Hey, Towson Fam!!
Our Fall season is right around the corner and we have an amazing show line-up that we are excited to share with you all! Please be sure to read through the entirety of this email so you will be up to date on the latest School of Rock Towson information.
Enrollment is ongoing. Plans DO NOT cancel at the end of every season. If you wish to cancel or change plans a written notice is needed. *This includes Little Wing, Rookies, Rock 101, Performance Program, Adult Program, and Prep Lessons plans.
We will be placing students in the show that will be educational for the student's musical and social growth. Not every student will get their first choice show. Bands will be cast not only based on first come first serve responses but by instrumentation as well.
*Remember that students in Rock 101, Performance, House Band, and Adult programs are not automatically added to the same rehearsal time that they are currently enrolled in.*
Remember, School of Rock is a year-round program. We break the year into 4-month seasons in order to set new goals for our students and change rehearsal material each season.
*Our Summer into Fall Prep Week starts September 29th and runs through October 4th. During this time, School of Rock Towson will be closed for lessons, classes, and rehearsals!
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN CHOOSING A SHOW:
What do you NEED to become a BETTER musician?
What genre have you not done yet?
What did your private instructor suggest?
What did your show director suggest?
Don't pick a show that all your friends are in! Be selfish and pick the show that will help you grow the most as a musician. You will make friends and most likely know some of the students in your new show.
LISTEN BEFORE YOU SIGN UP! KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SIGNING UP FOR!
Trust your instructors to choose what will work best for you.
Unsure which program/band is the best for you? We have you covered! Give us a shout. We'd love to help
ROCK 101 PROGRAM
Weekly rehearsals are tentatively planned for
Tuesday - Rock 101 (Ages 7-12) - 5-6:30pm NEW TIME
Saturday - Rock 101 (Ages 7-12) - 9-10:30am
ROCK 101 SIGN-UP FORM
PERFORMANCE PROGRAM
Drummageddon - Wednesdays 6-8pm
Drums and percussion have been around for as long as recorded history, but in the past hundred years, and with the creation of the drum kit, the instrument has reached new groundbreaking heights. The drums are the foundation on what the rest of the band can build upon. From a Blues Shuffle to modern-day “Trap” Hi-Hats, the drum is an ever-changing and evolving instrument that lays the foundation for the music that we all love and cherish. Some of the drum legends who will be showcased in the Drumageddon Show are Neil Peart (Rush), John Bonham (Led Zeppelin), Ginger Baker (Cream), Danny Carey (Tool). Artists who incorporated multiple drummers or large percussion sections, such as The Allman Brothers Band, Santana, and The Grateful Dead, will also be featured in this show. Through this wide and diverse setlist, students will see the evolution of drumming throughout the years, and how the great innovators of the instrument continued to influence rock music’s history. This is an extremely important educational opportunity for drum students as well as all other instrumentalists to pay homage to the greatest drummers of the modern era.
Heart - Thursdays 6-8pm
Heart rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hugely successful hits. Fronted by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, Heart fused influences including hard rock, folk, and prog, into a sound that was uniquely their own. Formed in the late '60s in Seattle, Washington by members Steve Fossen on bass, Roger Fisher on guitar, Don Wilhelm on guitar, keys and lead vocals, and Ray Schafer on drums, the band went through many name changes from The Army, White Heart, to Heart. Ann Wilson joined in 1970, changing the name once more to Hocus Pocus for a time, but the band eventually settled on simply, Heart. Ann’s sister Nancy was eventually convinced to join in 1973. Heart moved from Seattle to Vancouver in the mid '70s and began what was to become their entry into international success with songs like “Crazy On You” and “Magic Man”. Through the '80s and '90s, Heart continued their stint on the billboard charts, achieving Number One hits with the songs “These Dreams” and “Alone”. One of the most successful bands in Rock history, Heart offers students the opportunity for a challenging show that covers a lot of musical ground, from their proggy, guitar-heavy '70s compositions to their radio-friendly and synth-driven '80s material. Masterful technicians on guitar and vocals, the Wilson sisters continue to be a huge inspiration for young girls.Heart is a great show for intermediate and advanced kids of all instruments, and will also offer beginners a welcome opportunity to shine, especially on their well-known '80s ballads.
The Beatles - Saturdays 1-3pm
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!
PERFORMANCE SIGN-UP FORM
ROCK 101 SIGNUP FORM
70s Hard Rock
The dominant rock and roll genre in the 1970s, Hard Rock evolved out of the heavy blues favored by bands like Cream, Blue Cheer, and Iron Butterfly in the 1960s. By the early ‘70s, bands such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, and Black Sabbath had achieved superstar status. Soon, a slew of artists would find mainstream success with the Hard Rock formula: distorted guitar riffs, soaring solos, amped up boogie in the rhythm section, and wailing lead vocals. AC/DC, KISS, Aerosmith, Heart, Queen, Alice Cooper, and Van Halen were just a few of the many bands that rose to stardom during this era. While Hard Rock was generally guitar focused, piano and organ played a prominent role in bands like Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Jethro Tull, and Mott The Hoople. The ‘70s Hard Rock show is a great opportunity for all instruments to build chops by learning some of the most classic songs in rock and roll history.