Rock U School of U Rock and Kids' Jams

Twice a year I host a Kids' Jam for my non-adult students (www.youtube.com/tlschafer). I always get someone who calls it a recital and that really makes my hair stand up, what little is left. When I was a kid, I used to hate recitals; going to them and being in them was always dreaded. They were stuffy, cramped affairs that only the parents and your siblings attended. Never much fun, never did anything to inspire me. Just had to do it.

I started doing Kids' Jams a while ago to have fun helping the kids learn a song they could perform in front of their peers. I also wanted to give them a taste of what performing was like, either alone or with others. I didn't dissapoint myself, I have loads of fun doing it!

So. what is the difference between my Kids' Jams and recitals? Hey, it's obvious. So much so that I won't even discuss it. A better question is how are my Kids' Jams different from what the latest local music store's School U of Rock You etc, does? They have popped up all over the place. They gave me a night's worth of concern for my business. And then I witnessed one for myself.

The idea is the same as my Jams, get kids together, work on songs, then perform. That's what they want to do and it's a lot of fun. They spend 8 to 12 weeks working on a song. The school sets a night, rounds them up and they all go over to a local restaurant or sports bar. The kids get up on stage and start to wail. When they are done sombody applauds. The same thing happens with my Jams, but not at a sports restaurant.

At the school performances I've seen, mostly at restaurants, they usually have a small audience. The performers parents and the other performers. Unless you have a lot of them, the audience is usually small about 20 or 30 people. And you might have the clang of people eating dinner or drinking or just not paying attention.

I hold my Jams at larger venues, usually a local church. There is a full sized theater, a good PA system and plenty of seating. In fact, the last four Jams had a total attendace of over 150 people each! One of the Jams was SRO at around 200 people. While these are mostly students and their families, there are enough of them to give the kids a feel of a real concert; no dodging waiters trying to rush to your parents table for a big tip. And when the audience applauds, it is never just the polite clapping of the other kids' parents!

I try to  make sure everyone gets to perform on stage if they want to do so. I usually put the more advanced kids up first; this gives the younger kids a chance to be inspired and see what can happen with practice and hard work. From the last Jam alone, I've had to teach Blackbird to more than 10 of my students because they saw Kyle play it!

Dude, you can always play for your parents and friends in your garage. But get up and play for every one else at one of my Jams!  Check out Kyle Tiltges playing Blackbird/Day Tripper medley. http://youtu.be/y-o0HBGzrLs