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JANUARY 2024 NEWSLETTER

Happy New Year!

Ending 2023 on a high note but there is so much more music to be excited about in 2024

The Fall 2023 Performance Program is counting down the weeks to show time!

After the Winter Break we are hitting the ground running. We have just one month left before its show time. Venue announcements with show day details will be going out to the casts soon but we can tell you now to save the dates February 4 and February 11 because you won't want to miss these end of season shows. The Rolling Stones, CBGB, Aretha Franklin and Soundgarden bands each went into the break after some really solid sounding rehearsals, knowing what they needed to work on. This last month before shows is about fine tuning and working on their performance. We are confident that come February these shows are gonna make you wanna pogo, mosh, show off your moves like Jagger and get some R-E-S-P-E-C-T on the dance floor.

The kids can't have all the fun...

Adult Performance Program Fall 2023

Our Adult Performance Program The Beatles group is sounding good and show director Jaime is very pleased with their progress this season. We are super excited to announce that their end of season show will be at McGinty's Public House in down town Silver Spring on February 17th at 7pm.

“There's nothing you can do that can't be done / Nothing you can sing that can't be sung / Nothing you can say, but you can learn how to play the game / It's easy”

If you are an adult who has never played with other musicians and want a safe space to learn how, our Adult Rock 101 class is a great place to start and can serve as a stepping stone to next season's Adult Performance Program. We are currently seeking those interested in taking your playing to the next level, contact us at silverspring@schoolofrock.com.

Feelin' Festive

Ugly Sweaters & White Elephants

It has become a fun tradition that we have a white elephant gift exchange at our last rehearsals before the winter break begins. We also encourage the students and staff to wear their ugliest Christmas sweaters for the event to add to the festive vibe of things. One student wore his Grinch onesie for the occasion! We had a variety of fun gifts unwrapped including show theme t-shirts, school of rock swag, candy, plush animals, drum sticks, guitar picks and novelty print socks. Watching the students open presents is always enjoyable.

House Band Happenings

Holiday Shows and Recording Sessions

December was a busy month for House Band! As the official start of the House Band year, we had our first rehearsals and first performance. The Sounds of the Season holiday set in Downtown Silver Spring was a great success and a fantastic way to kick off the year with the new band lineup!

Some of our House Band students also had a chance to record at Omega Recording Studios in Rockville, MD. We’ve had a great relationship with Omega over the years and had an awesome session in December where the kids recorded one of our favorites, “Cult of Personality.” These sessions are a great opportunity for House Band students to learn about the recording process and we look forward to being back at Omega for another session soon!

We’re looking forward to playing the Jamuary Jamtacular event in Arlington, VA with some other House Bands in the DMV area including our sister schools in Ashburn, VA and Vienna, VA. Shared House Band gigs like this are always a fun time to jam and hang out with other bands and we’re looking forward to a fantastic day full of rock and roll!

IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY TO START THINKING ABOUT SUMMER

SUMMER CAMPS ARE ON SALE NOW

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND PURCHASE SUMMER 2024 CAMP EXPERIENCES

Our week long Summer Camp experiences are now available for purchase online. They can fill up fast so don't miss out. Our camp are a ton of fun for kids aged 7-17 and are a great introduction to our year round group programs if your student is thinking of joining but wants to dip their toe in before making the plunge. If you have questions, don't hesitate to reach out.

Student spotlight

London L.

London attended a Summer Camp with School of Rock in July of 2022 and he immediately made an impression on us. We were so happy he wanted to continue rocking with us year round. After a short stint in Rock 101, he was ready to join his first performance program show in the fall of that year. He continues to grow with each show he is cast in and is a recent addition to this year's House Band.

How many performance seasons have you been in at SOR Silver Spring?

4 seasons

You are a recent addition to our house band and had your first show with them just a couple weeks back, what is this experience like so far?

Really great! House band is a great way to prepare for playing live and get music prepared in a short amount of time and how to communicate with other musicians!

What made you want to play guitar?

Guitar is a very cool hobby that helped me deepen my connection to music overall. Artists like Led Zeppelin were very inspirational to me as a beginner guitarist!

Are you interested in other instruments?

I would definitely like to try piano to help improve my music theory!!

Favorite show you've been in so far here at SOR?

Soundgarden!!!

Show you hope to be in at SOR?

Black Sabbath

What are your musical influences, favorite bands or artists?

I’ve been listening to a lot of Eric Johnson, Guthrie Govan, and Chon!

Any surprises in your Spotify wrapped, or similar music listening platform, year in review for 2023?

Hall and Oates’s Rich Girl and My 2 house band audition songs, Our New World by Dream Theater and Sultans of Swing by Dire Straights!

What advice do you have for new students?

Branch out your tastes and playing styles! Go into every song with an open mind and you will not regret giving up!!!

What do you like most about SOR?

I like playing with musicians who I feel are more experienced than myself who I can both learn and draw inspiration from! Playing in a group builds a lot of invaluable musicianship skills!

IS THAT SNOW?

INCLEMENT WEATHER

We do not follow area school closures. On the day in question, we will determine if our staff can come in and return home safely, particularly for groups. Often the timing of the storm allows us to continue our in person operations. If you feel the roads are not safe, you may opt to take your lesson online for that day, just let us know. We will post on our social media pages if we are moving online and send an email if there are changes to the in person lessons or groups on that day. If you have a question, email us, check our programs site, social media, or give us a call before you head out.

What's all the Buzz about?

Our Spring 2024 Announcement

We are counting down the days until we announce our four new show themes for the Spring 2024 season on January 8th. This season we will be mixing things up to give our student and teachers a fun challenge. As always our show season will be full of variety so their is something for everyone. You'll have to stay tuned to our social media pages for what we have in store.

NOTES FROM THE MOTHERSHIP

with Music Director Brooks Owens

GOALS- Happy New Year! As we begin 2024, talk with your instructors about setting some goals for the upcoming year. Whether it’s a specific aspect of your playing you want to develop, expanding your musical horizons, or stepping into more of a leadership role in your shows, having a goal will help give you the structure to get you where you want to be. Use the acronym SMART (Specific, Manageable, Achievable, Realistic, Time Based) as a framework for goal setting with your instructors this month.