Violent Femmes drummer returns to high school alma mater for music talk with students

Violent Femmes drummer John Sparrow returns to his high school to talk with South Milwaukee students about music, touring with a band and growing up in a small town on the shores of Lake Michigan. The Violent Femmes recently announced that they will visit several Wisconsin cities this fall playing in small, intimate theatres, including South Milwaukee High School, home of the professionally-managed South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center (SMPAC).

“Yes, it is a fact that I am a graduate of South Milwaukee Senior High School, Class of 1994,” wrote Sparrow on his Facebook page. “My last name was Wroblewski, which has caused some confusion. Sparrow is the English translation of Wrobel from Polish, and Wroblewski is a rough name to remember so I changed it legally.” He said that his father was also a drummer and used the name Sparrow during his music career.

South Milwaukee Middle School orchestra teacher MaryBeth Garrett says that while John wasn’t in orchestra during high school, she found out that he played drums and invited him to play in several high school musicals. “Music has obviously been a major influence in his life, and we’re excited to welcome him back to share his story with our current students,” she said.

Sparrow will talk about his musical career and tell his personal story to 500-800 high school students at 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3 at SMPAC. He will also meet with middle school and high school music students in their classrooms throughout the day.

SMPAC is located inside of the South Milwaukee High School, 901 15th Ave. in South Milwaukee. For more information, visit southmilwaukeepac.org.