Last week we celebrated the birthdays of two singing and guitar playing musicians, Elvis Presley and Kyle Gray Young. We learned about their lives and their music and enjoyed watching videos of both of them performing. Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi. Although his family had very little and struggled through the Great Depression, Elvis found ways to explore his interest in music during his childhood in Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee. When he was 10, he performed in a talent show and won fifth place. Shortly after that, his parents gave him a guitar and music became a serious interest for him. His family listened to country music on the radio, he joined the gospel choir at his church, and listened to and learned from musicians in his community. With this variety of musical influences, Elvis created his own unique style. Although some other musicians of that time were also starting to perform in the new rock-and-roll style, Elvis's charisma and showmanship led to him become known as "The King of Rock-and-Roll." Audiences loved his music, but he was also known for his sometimes controversial dance moves and for acting in 27 movies. When he became a star, he used his money to create a lifestyle of luxury for both him and his parents that was very different from how they had lived when he was a child. He continued to perform and tour until his death when he was only 42 years old. His music continues to entertain audiences and inspire musicians today. Kyle Gray Young is one of our Composer House composers this year. Students loved meeting and learning about songwriting from him earlier this school year. We celebrated his birthday by watching some videos of his performances of both original songs that he has written himself and cover songs that other people have written. We also watched the trailer for the album of new music that he's currently working on, "Time Enough." He already has a lot of young fans looking forward to its release!
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