THE SCHOOL OF ROCK WHITE PLAINS OFFERS PERFORMANCE AND GROUP-BASED MUSIC PROGRAMS FOR KIDS AGE 6-17 AND ADULTS, WITH SCHEDULING THAT FITS INTO EVERY FAMILY'S SPRING PLANS. OPEN MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, STUDENTS CAN ROCK IN OUR ROCK 101, PERFORMANCE PROGRAM, AND ADULT PROGRAM CLASSES, FINDING THE PATH TO THE STAGE! LESSONS ARE OFFERED ON GUITAR, BASS, DRUMS, KEYBOARDS (PIANO), AND SINGING (VOCALS) SIX DAYS PER WEEK AS WELL. GET IN TOUCH WITH US AT WHITEPLAINS@SCHOOLOFROCK.COM OR (914) 468-1100 TO SECURE YOUR SPOT TODAY.
ROCK 101
Rock 101 is one of School of Rock’s major programs for kids and beginners. The patented School of Rock Method combines our core philosophy of performance-based music education with a unique curriculum designed for kids with no previous musical experience. Students have one weekly group rehearsal where they learn classic rock songs that have been simplified specifically for beginner musicians. These rehearsals get young musicians to learn the fundamentals of their instrument while playing with a band in a positive and fun atmosphere. Students also have a weekly private music lesson with an instructor who will help them rehearse performance songs while teaching them foundational music skills and concepts.
Mondays 4:15-5:45 PM l Tuesdays 4:15-5:45 PM l Wednesdays 4:15-5:45 PM | Thursdays 4:15-5:45 PM l Fridays 4:15-5:45 PM l Saturdays 11:00-12:30 PM
PERFORMANCE PROGRAM
The Performance Program is School of Rock's hallmark music program, where tens of thousands of students enroll each year. Utilizing the patented School of Rock Method, the Performance Program 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 and refine 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, Performance Program students take the stage and play at local music venues in front of a live audience.
FALL 2025 PERFORMANCE PROGRAM OFFERINGS
Motown - Mondays 6pm - 8pm
Pop Legends - Tuesdays 6pm - 8pm
70s Hard Rock - Wednesdays 6pm - 8pm
The Big 4 of Grunge - Thursdays 6pm - 8pm
21st Century Indie Rock - Fridays 6pm - 8pm
Motown: Mondays, 6-8pm
The mastermind behind Motown Records’ success was the endlessly entrepreneurial Berry Gordy. Gordy’s meticulous approach to the creation, performance, and distribution of music fueled the growth of one of the most successful black-owned businesses in American history. With over 100 hits in Billboard’s top 10 from 1961 to 1971, Motown and its subsidiary labels more than earned the right to become known as “Hitsville, U.S.A.”. The explosive success of Motown broke new ground by tearing down racial barriers in the music industry, helping to open the door to mainstream success for countless black creators. In the 1960s, Motown’s star-studded roster featured groups like Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Diana Ross & the Supremes, the Jackson 5, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, the Marvelettes, and the Temptations. Smokey Robinson, Michael Jackson and Diana Ross would eventually enjoy successful solo careers like label-mates Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. In the next decade, the label’s headquarters migrated from Detroit to Los Angeles and saw the artistic and comparatively more experimental offerings from Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. Motown’s influence has impacted generations of artists since its heyday in the 1960s. Its contributions to the racial integration of the music industry will never be forgotten - nor will its infectious sound.
Pop Legends: Tuesdays, 6-8pm
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.
70s Hard Rock: Wednesdays, 6-8pm
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
The Big Four of Grunge:Thursdays, 6pm-8pm
In the early 1990s, a tidal wave of distorted guitars, raw emotion, and flannel-clad rebellion erupted out of Seattle and permanently altered the landscape of popular music. This powerful new sound—later known as Grunge—blended the heavy riffs of Hard Rock and Punk’s anti-establishment attitude with introspective, often angst-filled lyrics. At the forefront of this movement were the Big Four of Grunge: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains—four bands that helped define the sound of a generation.
Grunge rejected the flashy theatrics of 1980s Hair Metal in favor of stripped-down authenticity. Nirvana’s Nevermind, led by the iconic “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” became a cultural phenomenon and signaled a seismic shift in music tastes. Pearl Jam’s blend of classic rock influence and introspective lyricism, heard on Ten, brought emotional depth and dynamic grooves to the mainstream. Soundgarden fused metal with psychedelic and alternative influences, while Alice In Chains delivered haunting harmonies and sludgy, doom-laden riffs that leaned heavily into the darker corners of the human experience.
This show is a must for students looking to develop tight rhythm section dynamics, expressive lead guitar phrasing, emotionally driven vocal delivery, and a deep understanding of song form and texture. With powerful drum grooves, gritty bass lines, and evocative melodies, this show provides exciting opportunities for all instruments.
Whether you're channeling the raw fury of Kurt Cobain, the intricate harmonies of Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell, or the anthemic intensity of Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder, The Big Four of Grunge will push students’ musicianship to the next level—while honoring the legacy of one of rock’s most influential and cathartic movements.
21st Century Indie Rock: Fridays 6pm-8pm
While “Indie Rock” began as an underground DIY movement in rock and roll in the late 1970s and 1980s, the term began to be used more broadly in the aftermath of Nirvana’s success in the early 90s to refer to any music that fell outside of mainstream tastes - a synonym to the more well-known “alternative” label. By the turn of the millennium, Indie Rock was mainstream, and became defined by the hard-driving garage-influenced sounds of bands like The Strokes, The Walkmen, Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys, Dead Weather, and The Killers. As the 2000s unfolded, Indie Rock evolved to incorporate more varied influences, such as Folk (Grizzly Bear, Brandi Carlile, Phoebe Bridgers), Space Rock (Flaming Lips, Tame Impala, King Gizzard & The Wizard Lizard), World Music (Vampire Weekend, Florence + The Machine, Arcade Fire) and Electronica (Imagine Dragons, MGMT, St. Vincent). This show celebrates all of the varied sounds of Indie Rock in the 21st Century, and is a great option for students of all instruments and experience levels.