It all started four years ago, when an additional act was needed to extend the annual Christmas assembly. It later turned into every middle-aged male’s dream—a chance to become a rock and roll star.
This is the story of Geezer—a rock band composed of Eastview Middle School teachers, who found a way to add a little rock ’n’ roll to their school and, in the process, push their own learning envelopes in a musical way.
With the Christmas assembly fast approaching, several teachers assembled for two hasty after-school practices and Geezer was ready. Although the school principal was fresh off hip surgery and the other band members were on the verge of panic attacks, Geezer hit the stage.
Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” probably never sounded quite like it did that afternoon. Wrong notes, forgotten lyrics and what could only be described as amateurish choreography all came together in a musical mélange that had many staff members howling with laughter and the students cheering. The band wasn’t booed off the stage and we had successfully filled the 20 minutes we needed to dismiss the students on time for holiday break. Mission accomplished!
The repercussions from Geezer’s first gig were immediate and surprising. There was an actual buzz in the hallways around Eastview, even in the ultra-cool Grade 8 wing. Students and staff wanted to know when Geezer would play again. We had a lot going for us—to begin with, we had nowhere to go musically but up, and just how cool is it for a student to have the school principal play bass guitar in a rock band?
Geezer was one big break away from making it to the big time (at least in our minds). The break came the next year when we added a new band member, one who could actually play music. The original members of Geezer were ready for the next step—riding our new band member’s coattails all the way to the top. Three assemblies and another year later, we were invited to perform at the school year-end band concert, to be held at the Red Deer College Arts Centre, where the adults in the audience would not be fellow teachers.
Our adrenalin levels were extremely high when we hit the stage. Our usual quick and dirty version of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” turned into some strange ballad that was a cross between Ozzy Osbourne and Opus’s “Life is Life.” However, again to our surprise, the audience loved us.
Since the “Debacle at RDC” (as we like to call it), Geezer has evolved. We continue to perform at school assemblies and we’ve begun playing at school and sports fundraisers.
What started as a gag to fill time at a school assembly has turned into a chance for some middle school teachers to challenge themselves in an area that is so far beyond their expertise that it’s truly scary. This is a good thing. It challenges us to learn new things. It also reminds us how our students might feel unless we prepare them to take risks. The outcome of this experiment has benefited our school, our staff and our students, which means that being a Geezer isn’t so bad after all.
