Rock Academy is a music initiative developed specifically for teenagers, providing a supportive and inspiring environment where young musicians can learn, grow, and express themselves through the power of music.
If you are you ready to take your music to the next level and rock out with other talented teenage musicians then Rock Academy is the place for you!
Rock Academy connects you with professional, touring, and recording musicians who are excited to share their real-world experience with you. This isn’t a traditional class-based program – instead, we’ll get straight to work in the rehearsal rooms, with just four days to put together an unforgettable rock show.
There’s no other music initiative like Rock Academy in the world, so don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to improve your songwriting skills, learn how to rehearse effectively, and develop your performance as part of a band.
Rock Academy is staged every School Holidays in Melbourne and alternate school holidays on the Mornington Peninsula with other regional Victorian towns to be added soon.
Sign up now and Get loud!
Rock Academy is a music initiative for teenage musicians from all over Melbourne, Victoria and Australia.
It’s four days of songwriting, masterclasses, rehearsals and a live show at a killer Rock Venue.
Each musician is placed in two bands – covers and originals, in the cover band they jointly select a song to prepare and perform at the Big Show, there’s no pre-approved songs, all creative decisions sit with the musicians.
In the original band the members co-write an original track to go with the almost 400 original songs written since Rock Academy started nine years ago.
Then it’s on a stage with full production in front of an adoring audience, and the cameras
Rock Academy has been designed for Secondary School aged musicians, typically 12-18.
If you love music, play and instrument and/or sing then rock academy is for you.
Rock Academy is a great way to connect with other teenage musicians developing instant bonds and potentially life long friendships and creative partnerships.
You don’t need to be the next Eddie Van Halen, Danny Carey or Dua Lipa, you just need to be able to perform a song start to end. If you’ve never worked with other musicians before, that’s cool, that’s what Rock Academy is for.
Just bring an undying passion for music.
Since it’s inception, Rock Academy Melbourne has been staged at the famous Bakehouse Studios in Richmond, a Melbourne creative institution and an integral part of the musical fabric of Melbourne.
Bakehouse has seen some amazing artists come through its doors over the years including Cosmic Psychos, Spiderbait, The Saints, Courtney Barnett, Paul Kelly, Angie McMahon, The MC5, Beck, Tool, Janes Addiction, Deftones, Died Pretty, Tones And I, Daddy Cool, Jessica Mauboy, Tame Impala, Powderfinger, Elvis Costello, Icehouse, Neil Finn and many more.
Live shows rotate through some of Melbourne finest rock venues including The Gershwin Room at The Espy, The Curtin Hotel, The Gaso, Hotel Westwood, The Central Club Hotel and The Leadbeater with the Tote and Howler soon to be added to the roster.
On the Peninsula shows are staged in The Shed at Main Ridge’s Pig & Whistle in Mornington, with rehearsals in local secondary college’s Music centres.
The main goal of Rock Academy is to empower young musicians by:
Rock Academy offers a wide range of benefits for young musicians,
including:
Improved musicianship: Our Young Lions inspire and share with each other to strive for the best outcomes.
Songwriting and composition: The program encourages
creativity and provides guidance in songwriting and composition.
Performance experience: Our Tribe have the unique opportunity to perform live in front of a large audience at real,
established live music venues across Melbourne and the Peninsula. This invaluable experience allows them to gain confidence, hone their stage presence, and how to connect with an audience.
Collaboration and teamwork: Rock Academy emphasises the
importance of working together as a band, developing
communication and leadership skills.
After a crazy, intense week of song writing, rehearsal, productions run throughs, masterclasses and workshops the real test happens with a live show in front a live audience. This is what all the blood, sweat and tears have been for.
We take the camera crew in and shoot the live show capturing the energy and excitement of a live rock show. Three weeks later the Big Show video is premiered on YouTube, check out one of recent shows to the right.
The photographers are on hand snapping live shots capturing each band’s rock star moves.
We acknowledge that our events are staged on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung, peoples of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their land and waters, their ancestors and their elders—past, present and emerging.
Rock Academy is a school holiday music initiative for teenagers established in 2015. Currently staged in Melbourne and on the Mornington Peninsula, Rock Academy features established artists mentoring teenage musicians as they rehearse a cover song and write an original song to perform on a real rock stage.
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