Rodstock is an event that every Kelly Walsh student and teacher is familiar with. Rodstock is an annual spring music festival that takes place in the Kelly Walsh auditorium in which students and teachers alike show off their talents through a wide variety of musical performances.
But, Rodstock was not always what it is today. It all started with an English teacher by the name of Rod Mahaffey singing and playing guitar for his classes one day a year. After Mahaffey moved to Kelly Walsh in 2007, Rodstock started to snowball into the festival it is today; an entire day dedicated to students and teachers showcasing their talents in a judgment free environment. Even after Mahaffey’s retirement in 2012, Rodstock continues to be an annual event to look forward to. Additionally, Mahaffey still makes the trip from Colorado every year to play a few songs during the festival.
One student who has a unique view of the inner workings of Rodstock is senior Ryan Rose. As long as an annual performer, Rose helps with the stage tech crew.
Rose said “I’m glad I’ve been as involved in Rodstock as I’ve been for the past four years. I get to see how much effort and passion is put into Rodstock every year from a small group of committed teachers. Without them and their commitment to the tradition, it wouldn’t happen year after year.”
With his unique perspective, Rose has been very impressed with the continued dedication of the staff that makes Rodstock happen. But that is not Rose’s favorite part about Rodstock.
Rose said “Rodstock is amazing because it’s more than just live performances, it’s a time that Kelly Walsh as a community can come together and celebrate each other for who we are,” he added, “It gives an opportunity for people to see, hear, celebrate, applauded and accept someone who the don’t know and may never have talked to. It’s a reminder that it’s not the brick and mortar that make Kelly Walsh great, it’s the people.”
Rose expressed that he sees Rodstock as a reflection of the real character of the Kelly Walsh community and it’s amazing to see the support of students from people they have never met.
A standout performer from the last two Rodstock festivals was KW student Tyler Bullock. Anyone who knows anything about Bullock knows that he loves the James Bond films. So, it was no surprise that he sang “Skyfall” by Adele last year as it was featured in the 2012 James Bond movie by the same. But, this year, Bullock’s father wanted to try to convince him to sing a non-James Bond song.
“We settled on Monster by James Blunt as an alternative,” his father, Andy Bullock said, “James Blunt means a lot to our family. In the early two thousands when we lived in England, we would listen to a lot of him,” he continued “The song Monsters is about saying goodbye to people you love, and, while we haven’t had any deaths in the family or anything like that, most of our family lives very far away, so it means a lot to us.”
While Tyler didn’t sing a James Bond song this year, he did sing a song that meant a lot to him and his family. Bullock said that he was “not nervous at all,” and his dad explained that he felt this way because he practiced every day and had the song memorized.
Conclusively, the last 15-plus years of the Rodstock festival has been a time where students feel united and heard. It gives students, who may not have a chance to do so elsewhere, an opportunity to express themselves through their musical talents in front of the whole school.
