Code of Conduct: Student Roles and Responsibilities

This section of the website describes the roles and responsibilities of the students. Please read these pages carefully and thoroughly with your child, as they explain the expected code of conduct your student is agreeing to when they enroll in either of the Cleveland schools.
Students: This is your school, and your experience. It is up to you to make it as good as possible, both for yourself and for your fellow SOR peers.

 

General conduct

If you feel you are not being treated respectfully by another student, staff member, or any member of the greater SoR community (including parents, siblings, and other family members), please make your parents and the school director aware of the problem. You can schedule an appointment or phone conference with Shelly or Tommy by e-mailing them at snorehad@schoolofrock.com and trich@schoolofrock.com or by calling the office and having our general manager make an appointment.

Lessons

• Before your lesson starts, have your instrument ready and tuned.

• Guitarists, bassists, bring these items with you: guitar strap, spare picks, extra guitar strings, tuner with a short instrument cable (put your name on your tuner), an allen wrench if needed for your guitar.

• Drummers, bring your drum sticks and any other material required by your instructor (such as your syncopation book).

• HAVE YOUR SONGS WITH YOU on either a CD or iPod-type device, and appropriate sheet music if given to you.

• Have any necessary sheet music or written music, including song lyrics (vocal students), with you in your lesson.

• Use your SOR binder we have given you to hold all of your SOR material and to stay organized. You can also use this for lesson planning and note taking.

• Vocal students must bring a water bottle (with their name on it) to their vocal lessons. For instrument lessons it is not required, but recommended.

• At home, practice, practice, practice! It becomes very evident in rehearsal who practices their parts and who does not. The students that work hard will get better and move faster than those that do not, get more parts in shows.

 

Rehearsals

• Be on time for rehearsals.

• Know your songs!
 
 •Have your instrument tuned and ready to go.

• Bring all extra instrument stuff you normally bring to your lessons (picks, extra strings, tuner w/good battery and cable).

• Drummers bring an extra set of sticks; you may break one during practice.

• Bring your SOR notebooks.

• Bring a water bottle with your name on it to rehearsal and any snacks or lunch you may need.

• Attend all of your rehearsals. Each of your songs is a mini band practice, and all members of the band must know their part and be there ready to rehearse the song. If you miss more than two rehearsals in a show season you are at risk of being taken off one of your songs. If you miss three rehearsals, you could be taken off the show. If you have a conflict with a rehearsal that cannot be avoided please discuss it with your show director in advance, so he can alter the rehearsal accordingly. Not showing up unannounced is unfair to the rest of the students in your show.

Your chance of getting more songs in a show depends on your rehearsal attendance, positive attitude, and commitment to practicing and mastering the songs you are already assigned to.

 

Shows

Each term, the music director determines which shows will be offered. (Past shows have included Pink Floyd’s The Wall, AC/DC, Old School Punk, and Best of the 90s.) A show director is assigned to each show and the list of songs is picked (the set list). SoR students then get a chance to sign up for their first and second show choices. Soon after that, the music director and show directors cast the shows, doing their best to accommodate students’ preferences, as well as taking into account ability levels and the balance of musicians and singers needed for each show.

Once all shows are cast, each student is assigned an initial group of songs to start working on, both on their own and in their lessons. At that point it is the students’ responsibility to start working on their songs, before the first rehearsal for their show. They are not expected to master their parts, but they are expected to put their best effort into learning them so that rehearsals can move forward as quickly as possible (rehearsals usually start within a week or two of casting).
Students are assigned to particular songs according to their current ability level and how the music director and their instructors want them to grow musically. Though a part may seem hard—even impossible—at first, instructors and show directors always have your student’s potential in mind. Mastering a challenging song part gives students a tremendous sense of pride and accomplishment and pushes them as musicians. Students tend to improve rapidly within the structure of private lessons and weekly rehearsals. Often, what seems out of reach at first is well within their grasp within a surprisingly short time.
Once rehearsals are underway, show directors continue to add songs and cast students until all songs in the show have been cast and are being rehearsed. Students enrolling after the start of the term are also added to shows and assigned songs so that they can start participating in the full School of Rock experience immediately.

It is important to leave the casting of shows and songs up to the music and show directors. There are many factors that go into putting on a successful show, such as musical parts needed for each song, what songs get rehearsed at the same time, and musicians’ abilities. Students who show a high level of commitment and dependability, and who work hard at mastering their parts, will increase their chances of playing on more songs. Please refer to the parent/guardian roles and responsibilities for how to offer the best support to your student and the School of Rock as a whole.

 

Code of Conduct: Parent Roles and Responsibilities

This section describes your roles and responsibilities as the parents or guardians of a School of Rock student. Please read these pages carefully and thoroughly, as they explain the expected code of conduct you are agreeing to when you enroll your child in the School of Rock. You play a vital role in the SOR community, not just as supporters of your own student, but as supporters of all students and the School of Rock experience as a whole (including staff, parents, venue staff, and other members of the greater SOR community).

