Our First Rock Friday song this year was Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” featuring Kendrick Lamar. This song was an immediate hit with our program. The girls liked it because what middle school girl doesn’t want to be Taylor Swift, and the guys were still engaged because they could rap.
First, Mr. Brad reproduced the song in GarageBand, so the kids had their own backing track they could use. Next, the kids split up into different groups- vocalists, pianists, and drummers. The great thing about Rock Friday, is that the curriculum is built so any student can join any group. You can modify the content based on your skill level. So if this is your first day on the piano, just play the sections of the song that you are most comfortable with- maybe just the chorus. For students with several years of piano lessons, they may try to tackle the entire song. Here is the Rock Friday song sheet, that highlights the drum and piano parts. Bad Blood Parts-2
Earlier in the week, we will introduce all parts of the song, and have every child learn it. For example, we will get out our drum pads and drum sticks, and every child will be exposed to the main drum beat. That way on Rock Friday, they can immediately get to work mastering the music, and time isn’t wasted with part introductions. We also post videos online, that students can use at home and in class to assist with music learning. This gives students that aren’t involved in private lessons more of an equal footing in the classroom. If they are really interested, they can watch and practice at home, so they can participate confidently on Rock Friday. Here are a few of our practice videos for Bad Blood!
Drum Part- Bad Blood
Drum Part- Piano
Piano performance with backing track
Rising Starr Middle School Chorus 