At School of Rock Syosset/Oyster bay, we don't teach music to put on shows - we put on shows to teach music. Students are assigned songs selected to develop them as musicians, and work on them in private lessons with their instructors, as well as in weekly rehearsals with groups made up of their peers. The season culminates with a performance at our seasonal showcase, where they can show you everything they've been working on throughout the season!
See the end of this article for important dates, and ways to sign up for the new season!
LITTLE WING | AGES 4-5
meets fridays, 4:15 pm - 5:00 pm
Little Wing is School of Rock's music program designed for our youngest students (mainly 4 to 5-year-olds). This music program for toddlers and preschoolers features a special curriculum where students play games and participate in other interactive activities to help them internalize the foundational skills they will use as their musical abilities grow. These music classes for kids are the perfect start to a lifelong love of music. Little Wing students have one weekly group lesson in which they use classic rock songs to learn about rhythm, song structure, melody, and dynamics through play.
ROOKIES | AGES 6-7
CONTACT US FOR SCHEDULING!
At School of Rock Syosset/Oyster Bay, our music program for children with no previous musical experience (typically ages 6 to 7-years-old) is called Rookies. Rookies students have one weekly group music lesson where they learn fundamentals like chords, rhythm and song structure. Kids get to learn and experiment with multiple instruments so they can later decide which one they ultimately want to continue pursuing in Rock 101.
PERFORMANCE PROGRAM | AGES 7-18
The Performance Program at School of Rock Syosset/Oyster Bay is our hallmark music program, where tens of thousands of students enroll each year. It 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, refining 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, School of Rock Syosset/Oyster Bay Performance Program students take the stage and play at local music venues in front of a live audience.
classic rock rewind
ROCK 101 | AGES 7-9 | REHEARSES TUESDAYS, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Take a trip to the good old days with Classic Rock Rewind! This show will showcase some of the best artists from 1960s, all the way up to the 1990s. Get ready to hear some of your favorite familiar tunes from amazing artists such as Fleetwood Mac, ACDC, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, and more. This is a show with huge variety, which means it’s great for both beginners and experienced shredders!
CBGB
ROCK 102 | AGES 10-12 | REHEARSES THURSDAYS, 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
The CBGB show is an overview of the early New Wave bands who got their break at the legendary NYC club. When CBGB opened in 1973, no one had any idea that a Bowery dive bar would become known as the birthplace of Punk. The official name was CBGB & OMFUG: Country, Bluegrass, Blues & and Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers. While the Ramones generally get credit for starting the Punk scene, Television was actually the first band in this scene to play at CBGBs, on March 31, 1974. Soon artists like Blondie, Talking Heads, and Patti Smith set up residence at CBGBs, along with British bands like The Police and Elvis Costello who made CBGB their stateside hangout. As the Punk scene grew and took hold, other bands such as Cleveland transplants the Dead Boys and New Jersey’s Misfits became CBGB mainstays. The CBGB show offers a diverse and highly educational mix of ridiculously cool artists that can challenge students on any instrument at all experience levels.
modern metal
rock 103 | ages 13-hs senior | rehearses tuesdays, 7:15 pm - 9:15 pm
The Modern Metal show traces the evolution of metal music from the turn of the century to the present day, and focuses on bands who kept the virtuosic spirit of metal alive while incorporating more contemporary techniques into their sound, such as an emphasis on melody and harmony, and modern studio production. Artists such as Disturbed and Slipknot rose to prominence with the popularity of Nu-Metal, while Metalcore bands such as Killswitch Engage and The Dillinger Escape Plan brought the genre into the 2010s. The Modern Metal show will celebrate this next generation of metal artists - including Avenged Sevenfold, Tool, Baroness, Gojira, System of a Down, Lamb of God, Mastodon, and more! This is a super challenging show for all instruments, as the speed and precision of this music requires quite a bit of proficiency to master.
