Rock Show 2023 was a Royal Performance

Rock Show 2023 was a fantastic success with students arranging and performing both covers of popular music and debuting original songs. The following is an excerpt from the program that was written by the students.
 
Every year, songs performed in the Rock Show are selected based on a theme. For Rock Show 2023, our theme is We'll Never be Royals, which consists of songs that were released by artists before the age of 20.
 
Compared to the previous years of Rock Show, this year, we, the students, were given a lot more freedom as to how we wanted to perform the assigned songs. It was certainly not easy for us to arrange the songs in our own fashion, as it is much easier to play the songs by imitating how they are originally performed. However, with time and a substantial amount of practices, we were able to focus on our own strengths within our bands, which definitely helped for us to establish each band’s unique identity.
 
Speaking of establishing our own identity as young musicians, it is also interesting to note that in this year's Rock Show, we are performing songs written by our very own students at SJR! Tonight, you will hear the original songs “Afraid of the Truth” by Micah (Grade 10), “This Song is Not About You” by Gregory (Grade 9), and “Half of Me” by Tanner (Grade 11).
 
It is impossible for anyone to be like those who are considered royalty of their respective genres in the music industry. This is because our unique lived experiences impact the ways we interpret the music we listen to and create. By establishing our personal understanding of these songs and performing them in ways that best represent our own identity as young musicians, we can tell our stories through these songs.
 
-Jacob (Grade 12) and Lauren (Grade 12)
 
The Rock Show 2023 Set List

Band: LATE
Royals [Lorde]
Oh! [The Linda Lindas]
deja vu [Olivia Rodrigo]
Afraid of the Truth [Micah (Grade 10)]
I Want You Back [The Jackson 5] / Mmmbop [Hanson]
 
Band: KRONOS
Sleep to Dream [Fiona Apple]
This Mountain [Faouzia]
Mardy Bum [The Arctic Monkeys]
This Song is Not About You [Gregory (Grade 9)]
What Makes You Beautiful [One Direction]
 
Band: XTA-C
Location [Khalid]
Teardrops On My Guitar [Taylor Swift]
Wuthering Heights [Kate Bush]
Wait a Minute [Willow]
 
Band: HEARTBREAKERS
Industry Baby [Lil Nas X]
One Love [Bob Marley]
I Want to Hold Your Hand [The Beatles]
Half of Me [Tanner (Grade 11)]
Jump [Kris Kross]
 
Band: LOVE IS A HIGHWAY
Ocean Eyes [Billie Eilish]
Baby [Justin Bieber]
Complicated [Avril Lavigne]
Crazy in Love [Beyonce]
 
Band: SENIOR CITIZENS
Growing Up [The Linda Lindas]
Signed, Sealed, Delivered [Stevie Wonder]
 
Back
St. John’s-Ravenscourt School was founded in 1820 principally to serve the children of the Selkirk settlers. By 1834 there were forty students, evenly split between boys and girls. SJR has inevitably grown and changed over the years since, though its success throughout has been unimpeachable. We have graduated 18 Rhodes scholars, for example, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II granted patronage and established a scholarship in her name in 1981. Today the programs are as strong as our reputation. A strong academic program is paired with an equally strong attention to the values of stewardship, ethical leadership, and excellence in all areas of academic, social and athletic life.