In the history of Rock music, there have been only a few artists that completely changed the way their instrument is played. Inspired by the great players of the 60’s, Eddie Van Halen revolutionized guitar playing in the late 70’s, setting the bar for generations to come and becoming one of the most emulated players of all time. His dazzling use of two hand tapping, lightning fast legato runs, and aggressive use of the whammy bar influenced virtually every guitar player to come after him.  Following their smash debut album, Van Halen, which featured Eddie’s dazzling guitar solo “Eruption”, Van Halen went on to release a string of LPs, culminating in the commercially successful 1984. The release  of 1984 included “Jump”, their biggest hit yet, that featured Eddie’s keyboard playing. The record featured other classic VH songs such as “Panama” and “Hot For Teacher”, which were also hugely popular on MTV.  Students who are lucky enough to rock out in the Van Halen show will learn Alex Van Halen’s (Eddie’s brother) thunderous drumming, David Lee  Roth’s over the top vocal performances, and Michael Anthony’s rock-solid bass playing and high vocal harmonies.

 

The Performance Program is the flagship program at School of Rock. Students prepare and rehearse through weekly lessons and group rehearsals getting ready for the big end-of-season show at real rock venues.