News from Mr Grady
Today, we’re celebrating all things musical, with students able to come into school dressed either as a musician or band member, or wearing a favourite band/ musician T-shirt. The aim is to raise money for our performing arts department, and I hope we see a real range of different artists and costumes – I don’t what it is that encourages our students to greater and greater efforts on the dressing up front, but it never ceases to astound me. It’s a kind of magic.
Under pressure from several colleagues I have agreed that I will tone down my costume, as I want to break free from the image that I go overboard when it comes to costume days here at RHS. Disappointing, but the show must go on.
I won’t tell you who I’m coming as, but I’ve dropped song titles of my favourite band liberally throughout this newsletter for the eagle-eyed to work it out if you can. I think I’ve managed four song-titles so far, but I’ve got several more paragraphs, so keep an eye out. I’m on a roll: Don’t stop me now.
As I said in the sixth form assembly this week, music really is something quite powerful, whether it’s listening to a favourite piece, or performing, the impact of music on our lives is considerable, and I can well remember the thrill of learning to play power chords on my electric guitar as a teenager and feeling somehow like I was a Rockstar. And as I said to my bandmates in an early sixth form band, when we get it right on stage, we will feel like we are the champions!
I don’t know where guitarists learn to cartwheel their arms and play at the same time, but it just seems innate. And down the years, I can’t tell you what joy I’ve taken from playing in groups or orchestras and coming together with other musicians to rehearse and perform. Indeed in my youth, taking part in musical performance with other band mates, playing in one or two salubrious bars in Coventry always felt a bit Bohemian.
Rhapsody, though is really what music can do – taking one to another place or another time as one listens to the music of one’s parents, or songs associated with friends or specific events. Whatever or whoever you have come dressed as today, I hope our celebration of music itself, and its impact on our lives will make for a memorable day, so that we can really make memories, and not just say of the day, when we get home: “Well, another one bites the dust.”
Have a great week everyone,
Stay safe and well,
With all best wishes,
Mr Grady
