BACK TO SCHOOL...OF ROCK
The Performance Program is School of Rock's hallmark music program, where tens of thousands of students enroll each year. Utilizing the patented School of Rock Method, Performance Program consists of a weekly group rehearsal where kids and teens learn by playing rock music's most iconic songs with a band composed of their peers. Students are assigned songs and parts that are tailored to them based on their age, experience, and ability to learn new skills and concepts. Students then work through their parts in weekly private music lessons, and refine the skills and concepts that those songs introduce. The goal of this curriculum is to prepare kids and teens for live performances. Every few months, Performance Program students take the stage and play at local music venues in front of a live audience.
To contact the school with any questions, or to sign up, please call us at 508-761-5300, or email us at attleboro@schoolofrock.com
Led Zeppelin
Mondays 7-9 pm
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!
One-Hit Wonders
Tuesdays 5-7 pm
One Hit Wonders is a super fun show that students and parents will love! What constitutes a One-Hit Wonder? The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders defines the term as a musical act that registers on the Billboard Pop Top 40 chart once in their career. While there have been One Hit Wonders since the beginning of the Rock and Roll era, this show contains a heavy dose of ‘80s hits like “Come On Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners, “I Ran (So Far Away)” by Flock of Seagulls, and “Take On Me” by a-ha. There are also some ‘70s gems, such as “Mr. Big Stuff” by Jean Knight, and '90s favorites such as Semisonic’s “Closing Time” and Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping”. While these artists might not be household names, the One Hit Wonders show presents a musical journey through some of Rock’s most infectiously memorable tunes. This show is great for all instruments and skill levels, and will put a smile on every Rock fan’s face!
Women of Rock
Tuesdays 7:00-9:00 pm
Women have been integral to the history and evolution of rock music, contributing as instrumentalists, vocalists, songwriters, and fronting influential bands. Their presence has challenged established norms, pushed artistic boundaries, and inspired future generations of musicians. Heart, The Pretenders, Blondie, Jefferson Airplane, Joan Jett and Pat Benatar - these iconic rockers all rose to prominence in the 1960s and ‘70s, and became international superstars. Their styles are different but complement each other well - all grounded in classic guitar rock. They also heavily influenced female fronted rock bands like The Breeders, Hole, L7, The Cranberries, Souxsie and The Banshees, No Doubt and Garbage. This is a great show for up-and-coming players, but there are definitely challenges for advanced students here, particularly with some of Pat Benatar’s tricky song arrangements.
Emo and Pop Punk
Wednesdays 5-7 pm
In the 1990s, artists such as Green Day, Offspring, and Blink-182 achieved success by blending punk attitudes and influences with a more polished, melodic, commercially appealing sound than their often raw predecessors. By the 2000s, Pop Punk and its Emo offshoot (featuring lyrics that touch on emotional and confessional topics) were fully entrenched in the mainstream music world, with bands such as Fall Out Boy, Paramore, My Chemical Romance, and Panic! At the Disco topping the charts and selling out arenas. Of course, this music is still incredibly popular and influential today. A fun show that can be musically challenging but also teaches solid fundamental skills, Pop Punk & Emo is sure to appeal to all levels of students and will entertain any crowd!
Classic Metal (Featured Show)
Thursdays 7-9 pm
Classic Metal is widely regarded as ranging from the late 1960s Proto-Metal sound of Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin up until the mid 1980s, when Thrash Metal reigned supreme with bands like the ‘big four’ (Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth and Slayer) and Hair Metal was still a blip on the horizon. Full of guitar wizardry and riffs galore, Classic Metal’s explosion in the 1970s and early '80s would set the tone for a generation of Metal bands to come and leave an indelible impression on the music industry. This show will trace the roots of metal, from the late '70s hard rock, Ronnie James Dio fronted bands like Black Sabbath and Rainbow and to metal’s big break in the '80s with bands like Metallica and Megadeth. If you’re looking to sharpen your shredding skills on guitar and bass, speed up your chops on the drums, or hone your high range vocals - the Classic Metal show is for you!
Michael Jackson vs. Prince
Fridays 4:30-6:30 pm
Michael Jackson and Prince - there were, arguably, no two bigger superstars in the '80s. MJ’s Thriller and Prince’s Purple Rain were perhaps the most iconic recordings of the entire decade, and cemented each artist’s place in music history. In 1982, MJ released one of the greatest albums of all time, Thriller. The album would bring unprecedented success for Michael, topping the Billboard 200 for an impressive 37 weeks and becoming the first album to ever contain seven top-10 singles. The “Thriller” video turned the music video medium into a serious art form and helped to break down the racial barrier on the network. Although his output in the 1980s was limited to just two solo albums, the unprecedented massive success of both Thriller and Bad earned Michael Jackson the title as the undisputed “King of Pop.” Prince is hailed as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. Not only was he a guitar virtuoso, but he was also a prodigal multi-instrumentalist who played every instrument on his early albums, including bass, drums, and keyboards. Prince scored his commercial breakthrough in 1982 with the album 1999. The album became Prince’s first top-10 album, and the title track was his first international mega hit. Prince exploded back onto the scene with the hit film and accompanying soundtrack, Purple Rain. The album became Prince’s first number-one album, holding the top spot for an impressive 6 consecutive months, and featured the number-one hits, “Purple Rain”, “Let’s Go Crazy”, and “When Doves Cry.” This show will have plenty of opportunities for students to contribute on a variety of instruments in a wide range of styles, and there will surely be challenging moments where students at all levels can learn something new.