Waldwick
School of Rock

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Waldwick

EVENTS

Fall 2023 Show Themes Announced

FOR BOTH ROCK 101 AND FULL PERFORMANCE STUDENTS:

We will start creating bands and casting the first songs as soon as we have enough responses. There are only a limited number of slots per instrument in each group. To give every student an equal chance at getting their top choices, we are using this Google form. 

Here’s how it will work:  Follow the link above to our Google form you will rank your show theme preferences and preferred rehearsal time. While we try our best to give everyone their top choice, we cannot guarantee that it will happen. ​Your parent and instructor should sign off on your choices. Groups do fill up - therefore we ask that you fill this out before  August 19

 

Joan Jett and Pat Benatar these iconic rockers both rose to prominence in the late 1970s, and became international superstars in the early 1980s. Their styles are different but complement each other well - both are grounded in classic guitar rock. However, Joan Jett embraces more of a punk aesthetic while Pat Benatar employs a more Hard Rock edge. Joan Jett’s initial entry into the music scene was as a guitarist for the all-girl group The Runaways. Flanked by fellow guitarist Lita Ford, The Runaways created a following in the mid '70s as a Hard Rock/Punk band. Jett decided to branch off on her own to form Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. In 1981, The Blackhearts released the mega-hit “I Love Rock and Roll” and cemented their place in '80s rock culture. Pat Benatar's first major LP In The Heat Of The Night was released in 1979, and includes her breakthrough single “Heartbreaker” which reached the Billboard Top 25 in the US. Benatar continued to produce chart-topping hits in the '80s and inspired many female-fronted bands to become prominent in the music industry. This is a great  show for up-and-coming players, but there are definitely challenges for advanced students here, particularly with some of Pat Benatar’s tricky song arrangements. 

Pop Legends Before there was Rock and Roll, there was Pop. Short for Popular, Pop music was whatever was popular at that moment.  The Pop Legends show will celebrate the impact that acclaimed artists have made on the music industry.  It will encompass a vast timeline of Pop Music ranging from the 60s through today, including artists such as Carol King, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Madonna, Taylor Swift, Stevie Nicks, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Adele and many more. This show is a great challenge for “Rock” guitar players who want to work on new chord shapes and voicings. Bass players will be able to work on very challenging melodic parts in support of drummers who will learn limb independence on many of the parts. Vocalists’ skills will be pushed with the level of singing and performing required in this show, while keyboardists will be heavily represented in these well-known arrangements.
 
 
Woodstock 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!