East Hartford 2023 Fall Season Announcement
Every four months we announce the show lineup for our performance programs. For the 2023 Fall season, East Hartford has expanded the menu to five show themes that are sure to resonate with our students. The five shows are Shred Heavy, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson vs. Prince, Taylor Swift, and Warped Tour. (Show descriptions follow below) Shows fill up quickly so contact our Front Desk soon for more info and to enroll: easthartford@schoolofrock.com 860-962-7625. Rehearsals start the week of September 4th.
Our two introductory programs for kids with no or limited prior experience are Rookies and Rock 101. Rookies is a music program designed for kids ages 6-7 with no previous musical experience. Students have one weekly group lesson where they learn musical fundamentals like chords, rhythm and song structure. Rookies’ students also learn and experiment with multiple instruments, so they are then able to decide which one they ultimately want to continue pursuing in Rock 101.
Rock 101, for kids ages 8-13, offers a weekly group rehearsal where they learn classic rock songs that have been arranged and simplified specifically for beginner musicians. These rehearsals are all about getting young musicians to learn the fundamentals of their instrument and playing with a band in a positive and fun atmosphere. Students also have a weekly private music lesson where they learn foundational music and instrument skills and concepts.
The Performance Program, for kids ages 8 to 18, is School of Rock's hallmark music program. It consists of a weekly group rehearsal where students work with a band composed of their peers to play rock music's most iconic songs. Students are assigned songs and parts that are tailored to them based on their age, experience, and opportunity to learn new skills and concepts. Students then work through their parts in weekly private music lessons to refine the skills and concepts that those songs introduce. The goal of this curriculum is to prepare students for live performances. Every few months, Performance Program students take the stage and play at local music venues in front of a real audience.
Experiencing live performance is the core of our curriculum. Our students grow as individuals by taking the stage with others. When our students work with bandmates, they learn broader life skills like collaboration, compromise and courage. We call this revolutionary approach to music education The School of Rock Method™. The School of Rock Method builds musical proficiency through our proprietary Method App, Method Book collection, SongFirst approach, and Performance Based Music Education. Our Method has been awarded a US patent making our teaching system available nowhere else.
East Hartford's 2023 Fall Performance Program Show lineup, in addition to Rookies & Rock 101 includes:
Shred Heavy
The Shred Heavy show is a celebration of the influential guitarists who have defined Rock history. These guitar deities commonly go by just one name: Beck, Jimi, Clapton, Page, Orianthi, Santana, Van Halen, Zappa. Other guitar heroes celebrated in this show are trailblazers such as Nancy Wilson, David Gilmour, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Ritchie Blackmore, Lita Ford, Duane Allman, and Joe Satriani. The guitarists featured in this show help students understand the evolution of Rock and Roll, from the Blues to modern shredding. While this show may focus on virtuosic guitar playing, all these stars shared the stage with bandmates who were incredible musicians in their own rights. The songs in the Shred Heavy show present great challenges and opportunities for all instruments at any level.
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd is one of the most celebrated and influential rock acts of all time. Formed in London in 1965, the band decided to name themselves after Delta bluesmen Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. The band began with an experimental Pop sound, led by frontman Syd Barrett. but after Barrett’s departure became Prog Rock heavyweights known for their ambitious songwriting, atmospheric textures, killer guitar solos, and spell-binding stage show. Pink Floyd has sold more than 250 million albums worldwide, and their album Dark Side of the Moon spent a record 724 consecutive weeks - almost 14 years - on the Billboard Top 200 chart. This show will be a survey of their entire career – from the weird early days of Piper at the Gates of Dawn to the massively successful trilogy of Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and Animals, to the gradual dissolution of the band in The Wall and later albums. The Pink Floyd show is an aspirational challenge for all instruments and experience levels.
Michael Jackson vs. Prince
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. Michael would not release another solo album for 5 years, returning in 1987 with the highly anticipated album, Bad. 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.
Taylor Swift
This one is for the Swifties! This show is all about celebrating the incredible collection that Taylor Swift has compiled in her career thus far. From her self-titled album in 2006 to her latest works and everything in between, we will be covering it all! Bad breakups and coming of age stories are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this Pop Star's music. Taylor has cemented herself as one of the most successful solo artists in the industry and her live shows have people talking for weeks after they've seen it. Some even describe the live experience as "a dream" or some kind of surreal moment. Get ready for catchy melodies, incredible vocals, high energy beats, and solid rhythm guitar playing. Stage presence will be key in this show as Taylor's music beckons for movement! You won't want to miss this one!
Warped Tour
Is it 2005 again? Put on your favorite pair of Vans, charge your mp3 player and meet me at the skatepark! This show is all about the past 25 years of the Vans Warped Tour. Artists include bands like New Found Glory, 311, Sum 41, Plain White T's, Hawthorne Heights and more! Many of these songs were anthems for kids in the late 90's through the mid 2000's. A mix of rock, punk, emo, and even ska makes this a very eclectic mix of music. Students can expect fast tempos, high energy rhythms, and a lot of catchy chorus'. We're betting students in this show will be humming these melodies around the house in no time at all. If you love the power chord or love fast tempo songs, this show is for you!