The Kids of Widney High
Encyclopedia
The Kids of Widney High is a music group composed of mentally disabled students from the special education
J. P. Widney High School
in Los Angeles, California
.
s and session musician
s, as it is very difficult for the handicapped students to play musical instruments because the required motor skills and sense of rhythm are inhibited by their disablities. The group originally began as a song-writing class in 1988 taught by Michael Monaghan
, and has evolved since into two groups, one made up of graduates that performs in local clubs and the other a group of current Widney students in the songwriting class.
The group gained a cult following, primarily thanks to their frequent live performances at larger Los Angeles
venues like The Knitting Factory and Amoeba Music
, as well as smaller venues like Chain Reaction in Anaheim and The Smell
in downtown LA. As a result, the group often plays at a number of ska
and pop punk
shows, including a stint on the Vans Warped Tour. The group has also opened for The Melvins
and Mr. Bungle
, and have been included on several editions of the Kevin and Bean
's KROQ
Christmas
Albums. Such notable musicians as Smokey Robinson
, Jackson Browne
, Marilyn Manson
and Adam Horovitz have all cited themselves as fans of the band. http://www.kidsofwidneyhigh.com/press.php?show=ocweekly
In 2005, The Kids of Widney High were featured in the The Ringer, a comedy wherein Johnny Knoxville
's character pretends to be mentally disabled in order to fix the Special Olympics
and gain financially through betting on it. The group is seen performing "Pretty Girls" (which was also written by several members of the group) at a dance, and again towards the end of the film singing a version of the popular 1960s song, "Respect
" in which the lyrics have been rewritten so that it becomes an anthem for those with disabilities.
Their songs have been covered by such groups as The Aquabats
singing "Throw Away the Trash" and Osaka Popstar and the American Legends of Punk
singing "Insects".
They are chronicled in the feature-length rockumentary Act Your Age: The Kids of Widney High Story.
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
J. P. Widney High School
J. P. Widney High School
Joseph Pomeroy Widney High School, known as J. P. Widney High School is a special education magnet high school in Los Angeles, California, part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. This school is named in honor of Dr...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
History
The band consists of several (typically mentally) disabled students on vocals, with the instruments usually being played by non-handicapped teacherTeacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s and session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s, as it is very difficult for the handicapped students to play musical instruments because the required motor skills and sense of rhythm are inhibited by their disablities. The group originally began as a song-writing class in 1988 taught by Michael Monaghan
Michael Monaghan
Michael Monaghan is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Warrington Wolves in the European Super League.He played with the Canberra Raiders from 2001 to 2003....
, and has evolved since into two groups, one made up of graduates that performs in local clubs and the other a group of current Widney students in the songwriting class.
The group gained a cult following, primarily thanks to their frequent live performances at larger Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
venues like The Knitting Factory and Amoeba Music
Amoeba Music
Amoeba Music is an independent music chain with stores in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. Founded by former employees of nearby Rasputin Records, it opened on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley in 1990. The stores are unusually large given their independent status...
, as well as smaller venues like Chain Reaction in Anaheim and The Smell
The Smell
The Smell is an all ages, alcohol and drug-free punk rock/noise/experimental venue in Downtown Los Angeles, California. The Smell, notable for its DIY ethic, is home to many of the area's avant-garde performers and artists...
in downtown LA. As a result, the group often plays at a number of ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
and pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
shows, including a stint on the Vans Warped Tour. The group has also opened for The Melvins
The Melvins
The Melvins are an American band that formed in 1983. They usually perform as a trio, but in recent years have performed as a four piece with two drummers. Since 1984, singer and guitarist Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover have been the band's constant members...
and Mr. Bungle
Mr. Bungle
Mr. Bungle was an experimental band from Northern California. The band was formed in 1985 while the members were still in high school and was named after a children's educational film. Mr. Bungle released four demo tapes in the mid to late 1980s before being signed to Warner Bros. Records and...
, and have been included on several editions of the Kevin and Bean
Kevin and Bean
Kevin and Bean is the morning show on KROQ-FM, an alternative rock-format radio station in Los Angeles, California. It is hosted by Kevin Ryder and Gene "Bean" Baxter. The show has been on the air since 1990 and intersperses music and news with comedy bits, celebrity interviews, listener call-ins,...
's KROQ
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
Albums. Such notable musicians as Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
, Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
, Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson (person)
Marilyn Manson is an American musician, artist and former music journalist known for his controversial stage persona and image as the lead singer of the eponymous band Marilyn Manson...
and Adam Horovitz have all cited themselves as fans of the band. http://www.kidsofwidneyhigh.com/press.php?show=ocweekly
In 2005, The Kids of Widney High were featured in the The Ringer, a comedy wherein Johnny Knoxville
Johnny Knoxville
Philip John Clapp , better known by his stage name Johnny Knoxville, is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, stunt performer, best known for being the co-creator and principal star of the MTV reality series Jackass, with the catchphrase "I'm Johnny Knoxville, and welcome to Jackass."-Early...
's character pretends to be mentally disabled in order to fix the Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
and gain financially through betting on it. The group is seen performing "Pretty Girls" (which was also written by several members of the group) at a dance, and again towards the end of the film singing a version of the popular 1960s song, "Respect
Respect (song)
"Respect" is a song written and originally released by Stax recording artist Otis Redding in 1965. "Respect" became a 1967 hit and signature song for R&B singer Aretha Franklin. The music in the two versions is significantly different, and through a few minor changes in the lyrics, the stories told...
" in which the lyrics have been rewritten so that it becomes an anthem for those with disabilities.
Their songs have been covered by such groups as The Aquabats
The Aquabats
The Aquabats are an American rock band formed in 1994 in Orange County, California. They have released five full-length studio albums and have toured internationally. They are best known for their mythology, in which they claim to be superheroes on a quest to save the world from evil through music...
singing "Throw Away the Trash" and Osaka Popstar and the American Legends of Punk
Osaka Popstar and the American Legends of Punk
Osaka Popstar and the American Legends of Punk is the first, and so far only, album released by Osaka Popstar. The title references the fact that the band includes members of legendary punk bands such as The Misfits, Ramones, Black Flag and The Voidoids....
singing "Insects".
They are chronicled in the feature-length rockumentary Act Your Age: The Kids of Widney High Story.
Discography
- Special Music from Special Kids (1989) Rounder RecordsRounder RecordsRounder Records, originally of Cambridge, Massachusetts, but now based in Burlington, Massachusetts, is a record label founded in 1970 by Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton-Levy, while all three were still university students...
- Let's Get Busy (1999) Ipecac RecordingsIpecac RecordingsIpecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman and Mike Patton Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman (ex-label manager of Alternative Tentacles,...
- Act Your Age (2003) Sossity Music