It’s billed, by quite a few folks in Branson, as the city’s first entertainment show aimed directly at kids. Rock U Mentally focuses heavily on environmental matters, but puts a lot of attention on social issues, as well.
Rock U Mentally is enjoying a limited run at Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater on Branson’s Highway 76. It’s staged a dozen shows so far with six more planned for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of both this week and next.
Bucky Heard is one of the creators and stars of the Rock U Mentally show, which he sees as both an entertaining and learning tool.
"Rock U Mentally is a hip, educational, musical production company that focuses on teaching kids about environmental and social responsibility," said Heard. "We kind of lean towards the 70s ‘Schoolhouse Rock,’ ‘Conjunction Junction,’ ‘I’m Just a Bill,’ and ‘I Grew Up With That.’"
Heard sees the mix of entertainment and social thought as an opportunity to teach kids and to instill values.
"When you’ve got a kid’s attention, at that young age, and they’re absorbing everything," said Heard. "That’s the time that you have to teach them something. so, why not, while you have their attention, teach them something of value?"
Why is it important to educate through entertainment?
"What we found is that when the kids listen to our music they begin to ask questions," said Heard. "And they go to their parents and begin to ask questions about the concepts that are taught in the songs."
The show is intended to entertain not only the young people, but their parents, too.
"It’s like ‘Schoolhouse Rock’ meets Chicago," said Heard. "We have a four-piece horn section. Everything’s got horns in it. All the music is really hip, up to date, and fun because we want the parents to have as much fun as the kids."
For information on tickets and show times call Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater at 417-339-3003.