The Ramones:

The Ramones invented what is now commonly known as Punk. Hailing from Forest Hills, Queens, the Ramones invented a style of music that distilled Rock and Roll into its potent essence: short songs with fast tempos delivered in a rapid-fire blast that left the audience catching their breath. The Ramones’ influence cannot be overstated. In the mid 70s at the height of Arena Rock, the Ramones took Rock and Roll back to basics using tight, catchy, minimalist arrangements. Along the way they inspired thousands of bands and created one of the most recognizable sounds in Rock and Roll. Alongside Black Sabbath, they are one of the rare bands that defined a new genre. The Ramones are Punk pioneers, providing a fun and educational show for young or inexperienced students to cut their teeth in while giving more advanced students the opportunity to develop their stage presence while delving into some incredibly innovative songs that brought Punk Rock to the forefront of the music industry.

Motown:

The mastermind behind Motown Records’ success was the endlessly entrepreneurial Berry Gordy. Gordy’s meticulous approach to the creation, performance, and distribution of music fueled the growth of one of the most successful black-owned businesses in American history. With over 100 hits in Billboard’s top 10 from 1961 to 1971, Motown and its subsidiary labels more than earned the right to become known as “Hitsville, U.S.A.”. The explosive success of Motown broke new ground by tearing down racial barriers in the music industry, helping to open the door to mainstream success for countless black creators. In the 1960s, Motown’s star-studded roster featured groups like Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Diana Ross & the Supremes, the Jackson 5, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, the Marvelettes, and the Temptations. Smokey Robinson, Michael Jackson and Diana Ross would eventually enjoy successful solo careers like label-mates Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. In the next decade, the label’s headquarters migrated from Detroit to Los Angeles and saw the artistic and comparatively more experimental offerings from Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. Motown’s influence has impacted generations of artists since its heyday in the 1960s. Its contributions to the racial integration of the music industry will never be forgotten - nor will its infectious sound.

zappa:

Frank Zappa is one of rock and roll’s true icons, and this show is perhaps as advanced as the School of Rock curriculum gets. An incredibly talented and prolific guitar player, composer, arranger, and producer, Zappa released more than 60 albums in his lifetime. At the very heart of it, Zappa was a Rock musician but his work traversed countless styles and genres from Rock to Pop to Prog to Classical to to Metal to Jazz, and beyond - sometimes all in the same song! His music is characterized by highly technical instrumental arrangements offset by satirical and goofy lyrics, and his backing bands were among the tightest and most proficient to ever be assembled, including players like Steve Vai, Adrian Belew, Terry Bozzio, Vinnie Colaiuta, George Duke, Ruth & Ian Underwood, and many other virtuosos. Zappa is a revered guitar player who got his start learning blues licks from records by the likes of Howlin’ Wolf and Johnny “Guitar” Watson. His interest in improvisation and unique free-form soloing became a staple in his style and carried on throughout his career. Since Zappa would employ the most proficient musicians to record and tour with, all the songs featured in this show will be educationally challenging for all instrumentalists. Students in the Frank Zappa show will experience what is likely the most musically diverse and technically challenging show that School of Rock offers.

SEATTLE GRUNGE:

Born from the garages, clubs, and rainy streets of the Pacific Northwest, Seattle Grunge celebrates the music that blurred the line between punk's attitude and heavy metal's power. Expect walls of overdriven guitars, thunderous bass lines, dynamic shifts from quiet introspection to explosive choruses, and vocals that wear every emotion on their sleeve. From landmark anthems to deep album cuts, this is the sound that redefined alternative rock. Seattle Grunge can be heavily defined by the crushing riffs of Soundgarden, the melodic power of Alice in Chains, the raw intensity of Nirvana, and the heartfelt songwriting of Pearl Jam helped define a generation.

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. The “Thriller” video turned the music video medium into a serious art form and helped to break down the racial barrier on the network. 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.” Known not only for his prolific musical output, his wild, energetic dancing and genre-bending music made a strong case for Prince as the top superstar of the 1980s. 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

PINK FLOYD'S THE WALL:

The legendary double-album which propelled Pink Floyd to superstardom, The Wall features hits like “Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2”, “Hey You”, and “Comfortably Numb.” The concept album follows the alienation of protagonist ‘Pink’, who is loosely based on both Roger Waters and previous Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett, and depicts lyrical themes of isolation, abandonment, and childhood trauma, all symbolized by a wall that is built and then torn down over the course of the story. The Wall’s music is defined by the soaring guitar solos of one of Rock’s masters, David Gilmour; lush piano and synth soundscapes by Richard Wright; intense drumming by Nick Mason; and introspective, complex, conceptual songwriting by Roger Waters. Pink Floyd’s The Wall encompasses not only fine musicianship, but also involves theatrics and stage performance, and presents an ambitious challenge for students of any instrument or experience level.

THE WHO:

One of the heavyweight bands born from the British Invasion, The Who forged a sound and style that would change Rock & Roll. The Who were one of the first, if not THE first, bands to gain recognition for producing Rock Operas in their music catalogs. Most notably Tommy, which sold millions of units with the hit single “Pinball Wizard”, helped establish The Who as one of the top bands of the era. Tommy has since been re-interpreted into a ballet, a Broadway show, and a symphony production. The Who are clearly one of the most legendary bands in rock and roll history, composed of four amazing musicians who somehow still exceeded the sum of their parts. Pete Townshend’s unique guitar style and masterful songwriting allowed space for bassist John Entwistle, drummer Keith Moon and vocalist Roger Daltrey to shine. The Who is a killer show for bass players and drummers to develop serious chops, offers complex parts for guitar players, and has surprisingly complex vocal harmonies.