A battle of the groups: Clifty Creek Primary School students ready to go wild to vote

Clifty Creek Elementary School’s third annual Battle of the Bands is one day away and students will be rocking harder than ever to songs they’ve been writing and recording in music class since November.

The competition is open to the public for the first time this year and will also serve as a fundraiser for schools.

Battle of the Bands will take place on Thursday from 5pm to 7pm outside Clifty Creek, where five classes will perform their own original song with the chance to be voted the winner. Admission is free and there will be food trucks, face painting, arcade games, bounce houses and a photo booth.

The Clifty Creek Rock Band will open and special guest Flat Earth Rock Band will also perform.

Students have already started voting for their favorite song, but at the event, attendees can purchase voting tickets for $1 each and hand them out in a box representing their choice.

The competing classes are Maestra Kim’s second grade class, Ms. Chandler’s third grade class, Maestra Rodriguez’s fourth grade class, Ms. Adams’ fifth grade class, and Ms. Tertocha’s sixth grade class. Those interested can check out the 19-track album that Clifty’s students made on Bandcamp, Soundcloud or by scanning a QR code.

Music teacher Kaila Lifferth, creator and organizer of the Clifty competition, has been teaching at the school for eight years.

When she first started teaching, Lifferth said she “did things in a really traditional way,” but students kept asking her if they could play the guitar rather than instruments like the flute beaked.

At first, she thought, “That’s just not what we do in elementary school,” but the students’ requests grew.

“Then, after enough kids asked me, I thought, why not? Why aren’t we learning the instruments you actually want to learn to play? » said Lifferth. “I still do traditional stuff, I still do folk music, but what kid doesn’t want to learn how to play guitar?

Lifferth used her school budget in 2019 to buy 28 guitars “and then the world stopped,” she said of the pandemic.

It was unfortunate timing, but it provided an opportunity to draw inspiration from a particular 2003 film.

“The whole concept of Battle of the Bands started because I was watching School of Rock during COVID,” Lifferth said.

The first two Battle of the Bands were kept within the Clifty community as Lifferth gathered the equipment required to bring the show to a wider audience.

Lifferth, a trained opera singer, had no guitar experience and taught herself like her students for three years. She teaches students things iteratively (through repetition), starting with a different stringed instrument.

First graders begin learning the ukulele, then in second grade they begin writing songs collaboratively.

The way the writing process works is that Lifferth shows a class pictures and story cards she purchased on the Internet, often sparking a song idea from one of the students.

For example, Maestra Kim’s second grade class saw a picture of a palm tree, a cat, and a magic wand.

“Then we thought as a class: what could we do? What story could we draw from it? Lifferth said. “And then they had the idea that a cat comes into contact with a magician and turns into a mermaid, and then we thought: well, what bad things could happen? Well, maybe there’s a scientist picking on the cat.

From there was born “Mercat,” an odyssey about a half-mermaid, half-cat creature who gets into trouble, but still reserves a little grace for those who wish him harm.

“It’s a real banger,” Lifferth said.

“He purrs perfectly/not what you would expect/kind, smart and so brave/half cat and half mermaid,” the song narrates over snaps and an upbeat ukulele.

Lifferth transformed his office into a recording studio, complete with a neon “Clifty Creek Records” sign.

“I take volunteers and whatever kids want to sing and perform vocals, they come and I plug them into the mic,” Lifferth said.

Fourth grade is where students begin learning guitar, and in fifth and sixth grade, children can join the Clifty Creek Rock Band.

Fifth grader Michael Pickett is in Ms. Adams’s class. He and his classmates are scheduled to play “Magic 8 Ball” tomorrow. The song is about a girl who likes a boy named Chris, who doesn’t feel exactly the same way.

“The boy doesn’t really like the girl and she says to the eight-ball, will Chris like me today? And he said yes, definitely,” Pickett explained of the song.

“I tell Chris he’s the one I love/He tells me to take a hike,” the song goes.

Pickett said he was excited to have the chance to play in front of an audience for the first time, which he will do twice tomorrow night – opening with Clifty’s Rock Band and with his classmates.

What will go through his mind on stage?

“Try not to make a mistake,” Pickett said.

Preston Butler, also in Ms Adams’ class, said it took them a while to learn the ropes of music, but with practice they all saw their skills strengthen.

Fifth-grader Brycon Amick had previously done karaoke with his grandfather, but this will also be his first time performing in front of an audience.

Drake Fox, a sixth grader in Ms. Tertocha’s class, plays bass and contributed chords to “Book Monster.” He began learning to play this school year in Lifferth’s class.

“I like the simplicity, but it can also be difficult sometimes,” Fox said of the instrument.

Daniel Wallace, another sixth grader in Ms. Tertocha’s class, plays guitar and drums and became interested in rock through his father when he was younger. Wallace and Butler told The Republic that “the food” was what they looked forward to most during the Battle of the Bands.

The music-making bug has become so widespread that students now use recess time to write songs.

Using everything they learned gave students a way to express themselves and have a good time doing it, Lifferth said.

“If you want to know what fifth and sixth graders are thinking, you write a song with them and they will tell you exactly what they are thinking,” Lifferth said.