• The original performance-based interactive music program
• Weekly private lessons and group rehearsals
• Students perform real rock shows in real rock venues
• Learn on professional equipment from rock veterans
• Opportunities for advanced students to play in house bands, national tours, festivals and the School of Rock All-Stars

How does the Rock Performance Program work?
Students receive a 45-minute private lesson each week on their instrument of choice. Lessons cover all aspects of formal music education ? theory, skill development, performance and music appreciation. Students also have a 3-hour supervised rehearsal most weeks of the year to prepare them for the main event, THE SHOW! Students get a break from rehearsals immediately after a show for typically 2-3 weeks to practice their songs for the next show. Past shows have included tributes to Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, the Beatles and theme shows such as Punk Rock, Reggae, Hair Metal, Yacht Rock and many more.

We find that the combination of private lessons and group band practice with their peers is the best way to motivate kids to practice hard, overcome stage fright, and become amazing musicians. Instrument choices include guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals. Advanced students who have demonstrated a high-level of proficiency on their instrument can also choose Songwriting & Recording as their area of study.

What is your approach to teaching music? Do you teach theory?
Our goal is to foster the next generation of great musicians. Much of our work is oriented around learning specific songs for performance, but in the process students learn specific skills and techniques needed for proficiency on their instrument. By selecting the right piece for the student to learn, specific technical skills are learned. Our teachers introduce music theory in the context of the learning process such as chord construction, harmony, rhythm figures, reading music and tab and so on. We think the Washington Post had it right when they said we?re ?The country?s pre-eminent music school for children ages 9 to 17.? We work towards the next performance, our kids have a great time and we?re creating fantastic musicians in the process.

Our goal at the school is two-fold: to help our students realize their amazing potential as artists and then to put them on stage in front of as many people as possible. To attain the first goal we have established a highly competitive yet thoroughly supportive environment where our students are challenged at every turn.

The shows we perform are picked for their educational merit and content (e.g. Queen to learn about harmony, Punk to develop performance and stage presence, Zappa for a crash course in musicianship.) It is never even suggested that these kids shouldn't be able to learn and play their parts. Thus, if they fail, they fail aiming at the best. And when they succeed, which is more often than not, they have accomplished something extraordinary. As our founder Paul Green says, "If you do not tell kids what they cannot do, they may never learn."

My kid has never played an instrument ? can he or she still enroll?
We believe we are the best in the world at training both beginners and advanced students and we accept all experience levels. The only requirement is a commitment to the program in the form of study and practice. Our goal is to have beginners on stage playing alongside our more advanced students within a few months.

Where do you perform?
We perform at local music venues in front of a live audience who have purchased a ticket to see a rock show. We currently hold shows for our school students at Jammin? Java, Ned Devines , The Santa Fe Café, and the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse to name a few. See our Upcoming Shows page and Venues List for more information on where we play.

What shows have you done?
Past shows have included Pink Floyd ? The Wall, Queen, Beatles ? The White Album, Punk Rock, Reggae, Led Zeppelin, Hair Metal and just about any rock genre you can think of. The shows are selected on the basis of educational value in the form of skill development and musical structure and we therefore cast students in different parts and songs based on their ability level and our educational goals for that student. Students are expected to try new styles and stretch themselves with each show. See our Past Shows page to see shows we have performed in past seasons.

Is it too late to join for this season's shows?
We operate with an open, rolling admissions process for all 3 seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall) throughout the year.

How do we join?
Click the Enrollment Package icon at the top right of this page or contact us at(703) 850-2100 or email us at nova@schoolofrock.com to receive an enrollment kit.

My son/daughter really wants to sing in addition to learning an instrument - do you have voice teachers?
Yes, we have top-notch professional musicians that teach all rock instruments as well as vocal coaches.

When are lessons and rehearsals?
The student is assigned a weekly time for their 45-minute lesson, typically weekdays after school. Times vary based on day and location to accomodate local school schedules. Rehearsals are at a regularly scheduled time.

Is this a year-round program?
Yes. We organize our program annually around three performance seasons.

Do you have a summer program?
Yes, in addition to our regular program we offer a summer boot camp experience that is a mini School of Rock experience. It?s a rockin? two-week session where we work with the kids both individually and in groups, with a performance at the end of camp. It?s a lot of fun so come kick the jams with us this summer. Space is limited in these very popular camps and early enrollment is advised. For more information please visit our Summer Camps page at our school of rock website or stop by for a brochure.

Can you keep advanced students challenged?
No other program in the country offers more for your advanced player. We offer opportunities to perform in our House Band, School of Rock National Festivals, touring opportunities with the School of Rock All Stars and our Guest Professor series where students perform with name rock musicians.

Why School of Rock?

There are many places that teach music lessons in Washington DC area but the School of Rock is the only music school that:

• Specializes in teaching kids - Teaching kids is different than teaching adults and our curriculum and teaching style was developed especially for kids.
• Specializes in Rock Music - All of our teachers are working Rock musicians. We believe there are meaningful theory, melody and rhythm lessons inherent in classic rock and our concerts are selected with these learning opportunities in mind.
• Performs concerts year-round in real rock venues - Some of the other summer camp programs offer an opportunity to perform at the end of camp. They do so on a Friday afternoon for parents, siblings and grandparents. Though they are in a real rock venue, their performance doesn't vary from the school auditorium or church basement recital. The School of Rock performs in real rock venues (e.g. The State Theatre, Jammin' Java) in front of all-ages paying audiences, inclusive of friends and family of course. These performances occur three-to-four times per year.
• Provides both one-on-one and group rehearsals - Our students benefit from 45-minute, one-on-one lessons once a week with an instructor plus a weekly (most weeks) three-hour group rehearsal. These two different learning environments enable the greatest advancement in playing ability as well as the most fun.
• Provides the greatest value - With nearly four hours of instruction/rehearsal in a typical week, the School of Rock is a great value.
• Does not require contracts - Because some of our students are exploring music as one of many extra-curricular activities in order to decide what they enjoy we do not require a contract. You pay tuition on a monthly basis and if your child wants to quit you do so without penalty. To date we have a 94% retention rate of students.

All we do is teach rock music performance to students 5-17 years old. We believe we do it better than anyone else. Don't take our word for it, though. See what other parents have to say. See actual parent comments on the Our Program page.

How much does this cost?
To make costs more predictable for parents, we treat the program like a membership and charge a flat monthly tuition which includes all lessons, rehearsals and performances - an average of 16 hours of instruction per month. Current monthly tuition for the Rock Performance Program is $275.