• The SOR staff communicates all vital information about when and where your student needs to be for rehearsals and shows through e-mail and postings at the front desk located in the SOR lobby. Please provide a reliable e-mail address and read all e-mail communications thoroughly. If you do not use e-mail, it is your responsibility to check the front desk for information and, if necessary, ask a staff member for more information.

• Make sure your student has the equipment they need to be successful. SOR instructors and staff are more than happy to help you figure out the right instruments and equipment for your student and your budget.

• Get your student to lessons, rehearsals, and performances on time. If you are going to be late or if you have a conflict with a scheduled event, please contact the appropriate SOR staff member.

• If your student is taking an alternate form of transportation home or getting a ride from another parent, please inform the appropriate SOR staff member.

• SOR students are required to stay inside the school building until their ride home arrives. Please either call the school from your cell phone when you’ve arrived or come inside to pick up your student.

• If you have an issue or complaint regarding a SOR staff member or another member of the SOR community, please make an appointment to discuss it with the school director in private. 

• Respect the song choices the SOR instructors make for your student, without lobbying for additional or different songs. Songs are selected for specific purposes and reasons, with an eye to what students need to learn and how those songs will help them improve.

• At performances, cheer and encourage not just your own student, but all the performers. Remember that your student’s performance is not possible without the efforts of the other band members.

•Please arrive for the start of the show and stay until the last note, rather than just showing up for your student’s portion. Some of the coolest moments in a School of Rock show happen at unexpected times. If you leave early, you may miss a moment of greatness!

• During shows, let the show directors and SOR instructors guide your student. Your job is to provide a supportive audience experience, not be a side-line coach.

• Remember that SOR performances are family-friendly, all-age shows. Please moderate your alcohol consumption, behavior, and language accordingly.

• To protect the positive environment the SOR provides for our students, abusive language or otherwise inappropriate behavior on the part of parents, guardians or other family members toward SOR staff members, students, or any member of the greater SOR community could result in your family being asked to leave the school (including any enrolled students).

• Refrain from making anything other than positive comments about other parents, SOR staff members, and especially other students. Many SOR students are going through their adolescent years, a time of great emotional vulnerability. One seemingly harmless comment can have a devastating and long-lasting effect on a kid’s self esteem!

Instructors’ roles and responsibilities

• Foster and expand the student’s interest and enthusiasm for their chosen instrument.

• During lessons, help students learn the songs they have been cast on by teaching them needed skills.

• Nurture and encourage each student’s musical learning in a positive and supportive way, regardless of previous experience or ability level.

• Teach musical rudiments, theory, fundamentals, and proper technique on the student’s instrument of choice.

• Suggest and encourage practice habits and routines that will help students establish good discipline on their instruments and foster rapid improvement.

• Guide rehearsals and teach students how to perform together as a band.

• During shows, monitor equipment and performers and make adjustments as needed, interfering as little as possible in the students’ performance.

 

Shows and songs: How they get cast

Each show season, the music directors determine which shows will be offered (past shows have included Pink Floyd’s The Wall, AC/DC, 60’s, Punk Rock, The Who, The Beatles). A show director(s) is assigned to each show and the list of songs is picked (the set list). SOR students then get a chance to sign up for their show choices.

The music directors and show directors then will cast the shows, doing their best to accommodate students’ preferences, as well as taking into account ability levels, students past show participation, and the balance of musicians and singers needed for each show.
When the shows are cast, each student is assigned an initial group of songs to start working on, both on their own and in their lessons. At that point it is the students’ responsibility to start working on their songs, before the first rehearsal for their show. Students are not expected to master their parts at this point in time, but they are expected to put their best effort into learning them so that rehearsals can move forward productively (rehearsals usually start within a week or two of casting).
Students are assigned to particular songs according to their current ability level and how the music director and their instructors want them to evolve musically. Though a part may seem hard, perhaps even impossible at first play through, instructors and show directors always have your student’s potential in mind. Mastering a challenging song gives our students a tremendous sense of pride and accomplishment that generally results in them becoming better musicians, and ignites an enthusiasm to try even more challenging material. This educational component and the dynamic of playing in rehearsal together foster an environment where students improve rapidly. Often, what seems out of reach at first is well within their grasp in a surprisingly short time.

Once rehearsals are underway, show directors continue to add songs and cast students until all songs in the show have been cast and are being rehearsed. Students enrolling after the start of a shows rehearsal schedule are also added to shows and assigned songs so that they can begin participating in the full School of Rock experience immediately.

It is important to leave the casting of shows and songs up to the music and show directors. There are many factors that go into putting on a successful show, such as musical parts needed for each song, what songs get rehearsed at the same time, and musicians’ abilities. Students that demonstrate  a high level of commitment, enthusiasm, and dependability, and who work hard at mastering their parts, will increase their chances of playing on more songs in shows. Please refer to the parent/guardian roles and responsibilities (page 10) for how to offer the best support to your student and the School of Rock as a whole.