School Spirit:

The Musical

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SongThree: Schoolyard Beat

Schoolyard Beat is the first of the big performance numbers in the musical, and it all but ends the first scene. The entire cast of school students would assemble into five lines facing the audience like a typical Monday morning school assembly, feet marching in time to the musical introduction. While the choruses were running they would side step and rotate in pairs back and forth and wave their arms almost like clock faces. I thought the choreography (not my department) was nice and impressive for this one while still remaining nice and simplistic.

It features the principal, Mr Kelly, and the children Davey Jones, Grace and Brylcreem, who each receive a solo verse each, something I like to do in the plays I've written, giving each major character a solo verse or song somewhere in the show.

Before the song finishes, Casper and Cody get a verse to themselves, one I tacked on at the end because I thought it was mildly humourous if you were musically minded.

Any comments or feedback please direct to the forum.

Cheers.

Schoolyard Beat

Monday morning, still five days of school left.
Five whole days before next weekend.
Lots of noises of girls and boyses and
The pitter patter of the children's feet,
The Schoolyard Beat.

Mr Kelly
Running this school is not what you'd expect now.
They've turned my hair grey overnight.
Principal duties can turn you quite loopy but
You've got to try and take it in your stride.
I think I'll hide.

Monday morning, still five days of school left.
Five whole days before next weekend.
Lots of noises of girls and boyses and
The pitter patter of the children's feet,
The Schoolyard Beat.

Davey Jones
All we kids have to do school work, not cool work.
Can't we go out and play instead?
My reputation's suffered from some inflation but I'm
Not a bad kid once you get to know me.
It wasn't me!

Monday morning, still five days of school left.
Five whole days before next weekend.
Lots of noises of girls and boyses and
The pitter patter of the children's feet,
The Schoolyard Beat.

Grace
The token girl is the role I've been given.
I add a female perspective.
There were a whole lot of boys in the main roles so
They wrote me in so there'd be no fuss
And I add some class.

Monday morning, still five days of school left.
Five whole days before next weekend.
Lots of noises of girls and boyses and
The pitter patter of the children's feet,
The Schoolyard Beat.

Brylcreem
My name is Brylcreem, a little dab'll do ya.
I think I do look so debonair.
This verse is wasted on cheap product placement but
Can you blame us for trying our luck
Just to make a buck?

Monday morning, still five days of school left.
Five whole days before next weekend.
Lots of noises of girls and boyses and
The pitter patter of the children's feet,
The Schoolyard Beat.

Casper and Cody
This is the key change from C to D Major.
It's used sometimes when songs take too long.
It's a musical device to make the song sound nice and
To keep the audience listening in
Until the end.

Monday morning, still five days of school left.
Five whole days before next weekend.
Lots of noises of girls and boyses and
The pitter patter of the children's feet,
The Schoolyard Beat.
Lots of noises of girls and boyses and
The pitter patter of the children's feet,
The Schoolyard Beat.

 

Download a midi file of this third track from School Spirit: The Musical, the original arrangement written for the play.


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