KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – It was billed as a concert by David Golden’s three Guitar Classes at Keystone Heights High, but it really felt more like a reunion of sorts.

More than a dozen stood shoulder-to-shoulder, as drummers, keyboardists and singers of all skill levels crammed the stage inside the school’s cafeteria on Tuesday, Oct. 1, and they literally rocked the house.

The get-together marked the first time graduates of Golden’s class were able to come back and join fellow musicians from his Guitar 1, 2 and 3 classes.

"This is my seventh year of teaching it, and we got a lot of compliments on this one," Golden said. "The one thing that made a difference is we had somebody helping with sound, so the sound was better. The audience could hear the vocalists better. But overall, the students played well, and they had a great attitude. They were excited about it,  and that translated into a good performance."

“If you can envision, you’re sitting somewhere at a restaurant and you have a concert band and it ends up being a really nice evening,” Principal Laurie Burke said. “Sometimes they do this at a local church or something like that, but when they have the time and it fits at our cafeteria between other events, it’s super cool.”

The Guitar Classes were added to provide alternative options for several students who expressed interest in music but may have been at risk of dropping out of school.

“Not everybody likes school just because of math and English,” Burke said last year. “Sometimes, you have to have something that connects you with school. For a lot of our kids, it’s guitar class.”

Admission comes with stipulations. Every student must pass their other classes. It has become one of the most unique ways to engage students in staying in school and succeeding.

Golden said the concert included 18 students from the beginning class and another 18 from the advanced class.

"Somehow, we try to do a little something for everybody," he said.

Burke said studies show the classes have clearly impacted some students. She said attendance has improved, and the dropout rate has been reduced.

“We’ve got some very big success stories with students here,” Burke said.

On Tuesday, the students shared the microphone for a broad spectrum of songs. Parents, friends and classmates were overwhelmed by the selections and the passion for their craft.

"I don't know if every small town has these guitar players hiding in them," Golden said. "There are at least seven or eight students who play way better than I do. It's amazing to see what they can do, how quickly they can pick up a song and really excel at it.

"The nice thing about the classes is that they're bringing those students out, and they're encouraging them to build their skills and keep going. I wonder if this is true of every small town like Keystone, or if we just happened to hit a spot with Keystone where there are a half-dozen good guitar players."

Music has become more than a graduation requirement for many in Golden’s classes. It’s become a life option that, until recently, was never considered.

The music class has become comfortable creating their own sounds and playing in front of their friends and classmates. Some are allowed to play during their lunch break.

“When you’re at lunch, you feel like you're not at school for a few minutes,” Burke said. “You’re not working. You're just relaxing and enjoying life.”

The students in Golden’s Guitar 1, 2 and 3 classes have learned a newfound love for school – one note at a time.