get to know your show Directors
Learn more about the Fab Four leading our talented students to success this spring at School of Rock!
Chip GrawOzburn
Van Halen
Jake Harrison
Punk
Kaitlin Jennings
Woodstock
Avery linderman
Fleetwood Mac
what first got you interested in music?
chip
Music was always around our house. My Dad sang Barbershoppers and was a jazz trumpet player so I went to a lot of those gigs, but what really hooked me was KISS. For a kid under 10 in the '70s they had it all: the lights, the outfits, and makeup. I saw Ace Frehley do a solo on stage and his guitar flew in the air (guidewires) and just before he walked off stage he turned around and pointed at it. It exploded and began to smoke in the air, then the lights blacked out. I said out loud, "I want to do that!!!!!!!!!!" The first album I learned to play all the way through was KISS ALIVE 2.
jake
I think the idea of songwriting really got me excited about music more than any specific instrument. That's probably why I learned a bunch of instruments rather than really diving deep on one.
kaitlin
I acted in Musical Theatre since I was five and I began writing at a really young age. Eventually, I fell more in love with the music than the acting and wanted to explore writing more purposefully.
avery
My Dad played lots of rock and roll when I was younger, and got us a little 5 piece drumset. I fell in love with the drums.
what's your favorite thing about teaching?
chip
The "ah-ha" moments when the light bulb goes on in the students' heads. Where a concept, technique, or whatever makes their eyes get wide and excited. The point where the physical aspect of the instrument and the cerebral come together in a gloriously musical moment that propels them to want more and more. Those are the moments I cherish most with every student in the school.
jake
Seeing people put in hard work and get rewarded. There's such an amazing feeling being able to do something you couldn't come close to just a few weeks ago and seeing students feel that boost in confidence is awesome.
kaitlin
Getting to be a part of break-throughs for a student and, especially in vocals, watching students achieve things they never thought they could.
avery
My favorite thing about teaching is seeing when a student has a "lightbulb moment" and gets excited when they understand a concept/learn something new.
what are you most excited about this season?
chip
I'm excited every season for the lessons that the songs and the musicians who wrote or played on the song have to teach. Whether it's techniques, theory, attitude, stage presence, or whatever. There are so many ways to approach music and its physical, mental, and social aspects. It's what ultimately seems to motivate us all.
jake
Gang vocals.
kaitlin
I'm excited for students to explore so many stylistic differences between the show genres and vocally learn to manipulate their tone in order to fit a genre.
avery
This season I am most excited about teaching the music of Fleetwood Mac.
why do you like your show theme?
chip
To me Van Halen is the perfect introduction of how the '70s became the '80s musically and culturally. You can hear it in the evolution of the band's music and see it in the attitude of their showmanship and show presence. The songs were written to be performed with a larger than life presentation on stage. Van Halen wasn't just about the song but the entertaining performance of the song.
jake
Gang vocals! And learning about punk is awesome. Punk as a genre doesn't tell you what to do or how to dress or what to think, all it does is tell you to think for yourself! Punk gets a bad rap as just anarchists and iconoclasts but individual thought is the real bedrock of punk (in my opinion).
kaitlin
My show theme gets to showcase some of the best music across genres from the '60s. Since we're basing our show on Woodstock, we get to explore so many different artists that were some of the best of that era.
avery
I like my show theme because Fleetwood Mac has great music that everyone can learn things from.
what song would you want to be cast on if you were a student on this show?
chip
"Panama" has just a fun riff to play on guitar. I also love how the music supports the lyrical subject matter. I just put myself in that powerful dragster, Panama, buckle in and push it to the limit to the end of the track or the engine blows. I could never do it in real life but it really give me a hint of what it might be like to drag race.
jake
"Heartilation" by AJJ is one of my all time favorites; I'd love to perform that one. Or "California Uber Alles," or "Time Bomb." There's really too many to choose from- I really love this setlist.
kaitlin
I'd love to be cast on "I Put a Spell on You." I love the soulful sound and there is so much room to play with vocals!
avery
I'd want to be on "Go Your Own Way." It's such a classic.
why should people come see the mid-season and end-of-season shows?
chip
Not only does it support our greatest asset in this world...our next generation, but it's also cool to realize that there are still people trying to connect with others in a genuine way through music and live performances. So much of our musical and life experience comes by way of our electronic devices these days. Live performance is the human aspect of music; the social aspect that we all can share no matter our background. It provides context to life and provides the emotional exchange that our internal humanity craves. I've seen students gain self-confidence, come out of their shells, and grow in ways they may not even realize...it's been there all the time but it was their musical journey and the relationships they have forged musically that helped to unlock it from within themselves.
jake
Gang vocals! But actually, because these students put in so much hard work and this music is not easy. They're taking risks and growing as people and musicians, and it's downright inspiring.
kaitlin
People should come to see the show because these are students who have poured hours of work into these songs and their technique in order to beautifully execute these songs. There are singing notes and playing riffs that they thought were impossible for them, but have worked hard in order to pull through. Their determination is inspiring and seeing the fruit of that determination equally so.
avery
People should come see the shows because these students are absolutely fantastic players that will put on an amazing Fleetwood show!
Mid-Season Show
March 17th, Local 506
End-of-Season Show
May 19th, Blue Note Grill
