Young sibling band rocks out to Rammstein and....Medieval classics?

I came across this article that highlights a sibling band called the "Children Medieval Band," with siblings Stefan (9), Olga (8), and Cornelia (5).  They all play a number of instruments and practice and perform covers of their favorite songs.  Their parents have modified some of the lyrics of the songs, making them more appropriate for the young trio.  Check them out!

The Children Medieval Band Rock Out Rammstein Tunes

If you think there’s no correlation between metal and cuteness, you’ve yet to witness the Children Medieval Band rocking out covers of their favorite Rammstein classics.

The adorable trio is made up of three siblings, with the wee drummer Cornelia clocking in at a whopping five years old. Stefan, the elder-statesmen of the group, is nine years old and plays a bevy of instruments from violin to keyboard, to trumpet and xylophone. His eight year old sister Olga rocks the violin and keys as well.

According to some stats posted by the trio’s parents on their YouTube page, the three children practice music an hour a day and look tense because they are concentrating on their recordings and they don’t really like “shake-butt” music. Future metalheads in the making?

As far as any concerns for their youngsters playing Rammstein tunes, their parents say that the children are well-rounded and love everything from Little Richard to Rammstein. They feel that the “unique combination of immense power, tension, glorious themes and subtle infusion of good taste romanticism, makes them [Rammstein] the best musicians of the past 20 years.”

Thanks to MetalInsider.net for turning us on to these mini-metalers!



Performing "Ich Will" by Rammstein:     Performing "Mon Amy" by Tielman Susato, a Medieval song:  

New Documentary Depicts Fan’s Quest to Meet Metallica’s Lars Ulrich

A new documentary titled ‘Mission to Lars’ centers on Tom Spicer, a learning disabled man who goes on a quest to meet his hero, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich. Spicer has Fragile X Syndrome, which is a sort of autism, and is helped on his journey by his brother and sister.

Kate and William Spicer hit the road with their brother Tom, traveling from the UK to Los Angeles, Las Vegas and beyond.  “We had this fantasy of hitting the road with Tom and recreating some of the magic of our teenage years cruising around in £100 cars, eating Burger King and listening to heavy metal on the tape deck,” says Kate. “We thought it would be fun, bonding. We wanted to do something good for our brother. We were also sick of him endlessly asking.”

Kate is a journalist and William a filmmaker, so they have experience in the music industry, but still ran across numerous obstacles in trying to fulfill their brother’s dream. Mencap, the British charity who works with learning disabled individuals, were involved in the making of the film.

The movie’s website says ‘Mission to Lars’ tells the story of the confusing family dynamics around learning disability, and portrays Tom as a complex and likeable character, and not as someone one sees first as learning disabled and everything else second.

In addition to entertaining the audience and raising awareness, ‘Mission to Lars’ is also giving all the profits from the film to Mencap. In June, there will be theatrical screenings of the documentary, which will also be used as outreach opportunities. The soundtrack includes music from Bob Dylan, Devandra Banhart and Blur.

Lars Ulrich himself has seen the movie, and according to the Spicer family, he likes it. Sounds like an interesting documentary with a great message for a worthy cause. In addition to some British screenings, the filmmakers plan on taking ‘Mission To Lars’ on the road.

Alice Cooper Speaks to School Board About the Importance of Music

Alice Cooper rocks Paradise Valley School Board meeting 

by Carina Sonn 

Bio | Email | Follow: @carinasonn

azfamily.com

Posted on April 6, 2012 at 12:17 PM

PHOENIX -- Valley rock legend Alice Cooper made an appearance at a Paradise Valley School Board meeting on Thursday night.

Cooper was speaking on behalf of The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, a national organization that donates instruments to under-funded school music programs.

The foundation awarded $20,000 dollars worth of instruments to Arrowhead Elementary School. The school received the donation in response to a grant application.

The donation means some student will no longer have to share their instruments.

"There are kids out there that really want to play that just can't afford it and here they are, here's the instrument, put it in their hands and just watch them go. Maybe some of them won't be great musicians but so what - it's something that they're doing that they love," said Cooper.

Jackie Moran, a student at Arrowhead Elementary said, "Music is like my life. I love music so much. We didn't really have a lot of instruments at our school so I'm really happy that we got it."

Cooper, who grew up in Glendale, told the school board that his band started while he was a student at Cortez High School, "The amazing thing is is I see these kids here everybody's got their instruments like it's a prize. You can take this away. Their culture is involved in their art and their music."

Cooper is getting ready to open The Rock at 32nd Street Teen Center in just a couple of weeks. The facility will provide free music and dance lessons to teenagers.

"Basically to get kids in gangs out of gangs and into music," explained Cooper. "We feel that if we can change one 13-year-old kid that will change everything. I mean there's a kid out there right now probably selling drugs that might be the best guitar player in Arizona. He just doesn't know it. So we're gonna put the guitar in his hand and say try this."

While addressing the school board, Cooper had this message for the students in the audience: "Music is way important guys so all of you kids that are learning right now stay with it it's gonna be with you the rest of your life, calculus probably won't be."