School of Rock NYC, an Upper East Side music school for kids and teens, recently expanded its summer programs to offer a songwriting and recording summer camp. It also now offers music birthday parties.
School of Rock NYC’s Rock and Record Boot Camp groups musicians and vocalists of varying ages and abilities.
School of Rock NYC has added a technical music production component to its intensive Songwriting and Recording Boot Camp summer program, which runs from June 7 to Aug. 29 in two-week sessions, and now offers Rock and Record birthday parties.
With the summer camp’s added technical component, young musicians “get in to the control room and learn how to run production themselves,” says musical director Darren Musatto. While students will learn the ins and outs of all software and hardware, Musatto explains that it’s also about “having an ear, and knowing how to manage personalities.”
School of Rock’s performance based-program combines practicing individually, playing with a group, and performing in front of a crowd to facilitate rapid confidence and musical development. Campers are split into three to four bands that work together to write, practice, and perform original songs for family and friends at major venues, such as The Bitter End on Bleaker Street.
It’s a lot about teamwork,” Musatto says. “That really lights a fire under kids because they don’t want to let people down. We have had some more timid kids who after a few shows are different people. They’re eyes are brighter and they project their voices.”
School of Rock NYC has also added birthday parties to its repertoire. At Rock and Record parties, kids will learn a song with a vocal coach and record it together in a professional recording studio. Young musicians can also choose a battle of the bands style party, where they split into two bands, learning and practicing different songs and performing for each other.
