Peace (Rocks and) Rolls!

by Alyssa Gibbs

Walk by the Williston music room during seventh period and you can’t help but groove to the sounds of student musicians mastering their instruments and practicing their vocals. In and outside of practice, Landmark’s student band, Peace Rolls, continues to wow crowds with tight rhythms, collaborative process, and multi-instrumental talents.

Comprised of five members, seniors Jack B. (vocals/guitar/drums), Liam H. (vocals/ guitar/drums), and Blade S. (guitar), and juniors Carter L. (bass) and Bini H. (keyboard/vocals)—Peace Rolls is well known around the High School campus for its exciting performances at dances, musical shows, and community events.

Jack and Liam, both planning on pursuing music after high school, take turns on lead vocals, covering everything from Pink Floyd and The Grateful Dead to Jimi Hendrix and Sublime. But their setlists don’t just include classic rock. For the Holiday Concert, Peace Rolls took on the challenge of interpreting the iconic “Lucy and Linus” music from A Charlie Brown Christmas. They worked off the original riff and collaborated to add instrumentation and solos to make the scaled down version more like their amped-up sound, while keeping the keyboards a focus.

The band class is in its second year. Music Director and Course

Instructor Nate Efinger said that the goal for students in the class is to “get comfortable with crucial feedback and peer-to-peer interaction while contributing to the larger project. It’s a way to practice social communication skills through the outlet of musical expression.” He continued enthusiastically, “They want to perform all the time. We have lots of opportunities on campus, but a larger goal is to get them off campus and performing for audiences outside the Landmark community.”

Look for lots more Peace Rolls performances this year, including at Ensemble Night (March 1) and Senior Showcase (June 1). BOOK-OPEN