At School of Rock Tampa North, 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!

decades of awesome

Rock 101 | AGES 8-12 | REHEARSES MONDAYS or THURSDAYS, 4:45 PM - 6:15 PM

Fire up the time machine and get ready to rock through the ages! Rock 101’s Decades of Awesome takes young musicians on an epic journey through the greatest eras of rock and roll — from the groovy ‘60s to the electrifying ‘90s and beyond. Students ages 8–12 will explore the iconic sounds that shaped music history, performing songs from legendary artists like The Rolling Stones, Journey, Nirvana, and Paramore. Each rehearsal brings a new decade, new energy, and new opportunities to shine — whether they’re powering through a ‘70s guitar riff, locking in a ‘80s drum groove, or singing their hearts out to a ‘90s anthem. Packed with fun, learning, and nonstop jams, this show celebrates how every generation keeps rock alive. So grab your instrument, channel your inner rock star, and let’s make every decade awesome!

Woodstock '69 vs. Woodstock '99

Performance Band | AGES 13-18 | REHEARSES Mondays, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM 

In 1969, almost half a million people made a pilgrimage to Yasgur’s Farm in upstate New York for three days of peace and music. Catapulting many iconic artists who played this landmark music festival into superstar status, Woodstock embodies the spirit of the 60s. It was a watershed moment for Rock and Roll, and this show celebrates the legendary, and very stylistically diverse, artists who promoted unity and embraced freedom of expression while performing at the festival. Songs by The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Janis Joplin, Sly & The Family Stone, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Grateful Dead and more make this show an exciting and well-balanced educational challenge for all instruments and experience levels!

Thirty years later, Woodstock '99 was held Rome, NY.  After Woodstock '94, it was the second large-scale music festival that attempted to emulate the original 1969 Woodstock festival. Like the previous festivals, it was held in upstate New York; the festival site was the former Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, roughly 100 miles northwest of the 1969 Woodstock site in Bethel. Approximately 220,000 people attended the festival over the 3 days.  Many popular and diverse artists of the '90s such as Sevendust, Collective Soul, Dave Matthews Band, Godsmack and Jamiroquai joined veteran artists like Megadeth, James Brown, George Clinton and Metallica.

This performance band will contrast the artists from the '60 with the '90s to make a really fun and interesting show!

Best of the ‘80s

Performance Band | AGES 13-18 | REHEARSES TUESDAYS, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

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.

Neo Soul

Performance Band | AGES 13-18 | REHEARSES Wednesdays, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

One of the coolest shows in the SoR curriculum! Neo Soul refers to the revival of Soul and R&B music in the 90s and 2000s, led by artists such as Lauryn Hill, Maxwell, TLC, Erykah Badu, and D’Angelo. Combining elements and grooves from R&B, Jazz, Pop, Funk, and Hip Hop influences, Neo Soul distinguished itself from other Pop music of the time by focusing on a return to live instrumentation. As the genre gained in popularity, artists such as Alicia Keys, Amy Winehouse, and Mary J Blige became pop superstars. Neo-Soul remains incredibly popular today, with Bruno Mars, John Legend, Hiatus Kaiyote, and Silk Sonic carrying the torch. Neo Soul is a super educational show that will turn students into sophisticated groove monsters! Beginners up to advanced players will be challenged by these intricate arrangements and diverse styles.

The Beatles

Performance Band | AGES 13-18 | REHEARSES Thursdays, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

John! Paul! George! Ringo! Arguably the most musically diverse and iconic band of the 1960s British Invasion, The Beatles set the standard for which bands still strive in today’s music. The Beatles are one of the few bands to literally create their own mythos - the lads from Liverpool are as enigmatic intellectually as they are musically. This show doesn’t merely center around the most well-known band of all time, it also happens to employ the most diverse musical range and skill-level window of any artist show. There are raucous three chord garage rock bangers of the early Beatles era, and late sixties era proto-prog technical masterpieces. Drummers will learn the true artistry that is Ringo’s style; bassists will be blown away by Paul’s melodic yet rhythmic bass lines; guitarists will know the sophistication and complimentary guitar skills of John and George which are interwoven in every selection; and vocalists will understand the brilliance of their harmonies. With great material for all instruments, The Beatles show is a can’t miss opportunity for any SoR student!

tentative show dates

Mid Season Show - 4/4/26
End of Season Show - 5/17/26

The show dates listed above are tentatively confirmed and are expected to be accurate. Please add these dates to your calendar. 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 SIGN UP:

• CURRENTLY ENROLLED SCHOOL OF ROCK FAMILIES
  • ROCK 101: Let Melissa know your preference of Mondays or Thursdays
  • Performance Groups: Fill out the Survey we emailed on December 8th, then discuss your options with your instructor between December 22nd and January 15th.
• SOON TO BE SCHOOL OF ROCK FAMILIES
  Call us at 813-683-7625, email us at tampanorth@schoolofrock.com, or fill out the form below to get started!

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.