On Saturday 6 March on of our bands, TURN IT DOWN, are taking part in the final of The Y Factor in Northampton. If you would like to come and support them the venue is The Cripps Theatre, Billing Road, Northampton at 7.00pm. Tickets are available on the door at £5.00 but you are advised to get there early to be sure of getting in. The event is in support of The Lowdown, a charity for young people in difficult circumstances and is organised by the Rotary Club of Northampton Becket, www.rotarybecket.org.uk for further details.

Several students have now purchased their own mic sets and these are still available to all. We are able to offer a mic, complete with lead and stand in a carry case, for £30.00. If you would like to see a sample or place an order please see Ros any Saturday.

Videoing for this year’s Music for Youth National Festival is now complete and recorded entries are being submitted. There will, however, be more filming on Saturday 6 March of Towcester Rockschool as a whole for a forthcoming advert.

A further reminder for all students who bring any instrument or equipment that needs to be plugged in. For Health and Safety reasons we supply each room with a power breaker and one extension lead. All equipment must be run through this power breaker so each student must bring their own extension lead to attach to this.  Each student’s extension lead should also be clearly named!

Full details for our Easter Concerts will be sent out next week.

David Taylor

Director

Rockschools

First of all we have a reminder for all students who bring any instrument or equipment that needs to be plugged in. For Health and Safety reasons we supply each room with a power breaker and one extension lead. All equipment must be run through this power breaker so each student must bring their own extension lead to attach to this. Each student’s extension lead should also be clearly named!

We also supply each band with a PA which includes 1 or 2 mics. We cannot however supply mic stands so we would ask singers to bring their own stands. Lead singers might like to bring their own mic too. We are able to offer a mic, complete with lead and stand in a carry case, for £30.00. If you would like to see a sample or place an order please see Ros any Saturday.

Thank you to all who supported our collection at Waitrose, we have now been given a cheque from them for £301.00 which we are putting towards the purchase of a lighting set which will be available for bands to use at the various gigs they are asked to take part in. Thanks too for the support given to RockVision which raised over £200.00 for the Mayor’s charities in Towcester.

The Rockschools Website’s update is now completed and there are lots more photos of all our bands for you to see there so do check it out www.rockschools.co.uk

We have again entered several bands for this year’s Music for Youth National Festival and will soon be videoing them so that their recorded entries can be submitted.

This term we have a new Piano and Keyboard teacher join us and we can therefore now offer more tuition in these instruments. There are also some places still available for tuition in Guitar, Bass, Drums and Singing. We can now offer more Singing lessons on Wednesday evenings in Towcester as well. If you are interested in booking lessons with any of our teachers please contact Ros on 07738 974220 or rosmiles@rockschools.co.uk. We still have some places for students who attend any of our Rockschools for individual tuition to join our bands in Rockschools where we cater for all ages and abilities. Please contact David Taylor at davidtaylor@rockschools.co.uk for further details.

Our guitar group for adults has started again on Wednesday evenings at Nicholas Hawksmoor School, Towcester and there are places available for any age over 18 and all abilities, contact Ros if you would like more details.

Our drum teacher, Warren Brunskill, is playing with his band, Identity Crisis, at The Red Lion in Brackley on Saturday 20 February. It would be great to see both parents and students (who are old enough to go to pubs!) there, all are welcome. For more information and details of his band go to www.identitycrisismusic.co.uk

Some further dates for your diaries are our Easter Concerts this term on Saturday 20 and Saturday 28 March at Nicholas Hawksmoor School, Towcester. If you are not available on one of those dates please let Ros know as soon as you can. The date of our Summer Concert has had to be changed due to the Grand Prix at Silverstone and the World Cup final now both being on Sunday 11 July and we now plan to hold it on Saturday 17 July at The Stables, Milton Keynes. We would like all band members to be available to play on that date. More details on all these events will be given in the next newsletter.

Meanwhile we look forward to another successful term of Rockschools.

David Taylor

Director

Rockschools

REGISTRATION, SESSIONS AND LESSONS FOR THE NEW TERM WILL BEGIN AT 12.30 AS USUAL AND THE FIRST HALF-TERM OF DATES WILL NOW BE 16, 23, 30 JANUARY AND 6, 13 FEBRUARY.

EVENING ROCKSCHOOL AT BRACKLEY WILL START ON 12 JANUARY AND AT TOWCESTER ON 13 JANUARY.

With apologies for any inconvenience this may cause and please contactrosmiles@rockschools.co.uk or 07738 974220 if you have any queries.

HOWEVER DUE TO THE SNOW WE CANNOT BE SURE THAT NICHOLAS HAWKSMOOR SCHOOL, TOWCESTER, WILL BE ABLE TO OPEN ON SATURDAY 9 JANUARY SO LATEST INFORMATION WILL BE GIVEN ON THE WEBSITE .

Thank you to everyone who took part in our concerts at the end of last term.

Many thanks too to all in the audience for their support of the bands.  The standard of performance from all bands was excellent and your feedback was greatly encouraging. There is lots of potential for us to build on for next term, well done to all.

