Spring 25 Performance Program Themes
SIGN UPS START MONDAY DECEMBER 2!
Arena Rock – Mondays 6:30-8:30PM
As FM radio developed into the mainstream music medium in the '70s, successful bands began performing at larger venues to accommodate their growing audiences. This show will focus on the generation of artists who first made the arena stage their home: Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Kansas, Foreigner, Toto, Pat Benatar, and Cheap Trick, to name a few. The songs that made these artists household names featured massive anthem choruses for everyone to sing along, and instrumental parts countless fans have air-guitared and air-drummed. Guitarists will have challenging parts to expand their knowledge and skill; keyboard players will be featured heavily throughout; vocalists will be challenged with belting leads and rich harmonies; drummers will take on bombastic, flashy beats and fills; bass players will learn melodic bass lines that hold these songs together. This is a great show for all instruments!
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Wednesday 4-6PM
The Red Hot Chili Peppers formed in Los Angeles in the 1980s and gained widespread popularity in the 1990s with their flamboyant style and music that blended elements of funk, punk, hard rock, hip hop, and alternative rock. Their early albums were high energy funk and punk-driven, capturing the energy of the youth culture of the time and providing a contrast to the grunge sound dominating the airwaves at the same time. At the turn of the millennium, RHCP’s music took a more commercial rock turn which softened the edge of their sound somewhat, expanding their appeal to a mainstream audience. This show will have parts to challenge beginner and advanced players on all instruments.
The Clash – Tuesdays 6:30-8:30PM
The Clash’s unique sound, rebellious lyrics, and energetic live shows influenced generations of Punk rockers. This show will highlight the band’s mix of Rock, Reggae, Rockabilly, Soul, and Funk which set them apart from their Punk Rock peers in the 1970s and '80s. The Clash show is super educational and one of the most fun shows in the School of Rock curriculum, accessible for beginners but challenging for experienced players as well, especially on guitar, bass and drums. Students will enjoy performing material from their debut album The Clash to their most commercially successful release Combat Rock, including Punk anthems like “London Calling”, “Career Opportunities”, “Safe European Home”, “Train In Vain”, and “Rock The Casbah”.
Black Sabbath – Wednesdays 6-8PM
While the phrase “Heavy Metal” had been thrown about during the '60s, it took the arrival of Black Sabbath to fully realize the genre. Considered the pioneers of heavy metal, Black Sabbath are rock and roll legends. Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward created some of the heaviest music of the 1960s and '70s, and have influenced practically every metal band who have emerged in their wake, including Metallica, Slayer, System of a Down, Slipknot, and Soundgarden. After 50+ years, Black Sabbath remain the first and most influential heavy metal band in rock history. Major musical concepts employed by Black Sabbath that the students will learn include alternate tunings, changes in tempo and feel, and improvisation. This show is sure to be incredibly fun for your student rocker, and will aid in their development to the next musical level.
2000s Indie Rock: Gorillaz, Flaming Lips & Friends – Fridays 4-6PM
This show will feature some of the most creative, fun, entertaining rock and pop music of the last few decades as we dive into the music of the Flaming Lips, Gorillaz, and their artsy, experimental peers. The Flaming Lips have been a creative force in music since the ‘90s, rising to popularity with their 1999 and 2002 albums The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots. Their flair for outrageous stage sets and eye-popping live performances continue to make them a popular live act. The Gorillaz, led by former Blur frontman Damon Albarn, presented themselves as a band of four animated characters, and had widespread success with their 2002 album Gorillaz and 2005’s Demon Days. We’ll focus on these two bands, potentially bringing in songs by these artists’ peers like Tame Impala, KGLW, Florence + The Machine, and St Vincent.
Disco – Thursdays 6:30-8:30PM
Disco started as a genre of dance music and a subculture in the 1960s, gaining mainstream popularity in the ‘70s with the success of artists like Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, Chic, Diana Ross, Earth Wind & Fire, ABBA and the BeeGees. Disco music combines elements of pop, funk, rock, and orchestral music, and is presented in a highly polished sound and visual style. Disco has also been highly influential on dance, rock, funk, and electronic music. Students in this show will learn to lock into a groove with their bandmates, playing some of the most commercially successful ensemble arrangements of the last several decades. This is a great show for students on all instruments and at all levels of experience.
Michael Jackson – Saturdays 1-3PM
Michael Jackson grew up in the spotlight performing with his family band, The Jackson 5. In the 1970s, as Michael’s individual celebrity and creative ambitions outgrew the band, he turned to a solo career, releasing some of the most well-crafted and popular songs of all time. His albums Off The Wall, Thriller, and Bad represent a staggering musical, creative, and artistic achievement unsurpassed by any other musical artist or band in any genre. Thriller alone, released in 1982, topped the Billboard 200 for an impressive 37 weeks and became the first album ever to contain seven top-10 singles. The “Thriller” video also turned the music video medium into a serious art form, and helped to break down the racial barrier on the MTV network. Michael’s unprecedented success earned him the undisputed title “King of Pop.” This show will have plenty of opportunities for students to contribute on a variety of instruments in a wide range of styles, and there will surely be challenging moments where students at all levels can learn something new.
Nirvana – Fridays 6-8PM
Nirvana was formed in Aberdeen Washington in 1987 by friends Kurt Cobain (vocals and guitar) and Krist Novoselic (bass). Combining elements of Punk, Metal, and Pop, Nirvana channeled teen angst into a sweeping mainstream movement. While touring in support of their 1989 EP Bleach, Buzz Osborne of Mudhoney introduced the band to Dave Grohl, providing the final member of their timeless rock trio. Nirvana went on to record the album known as the pinnacle of the Grunge movement, Nevermind. With tracks like “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, “Come As You Are”, and “In Bloom”, Nirvana skyrocketed into mainstream success. While the band’s career was cut short by Cobain’s untimely death in 1994, Nirvana have remained prominent music legends due to their innovative sound and their influence on countless bands who came after them. Beginner and intermediate guitar players will learn power chords and melodic lead guitar in this show, while any drum student will be challenged by David Grohl’s powerful, technical drumming. The Nirvana show is a solid show for all levels of playing and is packed with crowd-pleasing '90s anthems.
Heart – Sundays 1-3PM
Heart rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hugely successful hits. Fronted by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, Heart fused influences including hard rock, folk, and prog, into a sound that was uniquely their own. Led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, Heart made their entry into international success in the 1970s with songs like “Crazy On You” and “Magic Man”. Through the '80s and '90s, Heart continued their stint on the billboard charts, achieving Number One hits with the songs “These Dreams” and “Alone”. One of the most successful bands in Rock history, Heart offers students the opportunity for a challenging show that covers a lot of musical ground, from their proggy, guitar-heavy '70s compositions to their radio-friendly and synth-driven '80s material. Masterful technicians on guitar and vocals, the Wilson sisters continue to be a huge inspiration for young musicians. Heart is a great show for intermediate and advanced students on all instruments, and will also offer beginners an opportunity to shine.