It's Our September 2023 Newsletter - Silver Spring SoR, News That Rocks!

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September 2023 NEWSLETTER

September means its Back To School...of Rock!!!

Summer Performance Program - Final Stretch Of The Season

We are more than half way through the Summer 2023 season! Can you believe it? After the Labor Day weekend closure, our Summer Vacations will be behind us and we look forward to having full casts back for our weekly rehearsals. We will start running the shows from start to finish, fine tuning our set lists. We'll tighten up parts, smooth out transitions between songs and start focusing on performance elements. All directors are very pleased with where we are in the rehearsal process. Our show themes this season are Folk Rock, Pink Floyd, Joan Jett vs. Pat Benatar, and Red Hot Chilli Peppers vs. No Doubt and we are super excited to hit the stage with them in October. Show dates will be Saturday October 7th and Sunday October 15th. Stay tuned for our venue announcements!

Get ready for Sweater weather...

Our Fall 2023 Performance Program Announcement is Coming!

You may start seeing some teasers on our social media pages about our upcoming Fall season. Maybe you have started guessing what our four show themes will be. The wait is almost over... On September 5th, all will be revealed!

House Band at Shipgarten

House band’s busy summer kept rolling through August starting with a performance at Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA. This was a fantastic gig and a great chance to collaborate with and cheer on bands from our Vienna and Ashburn schools. We always love the chance to get together with the other schools. Next we closed out the Summer at Shipgarten in McLean, VA. This was one of many gigs that House Band has played at Shipgarten this year but this was the best yet by far. Our House Band students put on a high energy show for three hours in the summer heat and set the tone for the upcoming gigs in the Fall. Speaking of upcoming gigs, you can catch House Band’s next performance as they return to Let’s Play American Play Day in Takoma Park, MD on Saturday September 23. See you there!

Warm Welcome to Our New Guitar instructor

Jordan Houze

A serious player since the age of 12, Jordan has never ceased to explore the possibilities in music. Jordan’s musical journey began with playing guitar with childhood friends, and was a part of the Charles Herbert Flowers High School jazz ensemble. Now a multi-instrumentalist and producer, Jordan has played at the Rock and Roll Hotel, DC9, and The Filmore with acts such as Tylisha Haskins, Jeaxsmeaux, Chibuguzo, and others. We are thrilled to have Jordan join the SOR family. He is currently teaching guitar and has jumped in as Elijah's assistant director for the Joan Jett vs. Pat Benatar show this season.

Get into the group...

Rock 101 and Rock Lab

Its the start of a new school year and we are excited to fill up our Rock 101 and Rock Lab group classes. If your young rocker is currently only taking lessons with us, then a Rock 101 or Rock Lab class is a great opportunity for them to take their playing to the next level. Rock 101 and Rock Labs are designed to be safe spaces where your rocker can learn how to play in a band before joining the Performance Program. We have classes on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays! These classes are filling up for Fall so if you'd like more information about your child joining their first group or rejoining a group after taking a break, contact Rose on the school line.

We had an amazing Summer Camp season!!!

The Summer 2023 Camp season was our biggest yet. We finished strong with another fantastic Friday show at McGinty's Pub Mid August. This season was a blast with alumni students stepping into Camp Director rolls and more interns than ever before. Our interns really impressed with their attention given to the campers, teaching them parts and giving them the confidence needed to take the stage. We were also impressed by the interns performance skills during their camp show openers and closers. Thanks to all that help make this Summer camp season rock!

NOTES FROM THE MOTHERSHIP

with Music Director Brooks Owens

HAVE FUN - Learning your parts and preparing for rehearsals can be hard work sometimes, but the most important thing that any School of Rock student can do is have fun playing music. If you’re stressed about a difficult part, school work, or anything else, remember that music is supposed to be fun and something that brings you joy. There’s nothing more fun than rocking out with your friends! When you get on stage at a show or in rehearsal, always remember that your first and most important job is to have fun and rock out!