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Rock your Toussaint Break with Rock U.!

Join a rock band during the Toussaint break!  If you already play an instrument or sing, or if you’ve always wanted to try drums, bass, guitar, keyboards and more, this program is for you.  You and your band will learn songs throughout the week, try out different music styles and instruments, and make a video of your performance!  All ability levels and all instruments welcome.

  • Two sessions: Oct 25-29 (195€) and Nov 2-5 (160€)
  • Two bands per session: 11h-12h30 (ages 8-11) and 13h-14h30 (ages 12-16)

Sign up here!  For more information, email matt@rock-u.fr.

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Rock the Rentrée 2021!

Hey Rockers, it’s almost rentrée time! Registration for fall bands and lessons opens online on Wednesday 1 September, at 9 AM.  Bands and lessons start rockin’ on Monday 27 September!

I’m ready to rock!  How do I sign up?

Online registration forms will open on our website at www.rock-u.fr at 9 AM Paris time on Wednesday 1 September.

For kids, teen, and adult bands:
  • If you were in a Rock U. band last year, and you want to stay in the same band, nothing could be easier.  Just sign up before Friday 3 September and list your band as your first choice.  But remember, starting 3 September, band assignments will be on a first-come, first-served basis and open to all.  So don’t wait!
  • If you were in Rock U. last year, but you want to change to a new band this year, you’ll still get priority over new students as long as you sign up before 3 September.  We’ll try to put everyone in their preferred band, but first we have to see how many band members are returning to each band and how many returning students want to change bands.
  • If you are new to Rock U., you can still sign up online starting at 9 AM on Wednesday 1 September!  New students will be assigned to bands on a first-come, first-served basis, starting on Friday 3 September after returning students have had an opportunity to reserve their spots.  So if you’re first to sign up on 1 Sept, you’ll be first new student to be assigned to a band starting 3 Sept.
  • Whether you’re new to Rock U. or you want to change bands from last year, please select at least a first and second choice of bands.  You’ll receive your band assignment within a few days, and no fees will be charged until both Rock U. and the student agree to the band assignment.
  • The complete fall band schedule, including additional new bands and modified time slots, can be seen right here.  See the full 2021-2022 Rock U. calendar here.

For private lessons:

  • Rock U. will offer both in-studio and online lessons in 2021-2022.  Please be sure to specify your choice between online and in-studio lessons when you register, if you have a preference.
  • Whether you are a returning or new lesson student, please provide as many choices as possible for your lesson time when you register!  We’ll try to put together a schedule that meets everyone’s needs.
  • You’ll receive an email offering you a specific lesson time slot and teacher within a few days.  No fees will be charged until both Rock U. and the student agree to the lesson assignment.
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The Rock U. 500 Playlist

Congratulations to all the winners the Rock U. 500 contest!  Our grand prize goes to Chris Heim, Vincent Merry, William Baird-Smith, and Edward Ricketts, well done, guys!  And congrats also to runners-up Kajus Walsh, Adam Corbier, Lily Mourad, and Sophie Mourad!  If you missed the Rock U. 500 quiz answers, you can see them here.

You can now listen to the Spotify playlist of ALL the songs Rock U. youth and teen bands have ever performed onstage (or on video during confinement).  Thanks to Henry Berrous for his help in putting it all together!

Listen to the playlist here

See you for the next 500 songs!

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Rock U. 500 Quiz answers: revealed!

The Rock U. 500 Quiz…
is Over!

Dear Rock U. Rockers, Families, Friends, Fans, and Alumni:

Congratulations to all of you who participated in the Rock U. 500 contest!  The answers to this test of Rock U. legend and lore can now be revealed…

See the quiz answers here!

Who has won a 100€ gift card to Musikhaus Thomann, and who has won a Rock U. 500 logo t-shirt?  Come to Rock U. En Seine to find out!  We’ll announce the winners when we play the 500th song!

See you for the next 500 songs!

