Rock Band

OUR KIDS ROCK!

News you can use about the ADL Rock Band Program

March 2024

Kiah Morris, ADL Band Parent Volunteer

Photo Credit: Isora Lithgow Creations

Happy spring friends! My name is Kiah Morris (she/her) and I am the proud parent of a 7th grader participating in in the ADL Band programs. As a lifelong performer and singer, I love what is happening in the music program and have come onboard as a volunteer in the Rock Band program for the 2023-2024 school year. This newsletter will be a means to share information, parent to parent about the great work of the Rock Band Program.

Save the date and call the grandparents! ADL Rock Band is pleased to present our end of the year showcase in partnership with the Double-E in Essex Junction, VT on May 14, 2023! This show will give our youth a professional experience with pro lighting, sound production, wardrobe support and more. We will need YOUR help to pull this off, pack the house and give our kids memories to last a lifetime. Adam and I cannot (and should not) do this alone.

ICYM, in January, our rockers were treated we were graced with the fierce passion, wisdom and talent of local music rock legend Peg Tassey! What a GIFT! The kids were so inspired by her stories, advice about finding their voice and the power of music. With professional history performing with the likes of Janis Joplin, Peg had soooo much goodness to share with the band. Peg is the lead behind the punk group Peg Tassey and the Loud Flowers. Check them out! AND Thank you PEG!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Pre-showcase rehearsals at ADL

Monday, 3/18 6:00-7:15 pm

Monday, 4/1 6:00-7:15 pm

Monday, 5/6 6:00-7:15 pm

Rock Star Showcase at the Essex Experience (Double E)

Photo credit: The Double E Facebook Page

We are so excited to share that the Rock Band program is partnering with the amazing folks at the Essex Experience to host a concert for families, friends and supporters of the Rock Band Program on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. This will be a fun celebration of the hard work our youth have invested in the program this school year. We look forward to rocking out with our greatest fans!! Event coordination and outreach support for this unique opportunity would be greatly appreciated from interested members of the ADL community.

With nearly 3 dozen students, there is a lot to coordinate. Here is how you can help!

Lighting Design liaison for Double E
Sound Design and stage plan (so many mics & amps…)
Makeup and Hair liaison
Ticket sales
PR & Promotion
Graphic Design for programs and marketing materials
Fundraising for venue costs
Hospitality
Photograpy and video coordination

Please contact Mr. Sawyer or Kiah Morris kiahmorris@gmail.com for more information!

Youth Rocker Spotlight: Nandi Bushnell

Nandi Bushnell is a world-renown 13-year old professional rock drummer based out of the United Kingdom. Nandi rose to prominence via youtube at just 8 years old by showcasing her incredible talent and pure passion for playing various covers including “Toxicity” by System of a Down.. She even challenged Foo Fighters frontman David Grohl to an online drum battle, which she handily won. Nandi would go on to perform with the Grohl and the Foo Fighters, Lenny Kravitz, Andersen .Paak, QuestLove of The Roots and many others in the years since.

Nandi has some great advice for young rockers based on her most recent major tour experience, click here to see a clip via Facebook:

“Sometimes things go wrong. It’s how you move forward when they do that matters. Being on a 30 night arena tour with Young Voices has been the most incredible experience of my life. But not every performance has been perfect. I have made mistakes, accidents have happened, I have had to learn how to deal with them when they do. It’s not always easy. But I feel so grateful for these lessons. My most important lesson is that when things go wrong, which they will, just roll with it!”

You can see Nandi’s first time performing with the Foo Fighters onstage here (Spicy language, in the spirit of rock warning): Foo Fighters "Everlong" w/ 11-Year-Old Nandi Bushell, The Forum, Los Angeles, 8.26.21

Bonus Content: The final battle between Dave Grohl and Nandi Bushell

5.14.24 Show Set List

Clash - Should I Stay or Should I Go

Fall Out Boy - Centuries

White Stripes - Seven Nation Army

Rihanna - Umbrella

Stevie Wonder - Higher Ground

Lenny Kravitz - Fly Away

Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreams

As a reminder:

Please provide your student with any necessary ear protection if you are able! Our level of rock is monumental, let’s keep those ears fine tuned and healthy. Some recommended protective gear:

Vibes Earplugs

Hearos Earplugs

Eargasm Earplugs

OUR KIDS ROCK!

News you can use about the ADL Rock Band Program

December 5, 2023

Kiah Morris, ADL Band Parent Volunteer

Happy December friends! My name is Kiah Morris (she/her) and I am the proud parent of a 7th grader participating in in the ADL Band programs. As a lifelong performer and singer, I love what is happening in the music program and have come onboard as a volunteer in the Rock Band program for the 2023-2024 school year. As a parent, it is awesome it is to see so many passionate students get up at the crack of dawn to learn, have fun and rock out every week! Participants are coming together from all skill levels, and pushing themselves outside of their normal comfort zones. You all should be so proud of their accomplishments.

This newsletter will be a means to share information, parent to parent about the great work of the Rock Band Program. In 2022, the program was small and mighty. This year, dozens of youth are taking on the challenge and it is so exciting to witness! The Rock band program now boasts a variety of instruments, including guitar, bass, a horn section, percussion, keys, vocalists and even a violinist!

Some cool additions to this year’s program include visits from local musicians as guest instructors, field trips, and a special Rock Band talent showcase in March in partnership with the Double-E in Essex Junction, VT in March 2024. Please note: Rock Band is not scheduled to perform during the winter concert on December 14th. Read on and rock on

Rock Star Showcase at the Essex Experience (Double E)

We are so excited to share that the Rock Band program is partnering with the amazing folks at the Essex Experience to host a concert for families, friends and supporters of the Rock Band Program in March of 2024! (Date TBD) This will be a fun celebration of the hard work our youth have invested in the program this school year. We look forward to rocking out with our greatest fans!! Event coordination and outreach support for this unique opportunity would be greatly appreciated from interested members of the ADL community. Please contact Mr. Sawyer or Kiah Morris for more information!

Introducing your ADL Rock Band Section Leaders!

With the program of participants growing in number this year, we are excited to have the leadership of students to act as section leaders. They help their peers learn fundamentals and build solid performance skills.

Here are this year’s leaders:

Tully Hammock and Aurora Zygowicz (Percussion), Dez Ku (Bass), Izzy Kahn (Vocals), Chloe DiRosa (Piano), Kanchan Pradhan and Kelsang Chambers (Guitar), Jammie Bush and Tessa Lynch (Horns).

As a reminder:

Please provide your student with any necessary ear protection if you are able! Our level of rock is monumental, let’s keep those ears fine tuned and healthy. Some recommended protective gear:

Vibes Earplugs

Hearos Earplugs

Practice, Practice, Practice

As our program only runs for 40 minutes, once a week, we rely on our participants to practice in earnest at home (if possible). We anticipate asking for a few special rehearsals to prepare for our concert appearances in the coming months. Please note, Mr. Sawyer works with each youth as able in their private lesson sessions at school but practicing at home is a game changer in their readines to rock on stage. To support these efforts, here are some YouTube tutorial videos for most of our songs. Each student has been given access these links to help them prepare. (Please note we do not have video available for all of the instruments and the arrangements may vary.)

General Performance Skills