Our Spring season is nearly halfway and we have an amazing show line-up that we are excited to share with you all! Please read through the entire sign up to stay up to date on the latest School of Rock Ashburn information. We place students in the show that will be educational for the students' musical and social growth. Not every student will get their first choice show. Bands will be cast not only based on first-come, first-served responses but by instrumentation as well.
Seasonal Timeline:
- Season starts the week of February 9th
- MidSeason Showcase - April 12th
- Production Fees - April 15th
- End Of Season Show: TBA
PERFORMANCE PROGRAM
The Performance Program is School of Rock's hallmark music program, where tens of thousands of students enroll each year for ages 11-18yrs old. Read more about our performance program HERE.
METALLICA: MON 6:00-8:00pm
LEAD DIRECTOR: ADAM
The biggest metal band of all-time, Metallica rose to prominence in the 1980s as leaders of the “Thrash Metal” scene, pairing heavy, aggressive guitar riffs with fast, driving rhythms, all punctuated by vocalist James Hetfield’s signature snarl. Their albums Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets are widely regarded as two of the best Metal albums ever recorded. The band found crossover success in the early ‘90s with ambitiously well-crafted songs like Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters, and Sad But True, leading to Grammy wins and mainstream recognition. Metallica was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, and the band’s influence permeates all of the Metal that has come to follow. A must-do show for any aspiring shredders!
PROGRESSIVE ROCK: TUES 6:00-8:00PM
LEAD DIRECTOR: CHRIS
The Prog Show is one of the most challenging School of Rock shows. The term “Prog Rock” can often be interchangeable or associated with “Art Rock”, “Symphonic Rock”, “Progressive Rock”, or “Classical Rock”. In the mid 60s, artists began to use the term “progressive” to describe how their music progressed beyond the standard Pop music formulas that the music industry called for at the time. By abandoning typical Pop traditions and incorporating new instrumentation and compositional techniques, the “Prog” genre, albeit broad, became more defined by the late 60s. Artists began producing longer albums that featured extended solos, higher instrumental skill, fantasy-like lyrical content, and unique instrumentation. King Crimson’s 1969 album In The Court of The Crimson King arguably defined the genre as it tied many of the elements associated with the growing definition of “Prog” into a cohesive vision. The Prog genre truly established itself by the mid 70s with Prog-pioneers such as King Crimson, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Genesis, and Jethro Tull. Groups like Pink Floyd and Yes contributed to this growing movement with albums such as Dark Side of the Moon and Close to the Edge. Many variations of progressive styles of music have emerged since the end of the classic era, as '80s groups like Queensryche, Dream Theater, and Kings’ X later influenced the heavy prog scene popularized by bands such as Opeth, TOOL, The Mars Volta and Coheed and Cambria. The Prog Show is geared towards more experienced students, but will propel beginner and intermediate players’ ability to higher standards.
THE BEATLES: WED 6:00-8:00PM
LEAD DIRECTOR: ERIC
John! Paul! George! Ringo! Arguably the most musically diverse and iconic band of the 1960s British Invasion, The Beatles set the standard for which bands still strive in today’s music. The Beatles are one of the few bands to literally create their own mythos - the lads from Liverpool are as enigmatic intellectually as they are musically. This show doesn’t merely center around the most well-known band of all time, it also happens to employ the most diverse musical range and skill-level window of any artist show. There are raucous three chord garage rock bangers of the early Beatles era, and late sixties era proto-prog technical masterpieces. Drummers will learn the true artistry that is Ringo’s style; bassists will be blown away by Paul’s melodic yet rhythmic bass lines; guitarists will know the sophistication and complimentary guitar skills of John and George which are interwoven in every selection; and vocalists will understand the brilliance of their harmonies. With great material for all instruments, The Beatles show is a can’t miss opportunity for any SoR student!
21ST CENTURY INDIE ROCK: THURS 6:00-8:00PM
LEAD DIRECTOR: KEVIN
While “Indie Rock” began as an underground DIY movement in rock and roll in the late 1970s and 1980s, the term began to be used more broadly in the aftermath of Nirvana’s success in the early 90s to refer to any music that fell outside of mainstream tastes - a synonym to the more well-known “alternative” label. By the turn of the millennium, Indie Rock was mainstream, and became defined by the hard-driving garage-influenced sounds of bands like The Strokes, The Walkmen, Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys, Dead Weather, and The Killers. As the 2000s unfolded, Indie Rock evolved to incorporate more varied influences, such as Folk (Grizzly Bear, Brandi Carlile, Phoebe Bridgers), Space Rock (Flaming Lips, Tame Impala, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard), World Music (Vampire Weekend, Florence + The Machine, Arcade Fire) and Electronica (Imagine Dragons, MGMT, St. Vincent). This show celebrates all of the varied sounds of Indie Rock in the 21st Century, and is a great option for students of all instruments and experience levels.
LED ZEPPELIN: SAT 2:00-4:00PM
LEAD DIRECTOR: IAN
Led Zeppelin has been synonymous with being the innovators of the Hard Rock genre. Formed originally as a new version of the British Invasion group The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin quickly took shape to become the most popular rock band in the world, filling arenas and selling millions of albums. The mastermind behind it all was Jimmy Page. As a studio musician, producer, and songwriter, Page recruited Robert Plant (vocals), John Paul Jones (bass), and John Bonham (drums), and began a decade-long journey of prolific songwriting. Songs like “Stairway to Heaven”, “Black Dog”, “Good Times Bad Times”, and “The Ocean” have become rock standards and rights of passage for aspiring musicians. Led Zeppelin’s blend of Hard Rock, Blues, and Folk has remained the primary inspiration for many of today’s rock bands. Any student participating in this show is sure to gain a wealth of musical knowledge and advancement. The Led Zeppelin show has challenges for every skill level - it will turn beginners into intermediates and will transform intermediate players into advanced rockers!
SIGN UP BY CLICKING HERE!!
ADULT PROGRAM
BEST OF THE 80's (18+): SAT 4:00 - 6:00PM
LEAD DIRECTOR: CAROLINE
In the Best of the '80s show, School of Rock will travel back in time to an era of fluorescent clothes, poofy hair, and the best synth-driven pop anthems you will ever hear. On August 1, 1981, music fans were catapulted into the '80s music era by the debut of a cultural phenomenon: MTV. This new music format - the music video - gave old and new artists alike the chance to reach unimaginable numbers of diverse audiences and sell millions of records and cassette tapes. The '80s would not have had its soundtrack without Michael Jackson. Jackson began the '80s on a sonic high that carried over from 1979’s “Off the Wall”, but he struck gold with the worldwide phenomenon that was Thriller. Also making a huge impact on the '80s were super-star Pop acts like Madonna, Prince, and all-girl band The Go- Gos. Gender became less binary and static in the '80s with wildly popular artists like Boy George of Culture Club, Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics, Chrissie Hynde of Pretenders and every hair metal act challenging perceptions of what is acceptable attire or behavior for “male” and “female.” Although pop acts reigned supreme in the '80s, rock bands like Guns N’ Roses, Journey, and Bon Jovi reaped the benefits from the ‘decade of excess’. The Best of the '80s show will feature a diverse mix of styles and artists, and is a challenging and fun experience for students of any instrument or experience level.
Call, Email, or Text the school to sign up!
