Sign Ups begin January 7th via google form.  Inquire at  silverspring@schoolofrock.com

 

Here are some important dates associated with the Spring season to take note of...

 

• January 7th - The Show Signup Form will be sent to parent emails at 7pm (show seasons are financial commitments)
• February 8th - Sign up deadline (Reminder that all current and upcoming Performance students must speak with instructors to determine which theme will be best for them before submitting the form)
• February 11th - Welcome emails with the first round of show casting will be sent out to parent emails at 7pm
• Week of February 16th - Rehearsals begin (parent meetings will be in the last half hour of each first rehearsal)
• April 11th &/or 12th - Mid-Season Preview Show Date
• June 6th & 7th - End of Season Show Dates 

 

Rolling Stones with Brooks & Alex
Mondays 5pm-7pm

Dubbed 'The Greatest Rock & Roll Band In The World’,  The Rolling Stones have remained relevant and rocking for nearly 60 years. Though their songs are rooted in the Blues that inspired them to pursue music, throughout their legendary career they have incorporated everything  into their sound from Rock to Country to Blues to Punk to Disco. For an education in pocket, groove, stage presence, and tasteful lead playing, there are few equals to a Stones show. Keith Richards' guitar wizardry will serve as a masterclass for guitarists looking to expand their rhythmic prowess. Drummers will not only be tested on their ability to play for the song, but they will  also have opportunities to explore percussion usage like bongos, congas, and shakers.  Studying Mick Jagger’s stage moves and the creative vocal arrangements within the Rolling Stones catalog is an excellent learning experience for vocal students of all ages and skill levels. Keys players will enjoy learning from Ian Stewart, Jack Nitzsche, Nicky Hopkins, Billy Preston, and Ian McLagan - all legendary players who recorded and performed with the Stones. From standing tall on the front lines of the British Invasion to selling out stadiums in more recent times, The Rolling Stones are truly one of the most impactful and important Rock n’ Roll bands of all time, and they will continue to inspire future generations for years to come.

 

Pearl Jam with Jaime & Brooks
Mondays 7pm-9pm

Pearl Jam not only helped define the grunge era of the 90’s, they transcended the genre to become one of the seminal rock bands of all time. Bursting onto the Seattle scene with their debut record Ten in 1991, the band quickly established their dominance as a grunge powerhouse. With follow ups like Vs. in 1993 and Vitalogy in 1994, they expanded their sound to include the aggression of hardcore punk as well as a softer more songwriter oriented approach. Frontman Eddie Vedder’s influential vocal style paired with the innovative sound of guitarists Stone Goddard and Mike McCready, bassist Jeff Ament, and a rotating cast of drummers defined the sound of their early records. With the addition of drummer Matt Cameron in 1998, Pearl Jam continued their legacy through the next three decades and into the present day. Beyond their trailblazing music, the band also stood apart from their contemporaries by refusing to follow the trends of the music business including a famous feud with Ticketmaster. Pearl Jam’s music presents a challenge for guitar, bass, and drum students while vocal students can expect to learn from Vedder’s technical prowess and heartfelt approach.

 

Best of the 80s with Jeff & Anton
Tuesdays 6pm-8pm  
 
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 Bangles. Synth-driven music became massively popular, with artists like Eurythmics, Flock of Seagulls, and The Cars becoming stars. Although Pop acts reigned supreme in the '80s, Rock bands like Guns N’ Roses, Journey, Bon Jovi, and Living Colour reaped the benefits of 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.

 

Fleetwood Mac with Elijah & Will
Wednesdays 6pm-8pm 

One of the world’s best-selling bands, Fleetwood Mac formed as a British Blues group in 1967 and morphed into a chart-topping British-American pop band in the mid-1970s. Despite several band member iterations, the Fleetwood Mac’s best known lineup featured Mick Fleetwood (drums), John McVie (bass), Lindsey Buckingham (guitar/vocals), Christine McVie (keys/vocals), and Stevie Nicks (vocals). It was this lineup that recorded their most successful and critically acclaimed Rumors album, which featured hits like ‘Dreams’, ‘Go Your Own Way’, ‘The Chain’ and ‘Don’t Stop’. Throughout the remaining decades, Fleetwood Mac went on to produce material that, while somewhat popular, did not critically live up to the success of Rumors. Their May 1997 live concert on a soundstage in Burbank, CA, was recorded and subsequently released as The Dance, which premiered on MTV that year and brought the band back into the public spotlight and widespread popularity. Fleetwood Mac, including the Rumors-era and the original (Green, Kirwan, and Spencer) lineups, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Fleetwood Mac is an amazing show that will challenge vocal students to master harmonies, guitar players to learn the unorthodox fingerpicking style of Lindsey Buckingham, drummers to study Mick Fleetwood’s extremely versatile drumming, keyboardists to grasp how Christine McVie merged classical-training playing with rock improvisation, and bassists to learn from John McVie’s creative and rock-solid bass foundations.

 

The Clash with Mike & Jonathan
Thursdays 5pm-7pm

The Clash’s unique sound, rebellious lyrics, and energetic live shows influenced generations of Punk rockers. This show will highlight the band’s mix of Rock, Reggae, Rockabilly, Soul, and Funk which set them apart from their Punk Rock peers in the 1970s and '80s. The Clash were originally a five piece with three guitar players, featuring Joe Strummer (Guitar, Vocals), Mick Jones (Guitar, Vocals), Paul Simonon (Bass, Vocals), Keith Levene (Guitar) and Terry Chimes (Drums). Chimes would leave before the release of their first album and was replaced by new drummer, Nicky “Topper” Headon, who was a great fit and would remain in the band for years to come. The Clash show is super educational and one of the most fun shows in the School of Rock curriculum, accessible for beginners but challenging for experienced players as well, especially on guitar, bass and drums. Students will enjoy performing material from their debut album The Clash to their most commercially successful release Combat Rock, including Punk anthems like “London Calling”, “Career Opportunities”, “Safe European Home”, “Train In Vain”, and “Rock The Casbah”. 
 

Prog Rock with Jordan & Brooks
Thursdays 7:00pm-9:00pm

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.

 

Best of the 2000s
Saturdays 4pm-6pm 

The 2000s Show offers a huge variety of music that is sure to satiate any student’s musical appetite. The 2000s has produced more and more artists whose music blends and defies genres, and draws from a greater variety of influences than was available at any previous point in history. At the same time, more traditional bands and artists, including some who started making music in the twentieth century, have adapted to the changing times and continued to thrive. Though it is impossible to place the varied music of the 2000s into one definable style or category, certain themes emerge: 1) an interest in and revival of ‘retro’ sounds using modern technology and sensibilities, and 2) songwriting that draws from a huge diversity of genres and styles, making  21st-century ‘rock’ bands even harder to pin down to one style alone. Examples of blockbuster artists that might be in the setlist include Foo Fighters, RHCP, Evanescence, Fall Out Boy, The Killers, Arctic Monkeys, Paramore, White Stripes, Adele, The Strokes, Jet, System of a Down, The Darkness, Tool, and many others.  This is a perfect show for students of all ages and experience levels and will offer many opportunities to perform across all genres!