Behind The Music: Students Produce Online Hit Honoring Baltimore Ravens

It's a music video whose popularity seems as improbable as the success of the underdog Baltimore Ravens team it honors. Called Tick, Tock, Ravens Rock, the red hot tribute to the Super Bowl team is the work of two College Gardens Elementary students who led their parents and friends to YouTube and media success. If by chance you haven't seen it the video, you're probably in the minority in Rockville, M.

It all started Sunday night, January 20, 2013, when the Baltimore Ravens upset the New England Patriots to become the AFC Conference Champs. Thrilled by the  Ravens unexpected march to the Super Bowl, nine year old Lexy and 11 year old Claire went to work writing a tribute song. The theme: the Ravens' upcoming battle in New Orleans against the San Francisco 49ers.

Claire and Lexy stayed up late, way past their bed time, writing their own lyrics to Ke$ha's Tik Tok.  In their version, Tick Tock Ravens Rock, "San Fran, we will stop, Baltimore's on Top."  Other catchy lyrics include, "Tonight we're going to fight until we see victory. Tick-tock goes the clock. Ravens just can't be stopped."

It wasn't enough just to write a song. The two then conspired to convince their friends, family and neighbors in King Farm to star in a music video. As psyched as everyone was, it still wasn't easy to organize a dozen children, their parents and even a dog named Raven to dance, sing and perform on cue. The rehearsals, performances and taping took all weekend. The neighbors, all passionate about the team, are now called "The Rockville Raven Maniacs."  The goal was to have the video finished and posted on YouTube by Monday morning--giving it most of a week to get popular--and maybe even go viral before the Super Bowl.

Within 24 hours, the music video received thousands of views and had even been featured on Washington DC's 94.7 FM The Tommy Show.  It was also posted on NBC4's Facebook page.  And of course, the story is appearing here, in the Patch! Some TV reporters in both Washington D.C. and Baltimore have expressed interest in airing the music video later in the week. Social media played a large part in the video's success. Owners of On The Marc Media, a public relations company in Rockville and parents of two of the kids sponsored the video.  Everyone involved posted it to Facebook and Tweeted about it, then asked their friends and family to do the same. Some even sent it to celebrities, asking them to share it. By the way, if anyone is friends with Olympic superstar Michael Phelps, actor and Baltimore native Josh Charles, Marlyand Governor Martin O'Malley, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti or any of the Ravens players, please feel free to pass along the video's hyperlink. 

The results have been amazing. All of the students involved are getting recognized at school. More and more people are sharing it online---and people are leaving compliments (and even some complaints by 49ers fans) on Facebook and YouTube.

In the meantime, the Rockville Raven Maniacs are getting ready to cheer on the team in the Super Bowl, while Lexy and Claire try to figure out an even bigger follow-up if their beloved Ravens win.