brothers -- 13-year-old Nicholas, 16-year-old Joseph and 17-year-old Kevin, stride onto the stage, guitars in hand. They are skinny white kids in jeans and flannel shirts who don't look much older than their audience. As they launch into a classic Green Day-like rock tune, a few girls scream and raise their index and little fingers in the classic devil-horn greeting. Most of these students, raised on 50 Cent and Ludikrous, don't know what to make of these white boys with their electric guitars and unintelligible lyrics. The band tries to make a connection. "How's it going!" one of the Jonas Brothers screams. "Come on! You gotta stand up! We stand for anti-drugs, anti-alcohol. If you see a friend slipping, do something." With that, the band launches into a popular ballad, "I Can't Get You Out of My Mind." The Perry students perk up. A bunch of girls stand and start swaying -- and screaming -- to the music. "Grab the person next to you and get them up!" one of the brothers yells. More students jump out of their seats and begin moving to a heavy, guitar-driven beat. The girls continue to scream. Some point tiny cameras at the band. At first, the teachers stand in the aisles -- all business, no smiling, no moving to the music. Then the rock 'n' roll stirs something deep in their souls (their first Rolling Stones concert, perhaps) and they begin to relax. A couple of teachers urge some of the students to stand up. By the end of the concert, everyone is on their feet. The auditorium is a wall of noise. One boy launches himself into the air and slides across the linoleum. A teacher frowns. Another tries to hide her laughter. The song ends. The applause is deafening. The Jonas Brothers walk off stage and Principal Robert Palombo takes the mike. "Let's not forget the message here," he tells a room of smiling children. "Don't do drugs." Then, David Stanford, a student assistance counselor with the Rhode Island Employee Assistance Program, grabs the mike. This is the second tour band that he has brought to Perry. "These bands are living their dream without drugs or alcohol," he tells the crowd. "And Perry has started its first SADD chapter. That's Students Against Destructive Behavior. We'll tell you how to keep your friends from making stupid decisions." Afterward, John Taylor, one of the guitarists, calls The Journal to talk about how enthusiastic and well-behaved the students were. "It was a very moving experience," Taylor says. "They applauded and had a good time and were really into the music. At some of these polished schools, the kids are jerks. These kids really embraced us." Perry Middle School was one stop among many in The Jonas Brothers Anti-Drug Tour, part of the federal government's "What's Your Anti-Drug" campaign. The tours are sponsored by 12 to 20, a national teen-marketing agency that has brought popular bands to hundreds of school assemblies across the country. Richard Ellis, president and founder of 12 to 20, blends pop acts with good causes. Ford, Levi Strauss and L'Oreal are among the brands that have sponsored the tours. When Stanford proposed bringing rock bands to Perry, the principals were skeptical. After all, they spent the past two years trying to create order out of chaos at the troubled school. "I was like, 'I don't know, I don't know,' " Palombo says. "But then our kids fell in love with the first group. They really listened to the message, which was to stay healthy. Now they are asking us, "What's the next message? Who's coming next?' " Although Perry has come a long way, Palumbo knows there is much more work to be done. "Maybe we affected one kid in a meaningful way," he says. "Is it going to reach all of our kids? No. The big message is to succeed in school. That's what we're here for. If you can't do that with energy and love in your heart, then you should be doing something else." - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin