Destination Rock ‘n’ Roll 4th Grade Musical May 14, 2014 Song 1: Destination Rock ‘n’ Roll (Opening) Scene 1 Logan C (K): Rock ‘n’ Roll music is so much fun. It has a great history based in many places around the United States. Jayce (O): Tonight, we are going to imagine ourselves visiting all around the United States. First stop, Memphis, Tennessee! Jacob (D): We visit Sun Records to hear “Blue Suede Shoes” by Elvis Presley. Lillie (H): Elvis Presley was a poor boy from Tupelo, Mississippi who loved blues music. Madison (O): “Blue Suede Shoes” was the first song in its style to make it to the top of the pop charts. May (F): Nobody knew where this new sound was going to take us. Madilyn (K): But with Elvis Presley as our guide, we knew the destination would be Rock ‘n’ Roll! Alaina (H): And it sure was! This new style of music quickly became very popular all around America. Abby B (H): Our next stop will be Cleveland, Ohio in 1944. Ben (O): For the first time, a radio deejay decided to play a rhythm and blues record on a pop radio station. Juliet (K): In 1950, this new style of music was dubbed “Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Alan Freed. It brought people together better than ever! Adam (F): Our third stop is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1957. Landon (F): Dick Clark started American Bandstand, a TV show for new groups and artists. Deuce (F): If they were lucky, the new groups could perform on TV, like Buddy Holly, who sang Peggy Sue. Aliyha (D): We hope you enjoy listening to “The Birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Song 2: Birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll Scene 2 Steven (H): Our next stop is Detroit, Michigan. It’s nickname was Motor City USA because of all the car assembly lines there. Nevaeh (K): From the nickname Motor City, Detroit got a shorter nickname, Motown. Bryn (D): There, a smart producer named Berry Gordy changed history. Mollie M (F): Berry Gordy blended Rock ‘n’ Roll sounds with sounds of soul music to create a new kind of music: Motown! Rayna (O): 75% of the records he released were on the pop charts. That’s pretty impressive! Payten (D): In the 1960s, Motown was at its peak of popularity. Nick (K): The top groups of the time were Diana Ross and Supremes and the Temptations. Trinity (O): A bit later, in the early 1970s, a new group of young brothers started gaining popularity. Pypehr (O): They were the Jackson 5, and they were led by the high register vocals of a very young Michael Jackson. Katelyn (K): The Jackson 5 would help Michael grow up to become a huge star – the king of pop! Molly K (F): Overall, Motown was a huge part of popular music in the 1960s. Song 3: Motown, Rockin’ in Rhythm Scene 3 Alex (D): In the 1960s, Motown wasn’t the only popular place for music. People started to really enjoy music from England. Sommer (K): The 1960s are also known as the British Invasion. Noah (K): This is because so many popular groups from England traveled to the United States and became huge starts. People in the US would scream at them wherever they went! Jordan (F): I bet you’ve heard of them. You know! The Beatles! Abigail R (F): And along with the Beatles came some others, like the Rolling Stones, the Who, and Queen. Max (O): The British Invasion sparked a huge change in Rock ‘n’ Roll music. Anthony (D): The artists really tried to experiment with their sounds and try new things. Brie (F): The Who decided to make one of their albums a story, so that all the songs work together to explain about this kid named Tommy. Gavin (K): When artists make all of their songs flow together with one idea, it is called a concept album. Noah Z (O): In the 70s, another British band wrote a 5 minute long experimental song. Chloe (F): Nobody thought it would be very popular since it was so long. Amanda (O): Freddie Mercury, the writer, gave a copy to his friend who was a DJ in London. Tori (K): His friend, Kenny Everett, played the record and it was a colossal hit! It made Freddie’s band, Queen, super popular. Melody (K): They ended up becoming one of the greatest rock bands ever. Hey, that’s what friends are for, right? Song 4: British Invasion Scene 4 Addison (D): And on we travel to another destination of rock ‘n’ roll: Los Angeles, California! Taylor (H): Three brothers, their cousin, and a family friend decided to write music together. Ellie (K): Being from California, they wanted to write songs about sand, sun, and surf. Oh, and the girls they liked! Mickele (F): They called themselves the Beach Boys and helped make Rock ‘n’ Roll very American again. Kourtni (O): They were very influenced by the music of the British Invasion. Caleigh H (K): They even talked about using the Beatles’ music to get new ideas. Randi (D): And even after the Beach Boys, Los Angeles remained the main location for hit music in America, even through today! Hailee (O): In Los Angeles, a crazy group of guys called The Monkees made fun music and a silly TV show, too. Jolie (D): They were a huge hit! Their song “I’m a Believer” is timeless. Caitlyn (O): A band called Smash Mouth did a cover of it in the early 2000s for the movie Shrek. Zach (K): Some of the experimentation from the British Invasion made for some weird sounds called psychedelic music. Lillian (O): The experimenting with music even continued into the 1970s, especially in San Francisco, California. Kylee (K): All the music from Los Angeles and San Francisco guaranteed permanent spot in the destinations of rock ‘n’ roll. Song 5: Rock This Town: L.A. Scene 5 Brooklynn (H): It’s pretty cool that Rock ‘n’ Roll started at as something purely American! Abby (O): Now, rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t stay in the United States or in England. It travels around the whole world! Lexi (F): Whether you are in Kansas City or Clarksville… Mackenzie (O): ...Or if you’re in Detroit or Texas... Joseph (O): ...Or New York City or Los Angeles... Ruby (D): …or if you are in Latin America or Australia… Elizabeth (H): …or if you are in Europe or the South Pacific… Anna (K): …or even if you are in Africa or Asia… Brayden (O): Rock ‘n’ Roll is a great kind of music to get you moving, and it is here to stay. Song 6: Rock ‘n’ Roll Planet Words about last song and leaving Song 7: Destination Rock ‘n’ Roll (Reprise) .