At School of Rock Roslyn 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 AND WEDNESDAYS, 5 pm - 6:30 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: CBGB
ages 10-13 | rehearses tuesdays, 5 pm - 7 pm
The CBGB show is an overview of the early New Wave bands who got their break at the legendary NYC club. When CBGB opened in 1973, no one had any idea that a Bowery dive bar would become known as the birthplace of Punk. The official name was CBGB & OMFUG: Country, Bluegrass, Blues & and Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers. While the Ramones generally get credit for starting the Punk scene, Television was actually the first band in this scene to play at CBGBs, on March 31, 1974. Soon artists like Blondie, Talking Heads, and Patti Smith set up residence at CBGBs, along with British bands like The Police and Elvis Costello who made CBGB their stateside hangout. As the Punk scene grew and took hold, other bands such as Cleveland transplants the Dead Boys and New Jersey’s Misfits became CBGB mainstays. The CBGB show offers a diverse and highly educational mix of ridiculously cool artists that can challenge students on any instrument at all experience levels.
rock 103: arena rock*
ages 13-hs senior | rehearses thursdays, 5 pm - 7 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: grunge
AGES 18+ | REHEARSES MONDAYS, 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
GRAD SCHOOL REHEARSES AT SCHOOL OF ROCK SYOSSET/OYSTER BAY, LOCATED AT 180 MICHAEL DRIVE, SYOSSET NY 11791
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. The style became known as a hybrid of punk and metal. The early grunge movement revolved around Seattle's independent record label Sub Pop and the region's underground music scene. The owners of Sub Pop marketed the style shrewdly and the media was encouraged to describe it as "grunge". By the early 1990s, its popularity had spread, with grunge bands appearing in California, then emerging in other parts of the United States and in Australia, building strong followings and signing major record deals. Grunge was commercially successful in the early to mid-1990s, due to releases such as Nirvana's Nevermind, Pearl Jam's Ten, Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger, Alice in Chains' Dirt and Stone Temple Pilots' Core. The success of these bands boosted the popularity of alternative rock and made grunge the most popular form of rock music at the time.
GRAD SCHOOL: yacht rock
AGES 18+ | REHEARSES WEDNESDAYS, 7:15 PM - 9:15 PM
GRAD SCHOOL REHEARSES AT SCHOOL OF ROCK SYOSSET/OYSTER BAY, LOCATED AT 180 MICHAEL DRIVE, SYOSSET NY 11791
Easy Listening. Dad Rock. The West Coast Sound. Whatever nomenclature you choose, Yacht Rock music has survived the test of time and has made an explosive, full-steam-ahead resurgence in today’s popular music. Mostly emerging from the late 70s to early 80s, Yacht Rock’s mellow moods and relaxing vibes overshadow the sublime musicianship and songwriting skills of artists like Steely Dan, Toto, Hall and Oates, The Doobie Brothers, Carole King, and many more. Steeped in jazz, R&B, and dense harmony theory, these songs feature collaborations between some of the best studio musicians in history. These enduring songs will surprise and challenge even the most advanced SoR student. There are multi-layered vocal harmonies for singers, jazz-inspired guitar parts and solos, legendary grooves for bassists and drummers, and intricate keyboard parts utilizing what were, at the time, innovative electric pianos and synthesizers. This is one of the most challenging shows in the School of Rock curriculum!
SPRING SEASON 2025 - IMPORTANT DATES
TENTATIVE 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 Midseason Live Stream and Best of Season Showcase dates are confirmed.
HOW TO SIGN UP:
- CURRENT SCHOOL OF ROCK FAMILIES:
- ROCK 101 & ROCK 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!
- SOON-TO-BE SCHOOL OF ROCK FAMILIES:
- Call us at 516-234-7625, email us at roslyn@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.