Spring Season 2024
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, 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.
PERFORMANCE PROGRAM: INDEPENDENT
AGES 13-17 | WEDNESDAYS, 6:00PM-8:00PM
Indie Rock emerged as a genre in the 1980s as a response to the highly polished music of the '70s and '80s. The origin of the Indie movement can be traced back to the year of 1977 when the Buzzcocks self-published their Spiral Scratch EP. The band’s rejection of the typically major label-generated approach to the recording and distribution of music earned them their independent, or “indie”, status. In the '90s, the influence of Grunge helped usher in an era of commercialization in the Alternative genre. After many influential Indie acts achieved great commercial success, “Indie” soon began to describe artists who clung to their independent status and refused to sell-out. The music industry began to market any music that embraced a retro, guitar-centric sound as “Indie” as well.
This show will focus on the most modern independent rock. Some recognizable bands / performers include Phoebe Bridgers, Mac DeMarco, The Killers and Men I Trust. Independent will give guitar players a look into lead and accompaniment techniques as well as the application of acoustic guitars in rock music. Keyboardists, too, will enjoy applying more sound patches into the songs’ soundscapes. The rhythm section of bassists and drummers will be challenged by the diversity of playing styles of which Indie Rock is known for. This fun and musically varied show is a great choice for all experience levels.
PERFORMANCE PROGRAM: Garage Rock
AGES 13-17 | WEDNESDAYS, 6:00PM-8:00PM
The Garage Rock Show offers a huge variety of music that is sure to satiate any student’s musical appetite. Set between 2000 - 2020 these decades have produced more and more artists whose music blends and defies genres, and draws from a greater variety of influences than was available at any previous point in history. At the same time, more traditional bands and artists, including some who started making music in the twentieth century, have adapted to the changing times and continued to thrive. Though it is impossible to place the varied music of Garage Rock into one definable style or category, certain themes emerge: 1) an interest in and revival of ‘retro’ sounds using modern technology and sensibilities, and 2) songwriting that draws from a huge diversity of genres and styles, making 21st-century ‘rock’ bands even harder to pin down to one style alone. Examples of blockbuster artists that might be in the setlist include Foo Fighters, Audioslave, The Strokes, Muse and many others. This is a perfect show for students of all ages and experience levels and will offer many opportunities to perform across genres!
PERFORMANCE PROGRAM: Modern Heavy
AGES 13-17 | THURSDAYS, 6:00PM-8:00PM
The Modern Heavy show traces the evolution of harder rock music from the turn of the century to the present day, and focuses on bands who kept the virtuosic spirit of hard rock and metal alive while incorporating more contemporary techniques into their sound, such as an emphasis on melody and harmony, and modern studio production. The Modern Heavy show will celebrate this next generation of heavy artists - including Avenged Sevenfold, Rage Against the Machine, Ghost, Halestorm and more! This is a super challenging show for all instruments, as the speed and precision of this music requires quite a bit of proficiency to master.
PERFORMANCE PROGRAM: EMO MEtal
AGES 13-17 | THURSDAYS, 6:00PM-8:00PM
The Emo Metal show blends the punk attitudes and emotional complexities of Emo with the prominence and popularity of Nu-Metal. By the 2000s, Pop Punk and its Emo offshoot (featuring lyrics that touch on emotional and confessional topics) were fully entrenched in the mainstream music world, with bands such as Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance topping the charts and selling out arenas. This music is still incredibly popular and influential today! Artists such Pantera are considered the founders of Nu-Metal and heavily influenced bands like System of a Down who brought the genre into the 2010s. This is a fun show that can be musically challenging but also teaches solid fundamental skills. Emo Metal is sure to appeal to all levels of students and will entertain any crowd!
ROCK 101 AND ROCK 102
Rock 101 is one of School of Rock Briarcliff Manor's top programs for kids and beginners. Students have one weekly group rehearsal where they learn to play classic and modern rock songs that have been simplified for beginner musicians. Additionally, Rock 101 students have a weekly private music lesson with an instructor who helps them learn the concepts and skills behind their performance songs. After passing Rock 101 graduation requirements, students move into Rock 102.
ROCK 101
AGES 7-12 | MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, THURSDAYS, FRIDAYS, 4:30-6:00PM | TUESDAYS, 5:30PM-7:00PM
ROCK 102
AGES 9-13 | MONDAYS, 6:00-7:30PM | FRIDAYS, 5:30PM-7:00PM
ROOKIES AND LITTLE WING
ROOKIES
AGES 5-8 | MONDAYS, TUESDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, THURSDAYS, 4:30-5:30PM
At School of Rock Briarcliff Manor, our music program for children with no previous musical experience (typically ages 6 to 7-years-old) is called Rookies. Rookies students have one weekly group music lesson where they learn fundamentals like chords, rhythm and song structure. Kids get to learn and experiment with multiple instruments so they can later decide which one they ultimately want to continue pursuing in Rock 101.
LITTLE WING
AGES 3-5 | SUNDAYS, 10:30-11:15AM
Our Little Wing music program for preschoolers and toddlers teaches students foundational music skills by playing games and participating in other interactive musical activities. Little Wing students have one weekly group music lesson in which they use classic rock songs to learn about rhythm, song structure, melody and dynamics through play.
ADULT BAND
ADULT BAND
AGES 18+| TUESDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, THURSDAYS, 8:00-10:00PM
Adult Program is for students over 18 years old who are looking to either improve their musical proficiency or pick up an instrument with no prior musical experience. As with most School of Rock music programs, the Adult Program uses a performance-based music education approach. This means the curriculum focuses on learning music concepts and applying them in a live performance setting. Our Adult Music Program includes one weekly private music lesson and a weekly group rehearsal. Every student at School of Rock Briarcliff Manor is placed in a band of fellow adults and then assigned specific songs as a way of learning key music concepts and skills. Adult students then take the stage to play at a live show!