High school music director Benjamin Sands Jr. wants his students to live out the meaning behind the go-go song they played in his class: "Bring it Always."
Sands was inspired to write the piece after asking a fellow musician in New York what it was like to play there.
"He said, 'well, at every concert you have to bring it always.' I said, okay I like that." Sands told ABC7 News.
Now he hopes students around the city will feel the same way about his song.
"It's a song that will make you want to dance," said 17-year-old singer Kunmi Balugun.
"All D.C. high schools should learn that song 'cause I really feel like that could be the anthem for all D.C. Public Schools," said 14-year-old Malachi Walker.
Sands, who has served as music director at Coolidge High for 37 years, recently joined high school musicians from around the city to perform "Bring it Always" as an honors ensemble.
"It went better than expected," said Walker.
"Most of the students are drummers so they had to learn the clave which is the cow bell part," Sands said.
For Walker it was a chance to embrace the keys to a successful performance.
"I felt like I had to be focused, I had to be ready, and energized," said Walker.
Sands plans to record the song soon with the hope that it will become an anthem for DC Public Schools.