At School of Rock Queens, we don't teach music to put on shows - we put on shows to teach music. Students are assigned songs selected to develop them as musicians, and work on them in private lessons with their instructors, as well as in weekly rehearsals with groups made up of their peers. The season culminates with a performance at our seasonal showcase, where they can show you everything they've been working on throughout the season!
See the end of this article for important dates, and ways to sign up for the new season!
ROCK 101: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
AGES 7-10 | REHEARSES MONDAYS, 6 PM - 7:30 PM, WEDNESDAYS OR THURSDAY, 4:30 PM - 6 PM
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame show is the perfect show for School of Rock students of all ages, instruments, and experience levels! Established in 1983, the Rock Hall documents the history of rock music and the artists, producers, engineers, and other notable figures and personnel who have influenced its development. This show will pay homage to the artists who have been enshrined in the museum, and will teach us the history of Rock and Roll!
ROCK 102: 90'S ROCK
AGES 10-13 | REHEARSES THURDAYS, 6:45 PM - 8:45 PM OR SUNDAYS, 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
The ‘90s Rock show is arguably one of the most popular School of Rock shows in our collection. Packed with a plethora of what are now known as ‘classic rock’ songs, the stylistic spectrum of this show is wide enough to excite any student rocker! Hard Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Alternative and Indie encompass this decade of music that many parents grew up on! While some connect the era of ‘90s Rock to the Seattle-area Grunge scene with bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam, this show expands to also feature acts like Weezer, Hole, Oasis, No Doubt, Alanis Morissette, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Green Day. The ‘90s Rock show will stretch any students’ musical progress while delighting and creating nostalgia for their parents!
rock 103: 21st century indie rock
ages 13-hs senior | rehearses tuesdays, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
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.
rock 103: arena rock
ages 13-hs senior | rehearses sundays, 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm
ARENA ROCK IS SCHOOL OF ROCK'S SPRING 2025 FEATURED SHOW!
Arena Rock is virtually impossible to indelibly encapsulate into an absolute genre or band list. However, the Arena Rock Show at School of Rock can be definitively stamped as a conglomeration of catchy music that is meant to be turned up loud with the windows down, filled with hard-hitting parts that feel good to air-guitar or air-drum along with at home. As FM radio developed into the mainstream music medium in the '70s, bands began performing at larger venues in order to accommodate their huge fanbases. One can subjectively argue that any artist who has achieved superstardom to the extent of performing in arenas and stadiums could be included. To that end, this show may include acts ranging from Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, and Kansas to Meat Loaf, Foreigner, Toto, Pat Benatar and Cheap Trick. No matter the bands, the songs of the Arena Rock show are the true stars, and anyone who’s had the joy to sing along with this music in its intended environment will surely agree. Guitarists will have challenging parts lurking around every corner. Keyboard players will be showcased heavily throughout. Vocalists will be challenged with belting leads and rich harmonies. Drummers will learn the true meaning of bombastic, showy performances. Bass players will be exposed to melodic bass lines which compliment their 6-string counterparts. This is a great show for all instruments!
WHAT IS THE FEATURED SHOW?
Starting in Fall 2024, School of Rock offers a new concept called a Featured Show, which will present some unique opportunities and experiences for our students!
Beginning in Fall, each season the School of Rock system will feature one of our most educational show themes, with special experiences, cool custom merch, and new educational content. The Featured Show will serve as just one of the several diverse themes we always offer each season, but we hope that by rallying around a certain theme each season with other schools around the world, we can create a great experience for students that instills a sense of the larger community they are a part of.
grad school: funk
ages 18+ | rehearses mondays, 7:30 pm - 9 pm
The Funk show celebrates the explosion of infectious, danceable music that grew out of R&B in the 1960s and 1970s. Artists such as James Brown and Sly & The Family Stone prioritized rhythm and groove in their arrangements, inspiring a musical movement that came to define the 1970s and influence much of what came after. Earth Wind & Fire, Parliament / Funkadelic, LaBelle, the Meters, Aretha Franklin, Prince, and The Commodores are just a few of the many great artists who found success in the Funk genre, and their legacy is still heard today in modern popular music by the likes of Bruno Mars, Vulfpeck, Hiatus Kaiyote, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Drummers, bass players, and keys players are sure to refine their sense of time and groove while participating in the Funk Show. Guitar players will realize the guitar is not always a lead instrument, but a dynamic rhythm instrument as well. Vocalists will be put to the test with the genre’s challenging rhythms and demanding stage presence. Funk is an educational - and incredibly FUN - show choice for all experience levels!
SPRING SEASON 2025 - IMPORTANT DATES
TENTATIVE SHOW DATES
The show dates listed above are tentatively confirmed and are expected to be accurate. Please add these dates to your calander. In the rare event that any show dates need to be adjusted due to venue availability, we will provide as much notice as possible. The livestream and Best of Season Showcase dates are confirmed.
how to sign up
- CURRENTLY ENROLLED SCHOOL OF ROCK FAMILIES:
- ROCK 101/102: Fill out the Show Scheduling Survey available on the Parent Portal.
ROCK 103/GRAD SCHOOL: Fill out the Show Scheduling Survey available on the Parent Portal, then discuss your options with your instructor between Monday, November 18 and Sunday, December 8!
- ROCK 101/102: Fill out the Show Scheduling Survey available on the Parent Portal.
- SOON-TO-BE SCHOOL OF ROCK FAMILIES:
- Call us at 516-234-7625, email us at queens@schoolofrock.com, or fill out the form below to get started!
a note about show casting
We strive for well-balanced shows where all of 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 School of Rock. We do our best to encourage (and show off) all of 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 on at SoR. 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 SoR. If your student is interested in studying an additional instrument, please reach out to us to discuss options.