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Here it is: the Rock U. 500 Quiz!

Rock U. bands have performed 492 different songs onstage, and we will play our 500th song at our upcoming Rock U. En Seine show on Sat 19 June at La Javelle.  So, we’re celebrating!  How well do you know your Rock U. trivia?  Now’s your chance to prove you’re a master of Rock U. lore – and win a 100€ gift card from Thomann!

Take the quiz here

*20 questions (plus bonus questions): the Origin Story, the Tunes, the Crew, and the Rock U. family (that’s you)!

*500 points total – how many can you earn?

*Most of the questions can be answered by anyone, if you search hard enough (hint – search Rock U.’s Facebook, Instagram, YouTube channel, and website for clues)

*The entry with the highest point total in the Rock U. 500 Quiz will win a 100€ gift card to Musikhaus Thomann, Europe’s best online music store!

*Three runner-up entries will win limited-edition, one-of-a-kind (well, three-of-a-kind) Rock U. 500 logo t-shirts

*Quiz closes at midnight on Thursday 17 June; correct answers published at noon on Friday 18 June

*The winners will be announced – where else? – onstage at Rock U. En Seine, right before we play the 500th song

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Celebrating 500 songs at Rock U. with our Rock U. 500 contest!

Join the Rock U. 500 Celebration!

Dear Rock U. Rockers, Families, Friends, Fans, and Alumni:

What a ride!  Not just in the last year, but since Rock U.’s founding in 2013.  When our seventeen student bands take the stage on 19 June for the 2021 Rock U. En Seine festival at La Javelle, one of them will play the 500th song we’ve performed live (or on video during confinement).

Yup, that’s not a typo.  Our bands have already performed 492 different songs onstage, and we will hit 500 at the show.  And that doesn’t even count our summer and school holiday bands or our adult bands.

So, to mark this milestone, we bring you:
The Rock U. 500 celebration!

*Every day from tomorrow until the show, we’ll post on Instagram and Facebook using the #rocku500 hashtag, telling the story of Rock U. through our first 500 songs

*On Tuesday 8 June we’ll post the Rock U. 500 Quiz, open to anyone (except the Rock U. Crew and their families, sorry guys)

*The winning entry in the Rock U. 500 Quiz will win a 100€ gift card to Musikhaus Thomann, Europe’s best online music store!

*Three runner-up entries will win limited edition, one-of-a-kind (well, three-of-a-kind) Rock U. 500 logo t-shirts!

*The winners will be announced – where else? – onstage at Rock U. En Seine, right before we play the 500th song

So, what do you need to do?

*Follow and like Rock U. and the #rocku500 hashtag to see the daily updates

*Watch your email and our social media for the contest link on Tuesday

*Submit your entry!  Most of the questions can be answered by anyone, if you search hard enough

*Share your own #rocku500 memories using the hashtag!

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Rock U. Songwriting Collective summer stage with Jason Waters!

Collaborate with fellow rockers to write and perform original songs!  Experience how fun and creative songwriting can be in this week-long online summer workshop. No previous songwriting experience necessary.

  • Dates and times: 5-9 July, 16-17h30
  • Fee: 215€
  • Ages 12 and up, maximum of 6 participants
Sign up here!

Jason Waters is a New York City native with over 15 years of international experience in music teaching, performance and songwriting. He has recorded with renowned musicians like Steve Holley (Paul McCartney) and Angela Workman (Ray Charles), and has developed and facilitated music programs for youth, refugees and divided communities in regional conflict zones. Jason knows that music can serve as a powerful means for building empathy and bringing communities together.

Time to create!  Please email matt@rock-u.fr with any questions.  

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Rock U. Summer Session 2021 starts 28 June

Summertime Blues?  We’ve got you covered.  Rock your summer with Rock U.!

Two bands per week, with daily practices Monday through Friday from 11h-12h30 (ages 8-11) and 13h-14h30 (ages 12-16).  Bands will learn songs during the week, and then make videos on Friday to share with their friends and family.

