Ensemble Rocks George Fischer Middle School

The advisors of the Carmel Rock Ensemble club know how much fun the club at George Fischer Middle School can be for the students involved.  Of course they know; the club’s two advisors, George Fischer Middle School Music Teacher Donald “Buddy” Griffith and Aja Broderson, who teaches voice lessons in the community were members of the Rock Ensemble when they were seventh graders.  

“It was in the 2002-2003 school year,” Broderson said. “We sang ‘Take Me to the River,’ ‘Holiday,’ by Madonna and ‘All Along the Watch Tower.”   

At the Carmel Rock Ensemble concert in March, the songs were a mix of contemporary pop, rock and roll covers and even punk, but the advisors made sure all the songs were appropriate for middle school.  

“We cover a variety of singing styles, artists and backgrounds,” Griffith said. “We make sure there are a lot of different instruments reflected in the songs. We try to include current songs because the kids love them.” 

That’s for sure. 

When the 17 student members of the Rock Ensemble performed “Party in the U.S.A.” the entire auditorium joined in the singing the lyrics and waving their hands to the beat. 

So I put my hands up 
They're playin' my song, the butterflies fly away 
I'm noddin' my head like, yeah 
Movin' my hips like, yeah 
I got my hands up, they're playin' my song 
They know I'm gonna be okay 
Yeah, it's a party in the U.S.A. 
Yeah, it's a party in the U.S.A. 

George Fischer Middle School’s enthusiastic students created the kind of audience performers dream of.