Teen rockers are popping up all over from television shows to right in our own neighborhoods. The Teen Rock Shop located in Johnson City, NY is a safe environment to introduce kids into the wonderful world of rock & roll…

For a long time it was just assumed that teens would know how to find other teenage musicians and would know how to start a rock band, but that’s not always true.

When most musicians think back to the cool first rock & roll band days of their youth, chances are their recollections are full of memories like; jamming for hours on two chords in their friend’s bedroom and playing music way too loud! Feedback! Singing with cheap mic’s through guitar amps, with Mom and Dad as their first experience with an audience. In my day there was no internet to get lyrics or chords, instead we had to listen to the radio and wait for our favorite song to play and then quickly try to jot down the words or chord progression. Also, back when I was a kid, 14 year olds and 9 year olds didn’t hang out together!

Things have changed so much since then and today, teen rock bands don’t care so much about the difference in ages.  It isn’t at all uncommon to have a 14 yr old guitar player and a 9 yr old drummer in the same band, and, thanks to the internet, they have a huge library of music right at their finger tips. Thanks to The Teen Rock Shop they also have a place to meet once a week and play music under the direction of skilled musicians.

Kids come to Teen Rock Shop to meet other young musicians and to write and play music. Most times these kids come to us as strangers and within 12 weeks each of these bands becomes a family!

At the end of the 12 weeks I love how organized they’ve become. I love their upbeat attitude and the fact that they’re taking themselves seriously. I especially love the band names and logos they create. I also love that they’re recruiting new kids and kids from other bands within the Teen Rock Shop and going back through the program three, four, and even five times. Finally, I love that all these kids are actually making some good music!

As a kid, I played in a bunch of bands.  They were usually dreadful, playing clumsy versions of bad cover songs, and mostly for family and friends. I look back now and wish we had a Teen Rock Shop and experienced musicians to guide us…

At The Teen Rock Shop, we provide a 12 week after school rock & roll workshop for students who are currently enrolled in music lessons and are between the ages of 7-17.

Our workshop offers:

• Songwriting- Weekly writing activities including; brain vomit, finding a title, conversation writing, action words, fundamentals of rhyme, rhythm of a line, matching the words with the music.
• Band practice: How to: rehearse, balance  stage volume, make eye contact & recognize  stage cues, to playing as a team,  how to make a set list, and choosing cover songs to enhance your band.
• Live performance: How to: banter with your audience, perform with confidence, choose stage clothes, create a show, and how to book a gig.