START YOUR SCHOOL YEAR OFF RIGHT!

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.

ROCK 101: CLASSIC ROCK REWIND

AGES 7-10 | THURSDAYS, 5:00PM-6:30PM

Take a trip to the good old days with Classic Rock Rewind! This show will showcase some of the best artists from 1960s, all the way up to the 1990s.  Get ready to hear some of your favorite familiar tunes from amazing artists such as Fleetwood Mac, ACDC, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, and more. This is a show with huge variety, which means it’s great for both beginners and experienced shredders!

rock 102: rock n' grohl

ages 10-13 | thursdays, 6:30pm-8:30pm

Rock 'n' Grohl (aka The Dave Grohl Show) is a killer show that covers quite a lot of musical ground on all instruments, featuring Grohl’s work with Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Queens Of The Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures, Probot, and more. This music is centered in the Hard Rock aesthetic but ranges from Grunge to Punk to Metal to Prog. Best known for his work in Foo Fighters and Nirvana, Dave Grohl is unanimously admired throughout the entertainment industry and continues to be a force to be reckoned with in the modern music scene. The Rock ‘n’ Grohl show is ideal for guitarists of every experience level, in that it encompasses a wide range of skills and techniques - from Nirvana’s rhythmic yet aggressive strumming to the Foo Fighters’ melodic and driving octaves to Queens of The Stone Age’s heavy but quirky leads and solos. Dave Grohl is especially well-known for his prowess behind the kit throughout his career, making this show a favorite for drummers. For vocalists, Foo Fighters songs provide great examples of the belting and chest voice techniques, and intermediate vocalists will be challenged by frequent dynamic changes and two-part harmonies.

ROCK 103: OZZFEST

ages 13-18 | mondays, 5:15pm-7:15pm

Ozzfest is an annual music festival tour of the United States, featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. Founded by Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, it was held almost annually between 1996 and 2018. The Ozzfest tour featured bands of a variety of genres within heavy metal and hard rock, including alternative metal, thrash metal, industrial metal, metalcore, nu metal, and post-hardcore. Both Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath played the tour several times over the years as well! Listen to artists like Deftones, Pantera, Linkin Park, Korn and Iron Maiden

rock 103: journey

ages 13-18 | wednesdays, 5:15pm-7:15pm

Hailing from San Francisco, Journey have undoubtedly cemented themselves as a household name.  Their achievements range from being inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, to officially being named as one of the best selling artists of all time.   Led by the unmistakeable voice of Steve Perry, the band perfectly infuses creative musicality (ever listened to the drums on “Don’t Stop Believin”?) with timeless lyricism.  Their songs have become arena rock staples and are still played on rock radio stations around the world.  

GRAD SCHOOL: IRON MAIDEN VS. JUDAS PRIEST

AGES 18+ | MONDAYS, 7:30PM-9:30PM

GRAD SCHOOL REHEARSALS TAKE PLACE AT SCHOOL OF ROCK SYOSSET/OYSTER BAY, LOCATED AT 180 MICHAEL DRIVE, SYOSSET NY 11791

Iron Maiden and Judas Priest - no two bands better represent the epitome of 1980s Heavy Metal. While each act has their own unique sound, what they share in common is power, precision, technical mastery, and unrelenting energy. In the late 1960s, the earliest version of Judas Priest had begun performing on a regular basis. After several years and many lineup changes, the core band of Ian Hill, Rob Halford, KK Downing, and Glenn Tipton would sign their first record deal, resulting in Rocka Rolla being released in 1974. Throughout the rest of the decade, Judas Priest would steadily grow their fanbase worldwide. Influential albums such as Sad Wings of Destiny, Sin After Sin, Stained Class, and the live masterpiece Unleashed in the East would win over new fans at every turn. As Judas Priest was tearing it up on the road, a young Steve Harris was in the early stages of forming what would become Iron Maiden by enlisting singer Paul Di’Anno (later replaced by Bruce Dickinson), guitarists Dave Murray and Dennis Stratton (later replaced by Adrian Smith), and drummer Clive Burr (later replaced by Nicko McBrain). With their self-titled debut album in 1980, Iron Maiden began a decade which would earn them worldwide acclaim. Following the release of Iron Maiden, albums like Piece Of Mind, Number Of The Beast and Powerslave have cemented the band’s place as a legendary Metal band. Iron Maiden and Judas Priest continue to record and tour to this day. While there may have been some obstacles along the way, both acts have successfully made the transition from hot, new acts to elder statesmen of Metal. Their catalogs leave behind a legacy of music that will inspire musicians around the globe for generations to come. The Iron Maiden vs Judas Priest show will challenge even the most seasoned School of Rock students with the technical demands of the music, while encouraging fledgling players to up their game learning fundamentals of the Metal genre.

GRAD SCHOOL: FUNK & REGGAE

AGES 18+ | WEDNESDAYS, 7:15PM-9:15PM

GRAD SCHOOL REHEARSALS TAKE PLACE AT SCHOOL OF ROCK SYOSSET/OYSTER BAY, LOCATED AT 180 MICHAEL DRIVE, SYOSSET NY 11791

We're doing one of the grooviest shows we've got to offer, Funk & Reggae! Funk and Reggae were both genres that had their origins in the 1960's via African-American and Jamaican communities. James Brown first coined the "funk beat" in the 1950's and 60s, which emphasized the first downbeat of the measure - this would lead to the development of some of the world's favorite funk bands, including Sly and the Family Stone, Parliament, Chaka Khan and more. Funk music is characterized with funky, syncopated bass lines and steady, infectious drum grooves, leading to its popularity in the 70s and 80s. Reggae was developed in Jamaica in the late 60s, and is known for its propulsive percussion, hypnotic bass lines, and steady, up-stroke rhythm guitar, which helped devlop it as a dance music genre. Bob Marley helped to champion the genre, which would lead to future genres including ska.