We are now enrolling for our Spring season here at School of Rock Fairfield! Shows will meet once per week at the advertised time for a three-hour rehearsal. Students will also come once a week for their one-on-one lesson. Please make sure you will be available for the performance date before signing up for your show choices.
All shows will be held at Park City Music Hall. We have 8 shows to choose from this season. We ask that students provide their top 3 choices when filling out their show cards located at the front desk or when you call in. We will need a parent and instructor's signature before the card can be submitted.
If you can't provide three choices, we can't guarantee placement on any particular show. Show placement will be announced within two weeks of the start date of the season.
A one-time non-refundable show fee of $175 will be charged per student for the season on 3/3/25. Each additional student of the same household will be charged $75.
Upon signing up for a show, please call the school at (203) 292-5473 so we can find a weekly lesson time for the student as well.
PROG ROCK
The Prog Show is one of the most challenging School of Rock shows. The term “Prog Rock” can often be interchangeable or associated with “Art Rock”, “Symphonic Rock”, “Progressive Rock”, or “Classical Rock”. In the mid 60s, artists began to use the term “progressive” to describe how their music progressed beyond the standard Pop music formulas that the music industry called for at the time. By abandoning typical Pop traditions and incorporating new instrumentation and compositional techniques, the “Prog” genre, albeit broad, became more defined by the late 60s. Artists began producing longer albums that featured extended solos, higher instrumental skill, fantasy-like lyrical content, and unique instrumentation. King Crimson’s 1969 album In The Court of The Crimson King arguably defined the genre as it tied many of the elements associated with the growing definition of “Prog” into a cohesive vision. The Prog genre truly established itself by the mid 70s with Prog-pioneers such as King Crimson, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Genesis, and Jethro Tull. Groups like Pink Floyd and Yes contributed to this growing movement with albums such as Dark Side of the Moon and Close to the Edge. Many variations of progressive styles of music have emerged since the end of the classic era, as '80s groups like Queensryche, Dream Theater, and Kings’ X later influenced the heavy prog scene popularized by bands such as Opeth, TOOL, The Mars Volta and Coheed and Cambria. The Prog Show is geared towards more experienced students, but will propel beginner and intermediate players’ ability to higher standards.
STEVIE WONDER The term “musical genius” gets thrown around often, but in the case of Stevie Wonder it is 100% warranted. Stevie Wonder’s career began in 1961 when he was signed to Motown’s Tamla label at the age of just 11 years old. At 13, he scored his first number-one hit with “Fingertips,” becoming the youngest artist to ever top the Billboard chart. During the 1960s, Stevie racked up numerous hits including “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” and “For Once In My Life.” The 70s was the most prolific decade for Stevie, where he won 10 Grammy Awards for songs like “Superstition” and “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life.” With hundreds of millions of record sales and a lifetime of achievements, awards, and honors, Stevie Wonder’s legacy continues even today to be that of a musical genius and a Pop icon. This is a challenging show that will bring out the best of any student. Great for all instruments but especially great for keyboardists and rhythm sections. With elements of Soul, Funk, Rock, and Pop, the music of Stevie Wonder offers unique educational opportunities!
THE BEATLES John! Paul! George! Ringo! Arguably the most musically diverse and iconic band of the 1960s British Invasion, The Beatles set the standard for which bands still strive in today’s music. The Beatles are one of the few bands to literally create their own mythos - the lads from Liverpool are as enigmatic intellectually as they are musically. This show doesn’t merely center around the most well-known band of all time, it also happens to employ the most diverse musical range and skill-level window of any artist show. There are raucous three chord garage rock bangers of the early Beatles era, and late sixties era proto-prog technical masterpieces. Drummers will learn the true artistry that is Ringo’s style; bassists will be blown away by Paul’s melodic yet rhythmic bass lines; guitarists will know the sophistication and complimentary guitar skills of John and George which are interwoven in every selection; and vocalists will understand the brilliance of their harmonies. With great material for all instruments, The Beatles show is a can’t miss opportunity for any SoR student!
