Fall/Winter Seasonal Info 2024/2025

School of Rock pays tribute to one of the best soundtracks of the modern era! This show offers a huge variety of music pulled from all 3 movies that is sure to satiate any student’s musical appetite. Examples of blockbuster artists that might be in the setlist include Earth Wind and Fire, Bruce Springsteen, Radiohead, Heart, ELO, Fleetwood Mac, Cheap Trick, George Harrison, Alice Cooper, Spacehog, Florence and the Machine, Beastie Boys, Redbone, Flaming Lips, and many others. This is a perfect show for students of all ages and experience levels and will offer many opportunities to perform across all genres!

Headbanger’s Ball

School of Rock pays tribute to the popular heavy metal TV show! Headbanger’s Ball is a music television program that consists of heavy metal music videos and performances airing on MTV. The show began on April 18, 1987, playing heavy metal music videos from both well-known and more obscure artists. The show offered a stark contrast to Top 40 music videos shown during the day. This show will cover many forms of metal from Thrash to Hair Metal, Metal-core to Nu-Metal and everything in between. Examples of classic and modern acts that might be in the setlist include, AC/DC, Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard, Twisted Sister, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Megadeth, Pantera, Van Halen, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, Mastodon, Meshuggah, Slipknot, Korn, A Perfect Circle, Killswitch Engage, Deftones, Godsmack and more! If you’re looking to sharpen your shredding skills on guitar and bass, speed up your chops on the drums, or hone your metal scream - the Head Banger’s Ball show is for you!

Rhythm and Blues music was foundational to the evolution of rock and roll! Originating with jazz and blues in the 1940s, R&B music was predominantly created by black musicians for black audiences until the 1950s, when artists such as Etta James, Little Richard, Fats Domino, and Ike & Tina Turner began to achieve crossover success with white audiences as well. By the early 1960s, record labels like Motown and Stax were churning out legendary hits by Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, The Supremes, and Otis Redding, which influenced virtually all of the Rock and Roll and Pop music that came after. The Classic R&B show features groove-oriented music with dynamic arrangements and standout vocal performances. Students participating in this show will have an opportunity to hone their rhythmic skills and broaden their repertoire of music styles by focusing on the music that inspired artists such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who, and which continues to be relevant today with its influence on modern Pop stars such as Adele and John Legend. Classic R&B is one of the most educational shows that School of Rock offers!

David Bowie was born David Robert Jones in Brixton, South London, in 1947. In the mid '60s, Bowie played with a string of R&B based outfits in London with little success and he considered leaving the music business to become a mime. On July 11th, 1969, Bowie released his first single in 2 years, “Space Oddity”. Following the success of “Space Oddity”, Bowie assembled the group that would help shoot him to stardom. Initially called ‘Hype’, bassist Tony Visconti, guitarist Mick Ronson, and drummer Woody Woodmansey joined Bowie for the recording of The Man Who Sold The World (1970) and agreed to become his backing band. By 1972, Glam Rock had become the dominant sub genre in the UK rock scene, led by Marc Bolan and T. Rex. With outrageous costumes and dyed red hair, Bowie debuted his new persona, Ziggy Stardust, in wild concerts that preceded the release of his fifth album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Following the release of Ziggy Stardust, Bowie reinvented himself with every subsequent album - Aladdin Sane, Diamond Dogs, Young Americans and Station To Station. As the '80s began, Bowie saw equal success from his releases - mainly from teaming up with Queen to record “Under Pressure.” The '90s saw Bowie delve deeper into electronic music embracing the Industrial genre on albums like 1.0utside, (1995) Earthling (1997) and Hours (1999). In 1996, Bowie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. David Bowie influenced generations of rockers with his theatrical style, constant reinvention, and sonic exploration. With over 100 Million albums sold worldwide, he remains one of the most successful and popular stars in music history.

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”.

Led Zeppelin has been synonymous with being the innovators of the Hard Rock genre. Formed originally as a new version of the British Invasion group The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin quickly took shape to become the most popular rock band in the world, filling arenas and selling millions of albums. The mastermind behind it all was Jimmy Page. As a studio musician, producer, and songwriter, Page recruited Robert Plant (vocals), John Paul Jones (bass), and John Bonham (drums), and began a decade-long journey of prolific songwriting. Songs like “Stairway to Heaven”, “Black Dog”, “Good Times Bad Times”, and “The Ocean” have become rock standards and rights of passage for aspiring musicians. Led Zeppelin’s blend of Hard Rock, Blues, and Folk has remained the primary inspiration for many of today’s rock bands. Any student participating in this show is sure to gain a wealth of musical knowledge and advancement. The Led Zeppelin show has challenges for every skill level - it will turn beginners into intermediates and will transform intermediate players into advanced rockers!

School of Rock pays tribute to today's woman of Rock and Roll! Rock and roll is alive and well in the 21st century , with diverse artists such as Phoebe Bridgers, Courtney Barnett, Olivia Rodrigo, St. Vincent and female led bands, HAIM, Soccer Mommy, Wolf Alice all rising to prominence in the music world. These current artists and bands combine modern production techniques with retro-sounding riffs and song structures, resulting in today's chart topping hits. While the music itself has generally evolved somewhat from decades past the spirit of Rock and Roll remains as vital as ever. This show will be a stylistically diverse recap of the best music from this century so far, also featuring modern takes on Pop with artists like Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Adele and H.E.R. A great show for students of any instrument and experience level.

We strive for well-balanced shows where all 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 the school of Rock. We do our best to encourage (and show off) all 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 at school of Rock. 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 School of Rock. If your student is interested in studying an additional instrument, please reach out to discuss options