By Divya Kumar
News Editor

When people think of rock stars, the image that often comes to mind is of a lazy, hardcore musician, without a care in the world. When one looks at Brian Rohloff, a history teacher aide and 1998 Coppell High School graduate, the image of rock star does not seem to fit.

Rohloff did however have his time as a star, serving as a lead singer for a series of years. His career in music, however, started much before that.

“I didn’t sing much before I met my best friend as a junior,” Rohloff said. “I was initially shy with my craft, but we started performing in front of family and eventually I was ready to hit the stage. It didn’t take long to realize how much I loved singing in front of people.”

Shortly after graduation, Rohloff created the band 40 Percent. Already aware of his bass player, the two of them tracked down a drummer and guitarist. After the breakup of 40 Percent some time later, Rohloff received another opportunity to be the lead singer with Miser, a band which had already been formed, but had recently fired its lead singer.

Along with Miser, Rohloff had the opportunity to travel to places around America to play.

“Going on tour was amazing,” Rohloff said. “But it’s not all glamour. Band life is full time—it takes hard work and dedication. There were days spent sleeping, I did travel around in a bus, and it could certainly be grueling. But some experiences cannot be shared by everyone and for these I am forever grateful.”

Miser has performed at a variety of different venues and has shared the stage with many bands such as Muse and 30 Seconds to Mars. Along with that, it has released one independent record, Colors. After its release, Miser was discovered by an independent record label and through them, the record was re-released nationally.

“This [re-release] was supposed to be the next step towards reaching greater heights,” Rohloff said. “But it never really worked out as I had hoped.”

After three years of singing with Miser, Rohloff decided it was time to call it quits and rejoin school to continue his education.

“There was only so far that we were getting,” Rohloff said. “We all have a timeline, and time was running out for that chapter in my life. It has always been important for me to ultimately finish my education and I realized that time was upon me.”

When thinking about an alternate career choice, Rohloff’s choice was unsurprising.

“It’s been sort of a legacy in my family to teach,” Rohloff said. “My father was a history major, and I’m hoping to become a history teacher.”

 Choosing to be teacher aide American History teacher, Mike Amick, will help to further Rohloff’s decision. Besides just the subject of history, both Rohloff and Amick have more in common, both members of bands and using their previous musical experience to propel their teaching.

“Performing in front of a crowd is a reciprocal process,” Rohloff said. “The crowd feeds off my energy as I feed off of theirs. This is exactly how it works in the classroom and why I am so excited about being an educator.”

Rohloff’s former life as a lead singer has come as a surprise to many students.

“I’d heard of a couple of the songs by Miser,” junior Davy Mares said. “But when I heard that the lead singer was a teacher assistant at the high school, I was so surprised. I never expected someone who was on my iPod to be someone that taught at my school.”

With his career in the music business a thing of the past, Rohloff now eagerly looks forward to furthering his interest in teaching history, and maybe even pursuing a Masters in Special Education later in life.

“If there was anything I’d want to advise students, it would be to follow their dreams,” Rohloff said. “But in the process, don’t give up school. While it may not seem like it’s the most important thing, it’s only a small portion of life and has the ability to change the rest of it.”