Real Rock Band

For private lessons, no audition is necessary. For our Real Rock Band program, though, an audition is a must. If you are not ready yet, start with private lessons; you need enough command of your instrument to play in time and in key before a band setting will work for you. A trial lesson also lets prospective students and parents assess the instructor and how our classes work before committing to a program.

It's strongly recommended to have the same instrument you're taking lessons on available at home to practice. That said, we house drum sets and keyboards at our school for students taking lessons on those; on all other instruments, students are required to bring their own. For rock band classes, you should also have your own amp, cables, and tuner.

We place vocalists, guitarists on lead and rhythm guitar, keyboardists, bassists, drummers, and saxophone players. A rock band builds around lead vocals, electric guitar, bass guitar, and drums, with keyboards added depending on the material, and brass instruments come in on our jazz and funk side. Openings change as bands form and members move on, so ask which positions are available at your location.

Rock is the most popular choice, and bands work across classic rock, alternative, indie rock, punk rock, hard rock, southern rock, progressive rock, and heavy metal. We also run band classes in jazz, funk, blues, and reggae. Every band plays iconic songs from favorite artists the students choose, and newer bands often start on simplified arrangements of classic rock songs so everyone can lock in together first.

Yes. Alongside cover tunes, every band composes original music, learning song arrangement, improvisation, and songwriting as they go. That material gets recorded professionally with audio mastering and a music video, so each group ends the season with real music production work it can release.

Students are grouped by age and skill level so the band works as a unit and everyone can keep up. Younger students play with other students at a similar stage rather than being dropped into an advanced group. Each member learns their rhythm section role and how the parts fit together — how the drums and bass hold the pulse, where the guitars sit, how dynamics shift across a song. Having a real performance to work toward is what drives collaboration, and that grouping is what makes the jump from practicing alone to playing with other musicians manageable.

Most members do, and it makes a real difference. Band class is where you learn to play music with other people; private music lessons are where you build technique, chords, music theory, ear training, and the musical concepts behind it. Our music school teaches acoustic and electric guitar, bass, drums, piano, voice, saxophone, harp, and ukulele, so whichever instrument you play in the band, you can work on it one-on-one the same week. Singers can also work on vocal technique separately, and our summer music programs in Santa Cruz and Cupertino are another route in.

Bands play concerts at professional venues each Concert Season, plus community gigs on radio and TV and at local music fundraisers. Performing in front of an audience is where stage presence and audience interaction come from, and it is the part students remember. If you bring us a poster to share, we'll sometimes put it up in our windows! Every band also gets its own band page, updated each Concert Season and ready for gigs.