User:Mrrskidsrock

MR R's KIDS ROCK

Mr R's Kids Rock is a music program for young people where pupils learn to write their own music, play live in front of an audience and finally to record their own music to digital recording (CD).

Founded by Craig Rousselot, a native Los Angelino, at Clairbourn School in the Summer Spree program of 2005. the original Kids Rock program allowed young people to explore their musical creativity in a student driven course.

The classes, then moved to the historic Pasadena American Legion Hall, where Rousselot teamed up with San Marino High classmate and long-time bandmate, Tommy Smyth to run the Kids Rock program for girls and boys.

The young people who participated from the original group were mostly middle school students, boys and girls about 8-14 years old. From 2005-2007, the group completed five CDs of mostloy original music. Their best known original is SCHOOL with music by Andrew Alexander and words by Spike Larr, J. Kwong, and Jordan Marks.

Another popular song written by the group is the angst-ridden BORED ( words by Spike Larr and music by Jonathan Kwong).

As the original group went on to high school and now college, Mr R's Kids Rock continued at the Norwalk CYRCC, also known as the California Youth Authority, in the Drake High School unit. Over a three year period, the boys ages 14-17, incarcerated for felony crimes and being tried as adults, would go on to create three CDs.

The Drake Unit Boys wrote and recorded over 20 songs, including the ballad "WILL I SEE YOU AGAIN ON THE OTHER SIDE", words and music by Richard Brown. Brown based the song on the death of his cousin, killed in a gang-related shooting. Unlike traditional gang influenced music, WILL I SEE YOU AGAIN..., is almost ballad-like and is more a tribute to Brown's young cousin and is quite touching and appropriate for most school audiences.

Today, Mr R's Kids Rock has two locations, Pasadena and Rancho Santa Margarita, and has now expanded to include pupils of all ages 0-18. It is also Rousselot's hope to even include adults who wish to participate in BIG KIDS ROCK. also.