Director of Online Learning Christopher Powers adjusts his earpiece before counting down. 3..2..1. The first strum of his bass catapults the band into song. Powers shakes his head softly to the beat, beaming.

     The spotlight shines against the fans’ bright faces—the smiles are contagious. With each beat, the floor vibrates, the hearts beat along. The audience seems to feel the music in their soul. This was the scene March 13 at Reggae Rise Up, a music festival in Vinoy Park. 

     The Hip Abduction is more than a term from anatomy class or the name of your favorite workout machine. It’s also Powers’ band, featured at Reggae Rise Up.  They’ve  risen the charts, recently hitting one million monthly listeners on Spotify. David New, the band’s lead singer, saw it as a “cool name.” Maybe if he ever joined a band, he thought, he’d call it that. 

     Powers and New did start a band, beginning by finding local gigs around Tampa Bay, mostly playing cover songs.

     “I would come in and be a college counselor and teach English classes, and then at night, I’d go off and play gigs and have a good time, make some extra money,” Powers said. But in 2013, what started as a  “good time” turned into a full-time job. 

     Matt Poynter, Justino Lee Walker, Cody Moore and Dave Johnson entered the band. As their band grew, so did their popularity. Their self-titled album hit the Billboard charts, reaching #5 for reggae albums.

     Once 2022 hit and the world had somewhat recovered from COVID, the stage was set for the band to reach even higher. However, Powers knew music wasn’t his only passion. 

      In 2007, Powers joined Shorecrest as Assistant Director of College Counseling while simultaneously teaching philosophy and English classes. But once his band became more of a career than a gig, he needed to learn balance. 

     Powers went part-time in 2016. “A lot of times I’m on tour, but I fly back on Sunday night, and come in Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, work a full week as a part-time person would, and then fly back out,” Powers said. Even if he is only home for 48 hours, Powers still finds his life “pretty awesome.” 

     Even with one million monthly listeners on Spotify, Powers continues to return to the classroom.

     “Being around here and being a part of something is really important to me,” Powers said. “I feel like I lose some of the inspiration I have for [anything other than music], and being here in this controlled environment, I feel like it would be easy to lose yourself in [the music world]. I don’t want to go play in bar bands or play wedding bands — I want to play my music, and I think it’d be challenging to keep my sanity” without the stability Shorecrest provides him.

     Powers also uses the classroom to keep himself from being completely swallowed by the music industry.

     The balance between performing and teaching is, however, fragile.

     “It’s a tough balance. A few times, I’ve had to hire a different bass player to go play with the band so I could be [in the classroom],” Powers said. 

    Once Powers steps foot onstage, the beat of the bass drowns out the image of the ungraded homework on his desk. Music becomes more than a rhythm and a melody — it’s a universal language.

     The band’s audience at Reggae Rise Up is filled with people of all ages and backgrounds, united by this universal language. Kids dance in their parents’ arms in the grass. Fans sway to the Hip Abduction’s most well-known song, “Pacific Coast Highway.” People embrace the message of peace.

     Once everyone’s hands are in the air, making rockstar poses, the community built by music is lit up by the spotlight.

     But in English class, the connection becomes more than the fan and the artist. Powers applies his understanding of lyrics to poetry. His ukulele sits in the corner of his classroom, right by his desk.

     “Every time I’ve ever taught a poetry unit, I’ve brought in a guitar to perform and approach the lyrics as one would approach poetry,” Powers said.

     As music enters his classroom, his students enter the crowd of cheering fans at his concert. Among them at Reggae Rise Up stood sophomore Sanjay Sinha.

     “It’s crazy to see someone that I’m as close to as Mr. Powers [performing]. A couple of days ago, we were working on a project. Now I see him on stage at this big festival. It’s just euphoric,” Sinha said. 

     As Powers takes his final bow and the crowd begins to roar, the spotlight highlights familiar faces. The next day, in the classroom, those same faces glow behind computer screens.