Weekly bands 28 June through 30 July.  No bands 12-16 July.

Price per week: 195€

Sign up here!
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Rock U. En Seine IS BACK! Sat 19 June 14h-18h at La Javelle!

We can hardly believe it ourselves.  After a year without live shows, Rock U. will finally retake the stage at our favorite outdoor spot, La Javelle!

Please join us at this wonderful riverside music venue on Saturday 19 June for the 2021 edition of Rock U. En Seine!  As always, admission is free and all are welcome.

*14h-18h
*Seventeen student bands!
*Hits by The Ramones, Childish Gambino, The Police, Black Sabbath, Paramore, Van Halen, Dire Straits, Franz Ferdinand, Nothing But Thieves, Arctic Monkeys, Bruno Mars, Queen… and many more!

More info here!

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Are You Ready for the ROCKDOWN?

No worries. One week on Zoom?  Please. We got this.  Let’s Rock the Confine again… again!
Here’s what you need to know right now:
*All Rock U. bands will meet on Zoom Tues-Sat next week.  Your (or your rocker’s) band teacher will contact you with Zoom details before the day of the band practice.
*All Rock U. private lessons not already online will move online Tues-Sat next week.
*Rock U. will conform to the new schedule for school holidays, and will close from 11-25 April, instead of 18 April-2 May as previously planned.
*Our planned Spring Break Bands during the school vacation will be cancelled.

*As of now, we expect to reopen for in-person bands and lessons on 26 April.
And here’s what’s good to keep in mind:
*Our Spring Session was already scheduled to be a week longer than our Fall and Winter Sessions, to compensate for the May school holidays.  So as a result, even if we’re on Zoom for one week, we’ll still have a full trimester of in-person practices.
*While we’d much rather be in the studio, our two previous lockdowns didn’t stop the rock.  Last spring’s confinement turned into a period of unprecedented creativity and learning for most of us at Rock U, as you can see in this video.  And during last fall’s lockdown, we improved our instructional techniques on Zoom to the point that our bands were able to walk into the studio after 6 weeks away and record great videos on their very first day back.  Check out all 112 videos and listen to all 21 audio tracks our student bands have created in the past year despite two lockdowns!
*We are very hopeful that the current measures and the continuing vaccination program, along with the recent announcement of reopening of cultural spaces in mid-May, will finally allow us to return to performing live onstage for our outdoor June concert.  If we have to stay on Zoom for a week to be able to play live in June, it’s worth it!
Private lessons: 
We will continue to offer online lessons during this period of closure.  Many of our lessons are already online, and students taking lessons in person will have the option to either move online or suspend their lessons until deconfinement allows, with no penalty.  If you have any questions about lessons, please contact Lesson Coordinator Jason Waters at 07 67 78 88 16 or lessons@rock-u.fr.
If you need to get in touch with your (or your child’s) teacher:
Matt Black: 06 19 69 25 74 matt@rock-u.fr
Jonathan Crocco: 06 50 93 49 94 drumdedidum@gmail.com
Kevin Kretsch: 06 20 70 58 45 kevin@drkevguitar.com
Leander Lyons: 06 73 54 25 78 leandelan@gmail.com
Rory Quinn: 06 59 99 51 63 rqdrums@gmail.com
Jason Waters: 07 67 78 88 16 music.jasonwaters@gmail.com
Here’s what we said last March when the first lockdown arrived:
“We know this isn’t how any of us expected to be spending our time this month.  The irony of this situation is that togetherness and music are two things that could be really helpful to most of us during this period of isolation and uncertainty, and they’re two things we can’t have, at least not the way we’re used to.  Rock U. is built on the joy of sharing music together in the same physical space and in front of an audience, and that’s been taken away from all of us temporarily.  But we’re going to find ways to keep your musical journey moving forward, one little step at a time.”  You know what to do!

Stay chill, hang tough, and make music,
Matt and the Rock U. Crew

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