Photo by Erin Sanchez Musician Brian Vander Ark talks to students at Royal Oak High School on Dec. 2. He held a question-and-answer session with members of the Music Recording Club, and performed for the school.

The Verve Pipe singer talks with students, performs at ROHS

By Jennifer Kopsch
C & G Staff Writer

ROYAL OAK — “How long does it take you to write a song?”

“How can I get my music to reach a wider audience?”

“What mistakes have you made along the way?”

On Dec. 5, Royal Oak High School students were hungry for insight into the life of Brian Vander Ark, who visited the school to share his knowledge of the music industry.

Vander Ark, lead singer for the acclaimed band The Verve Pipe, spent nearly an hour answering questions from members of the school’s Music Recording Club. He talked about The Verve Pipe’s humble beginnings playing at frat parties and bars in East Lansing and Kalamazoo in the early 1990s, and the changes that the band went through after it was signed by a major label and had the No. 1 hit song, “The Freshman.”

“You’ve got tremendous hurdles,” he said. “Making that transition was tough.”

Vander Ark described The Verve Pipe’s rise to national success as being put through a “rock star car wash,” as a team of stylists and public relations representatives transformed the band into a more polished and marketable version of itself. Still, he said, it was an exciting time, particularly because of new traveling and performing opportunities.

In addition to The Verve Pipe, Vander Ark has worked on several solo projects, and, in 2001, wrote music for the movie “Rock Star,” starring Mark Wahlberg. Now, he has his own label and continues to tour the country for both solo performances and shows with The Verve Pipe. His experiences made him a fitting mentor for the Music Recording Club, as many of the members hope to embark on their own careers in the music industry.

Some students were curious about how to market their own music projects, and Vander Ark explained that today’s technology has made it easier than ever for musicians to be heard.

“There’s so much you can do right now with the Internet,” he said. “You can do so much on your own. I would highly recommend getting a Web site.”

He encouraged the students to continuously write music and post it to their Web site or MySpace page, as well as create an e-mail list and hard mailing list to keep their fan base updated on new projects.

Life as a rock star isn’t always easy, though, he added.

“The pressure is tremendous,” he said. “You’re only as popular as your next hit.”

The ROHS Music Recording Club was formed five years ago when a student began asking teacher Robert Dietiker, who is in his own band, questions about music equipment.

“Over time, more students started to stay after (school) and ask questions,” said Dietiker. “In an effort to reach more students, we started the Music Recording Club. Through the years we had fundraisers and slowly earned enough money to build our own small recording studio.”

Now, students stay after school each week for lessons and advice from Dietiker, and to record their own original projects.

Dietiker has also arranged for Vander Ark to meet with the club for the past few years.

“Brian and I met while I was attending Western Michigan University. Over the years we became friends and he’s always been very supportive of public schools promoting the arts,” said Dietiker. “A few years ago I asked if he could talk with the students at our high school and maybe answer a few questions, and I was thrilled when he accepted.”

Last year, Vander Ark met up with the club at a local recording studio and the group worked on a song titled “And Then We Fell.”

“That was a cool experience for me, for sure,” said Vander Ark.

Following this year’s question-and-answer session with the club, Vander Ark played an acoustic show for most of the school. One of the songs he performed was “And Then We Fell,” which he polished up and put on his latest album since last year’s recording session with the students.

Music Recording Club member Jasmin Miller, 17, was at the recording session last year and said that it was an important event for her because she wants to be a music producer or engineer someday. She also enjoyed seeing Vander Ark again this year.

“I think his lyrics are amazing,” she said.

Junior Brianna Morgan, 16, added that meeting with Vander Ark and hearing him perform gave her an appreciation for him as a musician.

“It was an excellent experience,” she said. “I have a new artist on my list.”