Riverside drumline plays at the Capitol during two all-eyes-on-Madison events

Playing for the governor and a joint session of the Legislature would be a highlight of the year for any high school musician. Riverside University High School’s drumline now has played for Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and all the state senators and state representatives twice in just two months, at two high-profile events. 

Riverside students played in the state Capitol for the first time on January 22, for the governor’s State of the State address. They were called back for their encore performance for the 2025-27 Biennial Budget Message on February 18, Fittingly, Evers has declared 2025 to be the Year of the Kid.  

“I just feel we left a good impression, that they asked us to come again,” said Jeremy Reyes, an MPS traveling music teacher who instructs the Riverside drumline and teaches percussion—the fundamentals as well as more advanced percussion for ensembles and concert music. Riverside students also take instrumental classes with band director Nyla Klouda and voice classes with Milena Walker. 

Riverside’s drumline played in the middle of the Capitol rotunda at the beginning and the end of each event in January and February. Although they didn’t have as much room to perform as they usually do, the students still incorporated choreographed moves and stick tricks to give the arriving and departing officials a full show.  

“The kids had a lot of fun and showcased their talents,” Reyes said. “We went out there and did our thing,” regardless of the limited space. 

Riverside sophomore and drumline captain Theodore Davis-Shelby said, “It's an honor to be selected to be a part of some cool stuff in the state. Not many people get to come here, let alone perform. What an honor for our school.” 

When the governor arrives at the State of the State Address and the Biennial Budget Message, “the governor walks by us, and we follow behind him like a little parade,” Reyes said.  

“It was cool for the kids—they were more than just the music,” he added. 

Riverside senior and drumline captain Keshaun Robinson said, “Watching the band and drumline grow has been one of the best things. We went from the bottom to being one of the top drumlines in the city. Going to Madison has been fulfilling, knowing our hard work is getting acknowledged.”  

The Riverside drumline played “Hot Sauce,” a tune from North Central University that was made famous by the battle scene in the movie “Drumline.” It’s a challenging piece to learn, he said, but mastering it gave the students a feeling of accomplishment. “Now you’re playing music that’s for college kids,” he told them. 

The other tunes they played were pieces composed by Reyes and by the students themselves, taking what they’ve learned about music and applying it. Composing pieces gives students a sense of ownership and pride, Reyes observed. 

Riverside is the first high school invited by the Evers administration to Madison for back-to-back performances, Reyes was told.  

The trips to Madison—with Assistant Principal Joseph Sardina accompanying the drumline the first time and Principal Jeffrey Lasky the second time—were another first for a number of the students in drumline. It was their first trip beyond suburban Milwaukee, Reyes said, and seeing the lighted Capitol building on the square and the elected officials gathered inside left an impression.   

The students in Riverside’s drumline represent every grade from 9 through 12 and include two special education students.  

Music as a Steppingstone 

Reyes prepares students not only to make music but to think about how music can help them achieve their goals in life, after their time at the university-prep school. At Riverside, known in part for its many Advanced Placement and UWM Dual Enrollment courses, students can choose a major area of study and a career path, if they wish.  

“There’s opportunity outside of drumming,” Reyes said, who teaches percussion at five MPS high schools and three middle schools and is in the Milwaukee Bucks’ drumline in his free time.  

He lets his students know that music can open doors. Reyes tells them how he attended one of the country’s historically Black colleges and universities on a band scholarship, and that such scholarships can help even students who aren’t planning a career in music. Say a student wants to be a doctor someday, Reyes suggested. “What’s wrong with being in a college band and being in college for free?” he said.