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KIDS
WANNA
ROCK
Kids blow off after-school
steam by playing sweet
rock ‘n’ roll
By STEVEN SANDOR
Photos by Lyle Best
EVER SINCE BLACK ARTISTS of the 1950s taught us all that
it was OK to take a bit of the blues, and add some R&B
rhythm to it all, rock ‘n’ roll has become one of our most
democratic art forms.
Putting aside the expansive perfectionism of bands like
Pink Floyd or Rush, rock music has been about a low barrier
to entry. Figure out a couple of chords, a paradiddle, and a
couple of the most basic notes on bass, and you’re off. Punk
showed us that it was even better if you made mistakes
along the way — they added character to the songs. Being
in tune or on time was secondary to the music’s message.
And that’s why rock music is a fantastic medium for kids
who want to do an afterschool activity that doesn’t require
sporting equipment. Supported by Edmonton Community
Foundation (ECF), the Rock and Roll Society’s Centre for
Arts and Music brings music instruction to city schools, but
there are no oboes or recorders. It’s about guitars, drums,
bass, vocals and keyboards. It’s about teaching the kids
some basic notes and having them bash out some songs in
pretty quick order.
“We will take anybody and we will turn them into a fully
functioning, performing band,” says Program Manager
and instructor Curtis Ross, whose voice comes across like a
morning radio host. “Even though rock ‘n’ roll is decades old,
at this point, kids are still pretty excited about electric guitars
16 Together we thrive
and amps and hitting drums.”
The program serves about 150 kids across Edmonton.
So, when the kids get the instruments, what are
the first songs they learn? Ross says most parents will
immediately think of the Ramones or AC/DC, bands
that keep things simple. But he said the Ramones songs
are too fast for most kids, and AC/DC, despite the riff-
and-repeat style, are more complicated than the non-
musician may think.
The Cranberries’ political anthem “Zombie” and
Fleetwood Mac’s break-up tearjerker “Dreams” are two
of the songs the kids first learn. They’re not fast songs,
and they’re not packed with chord changes.
“They may not know a chord at first, but they’ll
quickly pick up a couple notes,” says Ross, “Once they
start playing together, all of a sudden you’re performing
a whole song.”
“We know what songs are approachable for a group
of new musicians. Thankfully, the rock catalogue is full
of songs that have very low barriers to entry.”
Amanda Sokol, the Marketing and Communications
Manager for the Rock and Roll Society, recalls a
discussion she had with one of the kids in the program
— the student told her “they promised me rock music,
who doesn’t want to be a rock star?” And Sokol was told