The auditorium of the Daisy Shadburn Fine Arts Center on the campus of Buford Academy was filled with the sounds of rock ‘n’ roll just as the school year was coming to an end.
The shows capped off the work of Buford Middle School’s chorus classes taught by Ms. Merideth Drake for the 2020-2021 school year. Students in sixth through eighth grade all came together for the performances.
Students channeled their inner rock stars as they sang and performed choreographed dances to popular rock ‘n’ roll songs from the earliest days of the genre all the way to the present day in the production called “Dateline Rock ‘N’ Roll.”
The show moved through the decades, with each decade cleverly introduced through a large group performance with speakers giving highlights in a news or “Dateline” format. The songs representing each decade were audibly and visually pleasing with talented soloists, beautiful choreography and costumes suited to each song.
The 1950s were represented with songs like “Rock Around the Clock” and “Johnny B. Goode.” Moving into the 1960s, two songs, “Sound of Silence” and “Come Together” were performed beautifully.
Four songs represented the 1970s with perhaps the most memorable performances coming from Quinton Hallen with “Piano Man” and a very spunky Peyton Williams singing and dancing to “Proud Mary.”
The 1980s was rocking out in the typical big rock songs of that decade. Songs like “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “I Love Rock & Roll,” “Shadows of the Night” and “Don’t Stop Believin’.”
“Yesterdays” and “Allstars” were the sounds of the 1990s. Some of the best vocal performances of the night came at the end in the 2000s as Tanner Moon played the piano and sang “A Thousand Miles,” as well as the show ending “Bring Me to Life” sang by Kylie Dombrowski.
Every child gave it their all and it showed as audiences were engaged beginning to end. Drake and the other staff members who worked tirelessly can be proud as the production was a stellar way to end the 2020-2021 school year.