SKA / SKATE PUNK
A tribute to the combination of music styles that gave birth to the skateboarding culture, the teenage obsession with ska in the 90s, and Vans Warped Tour: SKA & SKATE PUNK! The show will feature songs by iconic skate punk and ska legends including: Rancid, Sublime, Operation Ivy, The Offspring, Reel Big Fish, Bad Religion, Less Than Jake and many more.
GRUNGE:BATTLE FOR SEATTLE
A group of guitar-based rock bands that poured out of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest in the late 80's and early 90's that effectively ended the popularity of Hair Metal. Sounding like its moniker, Grunge is laden with heavy, distorted guitars, drop tunings and angst-filled lyrics put forth by passionate vocalists. Songs from Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Temple of The Dog and others will be performed on this show.
CBGB's
The CBGB show is an overview of the early New Wave bands who got their break at the legendary NYC club. When CBGB opened in 1973, no one had any idea that a Bowery dive bar would become known as the birthplace of Punk. The official name was CBGB & OMFUG: Country, Bluegrass, Blues & and Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers. While the Ramones generally get credit for starting the Punk scene, Television was actually the first band in this scene to play at CBGBs, on March 31, 1974. Soon artists like Blondie, Talking Heads, and Patti Smith set up residence at CBGBs, along with British bands like The Police and Elvis Costello who made CBGB their stateside hangout. As the Punk scene grew and took hold, other bands such as Cleveland transplants the Dead Boys and New Jersey’s Misfits became CBGB mainstays. The CBGB show offers a diverse and highly educational mix of ridiculously cool artists that can challenge students on any instrument at all experience levels.
TAYLOR SWIFT
One of the most successful musical artists of all time, Taylor Swift has inspired legions of fans and musicians around the world by writing compelling songs that draw from a remarkable variety of stylistic influences. Taylor Swift’s “eras” of music incorporate elements of Pop, Rock, Country, Folk, Emo, Disco, and more, all tastefully arranged around her well-crafted, confessional lyrics that often explore themes of vulnerability and resilience. She has sold more than 200 million records in her career, and has more than fifty Top-40 hits to her name. Beyond her music itself, Taylor Swift has revolutionized the music industry by re-recording her first six albums to reclaim ownership of her creative work. This show is a great fit for all instruments and experience levels, and is not just a theme for up-and-coming vocalists. An incredible artist is at their best when supported by an incredible band, and Taylor Swift’s band features some of the most accomplished musicians on the planet, playing challenging and highly detailed arrangements.
FLEETWOOD MAC
One of the world’s best-selling bands, Fleetwood Mac formed as a British Blues group in 1967 and morphed into a chart-topping British-American pop band in the mid-1970s. Despite several band member iterations, the Fleetwood Mac’s best known lineup featured Mick Fleetwood (drums), John McVie (bass), Lindsey Buckingham (guitar/vocals), Christine McVie (keys/vocals), and Stevie Nicks (vocals). It was this lineup that recorded their most successful and critically acclaimed Rumors album, which featured hits like ‘Dreams’, ‘Go Your Own Way’, ‘The Chain’ and ‘Don’t Stop’. Throughout the remaining decades, Fleetwood Mac went on to produce material that, while somewhat popular, did not critically live up to the success of Rumors. Their May 1997 live concert on a soundstage in Burbank, CA, was recorded and subsequently released as The Dance, which premiered on MTV that year and brought the band back into the public spotlight and widespread popularity. Fleetwood Mac, including the Rumors-era and the original (Green, Kirwan, and Spencer) lineups, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Fleetwood Mac is an amazing show that will challenge vocal students to master harmonies, guitar players to learn the unorthodox fingerpicking style of Lindsey Buckingham, drummers to study Mick Fleetwood’s extremely versatile drumming, keyboardists to grasp how Christine McVie merged classical-training playing with rock improvisation, and bassists to learn from John McVie’s creative and rock-solid bass foundations.