BRITISH INVASION
ROCK 103 | AGES 13-HS SENIOR | REHEARSES WEDNESDAYS, 5:15 PM - 7:15 PM
BRITISH INVASION IS THE FALL 2026 SCHOOL OF ROCK FEATURED SHOW!
The mid-1960s cultural phenomenon known as “The British Invasion” refers to the sudden and ubiquitous popularity of British rock and roll among the American youth of the time. The catalog of music created by these artists - including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, and The Kinks among others - propelled Rock & Roll music to the mainstream of cultural relevance where it remains to this day. The British Invasion bands took inspiration from Blues, Folk, and early Rock & Roll and combined these influences in an exciting way that can teach both our students and audiences the foundation of modern pop and rock music. British Invasion is a prime show choice for all instruments and experience levels to learn the foundations of Rock music, and especially perfect for emerging players who are looking to take the next step in widening their musical repertoire. Some notable song selections may include The Beatles’ “Twist And Shout”, The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me”, and The Yardbirds’ “For Your Love”.
WHAT IS THE FEATURED SHOW?
Each season the entire School of Rock system celebrates one of our most educational show themes, with special experiences, cool custom merch, and new educational content. This Featured Show will serve as just one of the several diverse themes we always offer each season, but we hope that by rallying around a certain theme each season with other schools around the world, we can create a great experience for students that instills a sense of the larger community they are a part of.
GRAD SCHOOL | AGES 18+
School of Rock Syosset/Oyster Bay's Adult Program is for students over 18 years old who are looking to either improve their musical proficiency or pick up an instrument with no prior musical experience. As with most School of Rock music programs, the Adult Program uses a performance-based music education approach. This means the curriculum focuses on learning music concepts and applying them in a live performance setting. Our Adult Music Program includes one weekly private music lesson and a weekly group rehearsal. Every student at School of Rock Syosset/Oyster Bay is placed in a band of fellow adults and then assigned specific songs as a way of learning key music concepts and skills. Adult students then take the stage to play at a live show
CLASSIC METAL
AGES 18+ | REHEARSES MONDAYS, 7:30 PM - 9:30 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 generations of Metal bands to come and leave an indelible impression on the music industry. This show will trace the roots of metal, from the pioneer bands like Black Sabbath and Rainbow 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!
REHEARSALS START THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 21ST! JOIN THE BAND TODAY
FALL 2026 - DATES TO KNOW
tentative show dates
The show dates listed above are tentatively confirmed and are expected to be accurate. Please add these dates to your calander. In the rare event that any show dates need to be adjusted due to venue availability, we will provide as much notice as possible.
how to enroll
- SOON-TO-BE SCHOOL OF ROCK FAMILIES:
- Call us at 516-234-ROCK (7625), email us at syossetoysterbay@schoolofrock.com, or fill out the form below to discuss scheduling & enrollment!
- CURRENTLY ENROLLED FAMILIES:
- Little Wing/Rookies: You're all set!
- Rock 101/102/Grad School: Fill out the Rehearsal Scheduling Survey available on the Parent Portal!
- Rock 103: Fill out the Rehearsal Scheduling Survey available on the Parent Portal, and discuss preferences with your lesson instructor between July 20 - August 2.
A NOTE ABOUT SHOW CASTING
We strive for well-balanced shows where all of our students are challenged and get equal opportunity for parts. Please understand that factors such as attendance at rehearsals, behavior at rehearsals, and musical preparation for rehearsals can affect the number of songs a student is assigned. The School of Rock method is merit based. While a show’s first casting is as equitable as possible, in subsequent castings we reward commitment, hard work, and steady improvement.
We know many students have talents beyond the instruments they study at School of Rock. We do our best to encourage (and show off) all of our students’ abilities! However, students who take lessons on an instrument at School of Rock get priority casting on that instrument in shows. Students are guaranteed to be assigned parts only on instruments they are actively taking lessons on at SoR. Depending on the makeup of the show’s cast, we may not be able to accommodate students who wish to perform on an instrument (including vocals) that they do not study at SoR. If your student is interested in studying an additional instrument, please reach out to us to discuss options.