This time of year is normally characterized by holiday cheer and good tidings but there's one more thing December brings; finals. While sharpened number two pencils scratch feverishly on Scantron's across the Valley, the students of Music Maker Workshops will be taking a different kind of exam this weekend.
On Sunday, December 18, students of this Ahwatukee school of rock will put 20 weeks of intense rock and roll band training to the test by giving a live performance at Club Red in Tempe.
The program teaches kids between the ages of 8 and 16 about the intricacies of not only instrument playing, but also how to book shows, design posters, and how to come up with band names. "We try to teach them the business of being in a band in Phoenix, specifically," band teacher Jay Zarecki says. "You have to deal with promoters, sell tickets to shows, and then figure out how to conduct yourself on stage if you're a bunch of younger kids playing with a bunch of older people."
The event marks the school's first annual holiday show and will feature rockers in training: Sinners and Shankers, 3 Midget Army, Panicswitch, Stay Off My Lawn, 49 Toes and The Kenney's.
"You'd be surprised about how good a bunch of 8-year-old kids sound and conduct themselves," Zarecki says. "They really don't handle themselves like typical third-graders."
Find out for yourself and check out the all-ages show. Doors open at 4:45 p.m. and tickets are going for just $12.
