Record Recs

Hi Rock School family! There’s a new section of the site called Record Recs…this is where you can get music recommendations from your teachers and fellow School of Rockers. You can even share your own favorite albums with your bandmates!

While we’re all in quarantine, we get lots of extra time to listen to music. I know that you guys can get overwhelmed with just how much music is out there and sometimes you need suggestions. Let’s help each other out! Here’s how this will work:

-Teachers and Students write about one of their favorite records (what they love about it and why they recommend it.)
-Tyler posts it in the Record Recs section
-You all go listen to it and maybe you’ll discover a new favorite!

That’s it! I’ll start with some recommendation lists from some past House Band members. If you have a record that you want to share, write a little about why you recommend it, send it to me (tward@schoolofrock) with your name and age, and I’ll post it!

This is a great opportunity for us to share some of our favorite records and give a gift to the rest of our musical family. I look forward to seeing what you have to offer!

tsw

Posted on March 28, 2020 by Tyler Ward.

Cake follow up

Hi Cake crew! It was so nice to see you all yesterday!

For next week let’s mix it up a little…

-Figure out 4 fun/funny locations to use as your background…they have to be actual locations, not just funny pictures! (Make sure they’re appropriate, of course)
-Find something weird from your house to show…musical is better, but whatever works. (Think of this as a fun “show and tell” to show off your kit at home, your amp, your dog, whatever!)
-Be prepared to play a part from your least prepared song!

That’s it for now. Stay tuned for cast list updates over the next day or two!

tsw

Posted on March 26, 2020 by Tyler Ward.

HB result timeframe update

To all of you who auditioned for House Band, thank you! We had over 30 videos submitted for about half as many slots, so it’s a tough competition. It’s going to take a few days for the judges to review your videos, so please have some patience. We’ll email the results when we’ve made our decisions and will post here to let you know when the results are released.

Thanks for all of your great work!

Posted on March 2, 2020 by Tyler Ward.

Cake updated

Mostly backups and percussion, but there are a couple keys and guitar parts too.

Come really prepared this week…if you’re ready, we may have bass, keys, and backup vocal parts available on current songs and if you’re really up on your parts, we’ll add some new tunes.

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Tyler Ward.

HOUSE BAND AUDITION (Summer Tour!)

House Band Spring/Summer 2020

It’s time for the new season of House Band and it’s a big one.

-The season will last from March through the end of Summer (approximately)
-The audition process will be a little different than the last few seasons, so read carefully!
-This band IS GOING ON TOUR! We’re going to the EAST COAST! YES, REALLY!
We’ll have lots more info about the tour stops, length, and approximate cost very, very soon. For now, just start preparing for your audition.

Requirements to participate:
-You must have completed at least one full season show with us
-You must audition on the instrument that you currently take lessons on
-You must be in a show to participate
-You must bring in a signed Code of Conduct by the audition due-date (It will be located in the HB tab in the coming days)
 

Audition Guidelines:
-Film your audition and send us either the file or a link to your video on youtube (make it “unlisted”, if you choose this route). Your video should not exceed 3 minutes in total length.
-Your video is due by February 29th at 11:59pm. Please turn it in early enough to make sure your video works! If you turn it at the last second and your video doesn’t work, you won’t have enough time to fix it and you’ll miss out.
-Perform 1 minute of a Classic Rock song by Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Who, Black Sabbath, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd, or Jimi Hendrix (You CAN play to a backing track for this part)
-Answer this question: “As a House Band member, how will you positively impact our SoR community and why is that important?”
-Perform 1 minute of any song as a solo piece. (You CANNOT play to a backing track for this part.)

Performances will be evaluated on Tone, Feel, Accuracy, Command of Instrument, Stage Presence, and Reliability/Attitude.

*A note on Stage Presence: We understand that your audition won’t feel like a show, but you still need to show us how you’ll perform on stage. No need to plan fake “rock moves”, but if you stand still and frown, you won’t make a good impression in this category.

