Students are given the chance to express themselves as teachers help them to tune into their creativity.

The rhythmic drum beat sets the stage for the performance. Five girls in school uniform－a drummer, two guitarists, a bass player and a vocalist－from Haiga Primary School in Guizhou province perform a cover of a Miserable Faith single, appropriately named, Sing for You.

Their talent has given them high hopes as has the location of their school: About 2,900 meters above sea level, located half way up a mountain in Liupanshui, it is nicknamed as "the school in the clouds". Most of its students are from the Yi ethnic group.

Their video clip has become an overnight online sensation, and has been viewed about 60 million times on micro-blogging platform Sina Weibo.

On June 19, Miserable Faith, a well-known indie rock band in China, reposted the video with the comment: "Every angel loves beauty. There will be a larger stage for you in the future."

Miserable Faith contacted teacher Gu Ya who posted the video and invited the girls, who formed the band, Weizhi Shaonian (meaning "unknown youngsters"), last year, to sing on stage with them.

In the footage, their classroom is the stage, and their performance attracted dozens of pupils at the school. Many internet users commented that "this is the real-life School of Rock". This refers to the hit 2003 movie in which substitute teacher Dewey Finn, who is a wannabe rock star, turns his class into a rock band.

Behind the Haiga rock band, Gu, who has taught Chinese language since 2016, is the real-life Finn, bringing music to students in the mountain. Besides being a teacher, he is also the guitarist in a local rock band called Osmosis.

He never expected that the school band would be as popular as it has become and the sudden fame has disrupted school life. Fame and its burdens may have their place, but school is not one of them.

"If you really like us, please leave us alone," Gu says, adding that he refuses any kind of commercial cooperation.

"We are just playing music for fun," says the 32-year-old teacher, adding that, at first, he just wanted to find a way to relate with his students.

"Those who live in the mountains, especially students and teachers, are lonely, and music can connect people," he explains.

Uplifting tools

A music school graduate from Liupanshui Normal University and a guitarist, Gu became a Chinese teacher at Haiga Primary School in 2016.

In 2014, the school had fewer than 20 students and only one teacher, Zheng Long, who is also the principal. With no electricity or running water at that time, it was difficult to recruit teachers and parents would send their children to another school.

Zheng persuaded several teachers, including Gu, to teach at the school in 2016. That year, the school attracted more than 60 students. Now it has more than 120.

Gu's first impression of the school was that the students were too shy, quiet and reluctant to engage in conversation.

The ice-breaking moment came when Gu played guitar in his office. Students were immediately impressed, not least because it was the first time many had seen a guitar in their life.

Their curiosity inspired Gu to "open their heart through music".

"I am also from the countryside and rural education hasn't changed much from my time," Gu says.

In early 2018, a music program was launched at the school. Every day, the students receive one-hour music class.

With no budget for musical instruments, Zheng went to borrow a guitar, a drum kit and audio gear from a nearby school, located at the foot of the mountain.

"At first, they were too shy to move their bodies with the music or even to look at each other," Gu recalls.

To help students interact, or play as a band, Gu organized for them to watch a video recording of a live show by American metal band Dream Theater.

"I want to break down the stereotype about rural children. They can rock and be cool," Gu says, adding that music boosts their confidence.

On a wall in front of where the students are given music class, the teacher painted "Rock School", "Music" and "Rock me too" in bright colors.

This year, a new building went into operation, which included a room dedicated to music teaching and performance.

Forming community

In September 2018, the school's first band was formed to encourage more students to learn music. Consisting of five girls, the band was called Yu, which means "encounter".

Gu hoped that playing music together in the band would give his students a sense of enjoyment and a new experience.

He has posted some of the band's practices on his Sina Weibo account and WeChat moments, which has attracted widespread attention. Over the past two years, more than 200 instruments, including guitars and basses, were donated by companies, organizations and individuals to the school.

Students in Grade 1 and 2 learn ukulele and guitar, and students from Grade 3 to 5 are taught drums, bass and tambourine.

In March last year, the Yu band was invited to attend the recording of a TV program in Tianjin. It was the first time they had been on a plane, or even out of their province. They performed a song written by their teachers, called Song of Haiga.

In July last year, the five members of Yu graduated from the school. Following them, the second band, Weizhi Shaonian, was formed to pass on the musical torch.

"Many of the students will not continue to study music after graduation. I just hope that this will be a great memory when they grow up," Gu says.

What warms Gu's heart is that music makes such a difference to children in the mountains, who have limited contact with the outside world.

Li Meiying, Yu's pint-sized guitarist, says in a video posted online that music gives the children a chance to relieve some of the stress they feel at school. "I love the community we've formed through music," she says, adding that "I hope our band will stick together in the future".

For Gu, music brightens the life of both the teachers and students at Haiga, and he invites more teachers, especially those in the countryside, to get music into education.