*A note on video quality: We will NOT be judging on video production or editing quality. You can film on your phone or whatever’s handy (as long as we can hear your instrument well!). Spend time on your playing, not the video production.

Sign up at the school! Reach out to Tyler right away if you have any questions! (tward@schoolofrock.com)

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Tyler Ward.

SPRING 2020 SEASON SHOWS


*All shows will perform in June

DAVID BOWIE

Rehearses: Saturdays from 11am-2pm, First Rehearsal: Saturday, February 8th

David. Bowie. Finally. We will pay tribute to this legend by working on material from all his classic records. This show will feature a million different genres, styles, and sounds, as Bowie didn’t like to repeat himself. This will be an eclectic set filled with hits, deep cuts, and fan favorites. 


LED ZEPPELIN

Rehearses: Saturdays from 3:30-6:30pm, First Rehearsal: Saturday, February 8th

Every musician needs to spend time studying the mighty Led Zeppelin. Every, single, one. We all know their hits, but it’s impossible to overstate their importance as players and performers. Absolutely essential.


BEST OF THE 80S

Rehearses: Mondays from 5:15-8:15pm, First Rehearsal: Monday, February 3rd

The 80s was one of the most exciting and creative times in rock history. With the help of new technology and new cultural ideas, every band sounded more unique than ever before. This show has the most variety of any show that we do! We’re talking pop stuff like Prince and Michael Jackson, new wave stuff like XTC and The Cars, punk stuff like The Clash and Minor Threat, metal stuff like Metallica and Megadeth, one-hit-wonders like A-Ha and Flock of Seagulls, quirky weirdos like Oingo Boingo and Devo...and so much more! Pat Benatar, The Gogos, U2, The Police, Blondie, The Bangles, Joan Jett, etc etc etc. This show is a blast!!


CAKE

Rehearses: Wednesdays from 5:15-8:15pm, First Rehearsal: Wednesday, February 5th

A whole show devoted to Cake?? Yes! Their catalog is filled with fun radio hits, throwback country tunes, and bizarre 90s classics. If you’ve been in the school for a while (or are a super fan), this is a great show for you!


EPIC ALBUM: METALLICA’S MASTER OF PUPPETS

Rehearses: Tuesdays from 6-8pm First Rehearsal: Tuesday, February 4th

This thrash metal classic is both a fan favorite and a challenging shred fest. As one of the most admired albums of all time, this raised the bar for every future metal band. These songs are long, fast, and hard to play!! If you’re ready for the challenge, this show is for you!

Posted on January 4, 2020 by Tyler Ward.

AllStars audition guidance

Winter Break is a great time to work on your AllStars audition! If you have any questions or would like input on your AllStars song selections, email Tyler!! (tward@schoolofrock.com)

Have a great holiday!

Posted on December 23, 2019 by Tyler Ward.

ALLSTARS AUDITION DETAILS

Here it is!!

Our auditions will be held in San Diego on Tuesday, January 14th from 6-8pm. We’ll have signup sheets posted this week.

If you have ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL, ask Tyler right away. The rules are a little different this time (and offer a whole new Songwriting opportunity) so you need to ask Tyler for a definitive answer.

Click here for the 2020 ALLSTARS AUDITION GUIDELINES FOR PERFORMANCE

Click here for the 2020 ALLSTARS AUDITION GUIDELINES FOR SONGWRITING

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Tyler Ward.

The Clash updated

Only a couple parts. Finish all that new stuff from last week so I can get you new stuff this week!!!

Posted on November 9, 2019 by Tyler Ward.

The Clash updated!

Tons of new songs and parts. This is turning into a dream setlist!! Get to work!!

Posted on November 3, 2019 by Tyler Ward.

Last call for songwriter art!

I’m all ready to get your album printed, but no one has sent art or logos! This is your LAST CHANCE! Otherwise I’ll use a photo and the SoR logo. Send ASAP!

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Tyler Ward.