We still have places for students who attend any of our Rockschools for individual tuition to join our bands in Rockschools where we cater for all ages and abilities. Please contact David Taylor at davidtaylor@rockschools.co.uk for further information. There are also a few places left for tuition in Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano, Keyboard and Singing at all centres. If you are interested in booking lessons please contact Ros Miles on 07738 974220 or rosmiles@rockschools.co.uk.

We hope to be able to see you all again on Saturday 9 January or during the following week - but do check back for the latest details!

David Taylor

Director

Rockschools

Grand Prize Draw

From this Saturday 21^st November, tickets will be on sale for the forthcoming Christmas concerts. We are pleased to announce that we will hold a grand prize draw at the end of each concert night where two lucky students will receive a free term’s Rockschool fees! Please note that the ticket holder must be present to receive their prize.

Thank you for your continued support and enjoy the evening!

Fleur Cawthorne

Chair – Parents and Friends Association

KC Photography

KC Photography will be at Towcester Rockschool from Saturday November 21^st, promoting photobooks of each of the bands.

Over the next few weeks we will have a photoshoot session with each band and be photographing them at the concerts. We will compile the best of these photos into a 26 page softcover photobook (about the size of a CD case) for each band. Examples will be available to view from Saturday, and pre-orders can be taken (cash or cheque only please). At just £14 each they represent great value for money. Each book will be sent direct to you at no extra charge, and will arrive in time for Christmas.

We will be at both sessions on November 21^st and at both the concerts if you want to place an order with us. We are sure you will be really delighted with your photobook. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have a query.

We look forward to seeing you.

Katrina and Christine

kc.photography@yahoo.co.uk

Katrina Tel 07887 720234

Christine Tel 07717 523326

Band Line-up

Bands playing on Saturday 28^th November are:-

• Acropolis
• Antarctic Monkeys
• Black Salmon
• D-Fault
• Elsewhere
• Epic Fail
• Fish Puppets
• Ignite
• Intro Out
• Jo & Sophie
• Prestige
• Quantity
• Radioactive Lightswitch
• Red Dragons
• Static
• Ten to Eight
• Turn It Down
• Whens Tuck?

Bands playing on Saturday 5^th December are:-

• Collision
• Desert Quarters
• Epic Fail
• Evolution
• Five 0 Five
• Intro Out
• Jupiter Bloom
• Locked and Loaded
• Pink Sponge
• Prestige
• R.E.D
• Reflection
• Room 7
• Skeleton Crew
• Something to Put on the Programme
• State the Obvious
• Static
• The Interval
• The Staburst
• The Statement
• The Uproar
• Turn It Down
• Untitled

These lists are in alphabetical order and the running order will be shown in the programme. If there are any queries about the name of the band that any student is in or specific performance times please contact Ros at rosmiles@rockschools.co.uk or on 07738 974220.

Bands attending Rockschool at 12.30pm may go home at 3.00pm and return at 5.30pm, or if necessary may remain at Rockschool until 5.30pm. However, they may not leave the premises so will need to bring plenty of food and drink with them for the afternoon and evening. Bands attending at 3.00pm will need to remain in the school for the start of the concert. Parents and carers wishing to bring in food (i.e. McDonalds etc.) for students must do so by 5.30 at the latest as food cannot be eaten in the Hall. All bands will sit in the Hall to watch others perform throughout the concert.

All students who attend any of our Rockschools for individual tuition are most welcome to come to our concerts and if any would like to join one of our bands we have places available for all ages and abilities. Please contact David Taylor at davidtaylor@rockschools.co.uk for further information.

We look forward to seeing you all at our Christmas Concerts,

David Taylor

Director

Rockschools

Reminders

• We have been chosen by Waitrose in Towcester to be one of their local voluntary organisations for support in November. Of the three chosen for the month the one with the greatest amount of tokens is invited to the store for a photo session and presentation of a cheque to the value of tokens given. So please could all family and friends shop as much as possible in Waitrose in November and help contribute to our number. You also get a token if you stop for a cup of tea so a good reason to take a break there!
• On Friday 11 December Rockschools, with Vision Youth Café, will be supporting the Mayor, Chris Lofts, by putting on a gig at the Youth Community Centre in Towcester which will be a showcase for local bands and raise funds for the Mayor’s chosen charities for this year. More details will be available shortly but would students who can help set up the event and bands who would like to take part please see Ros after half-term. Any time given will count towards volunteer hours for NVYA.
• On Saturday 21 November Zoe Hale from NVYA (Northamptonshire Voluntary Youth Action) will be coming to Rockschool to sign off volunteer hours for those students already registered with NVYA and to sign up new volunteer student staff and helpers. So would any staff or helpers not yet registered please see Ros before then.

We will be back as follows:

• Brackley – Tuesday 3 November
• Towcester – Wednesday 4 November
• Towcester – Saturday 7 November

Our Christmas Concerts are at Nicholas Hawksmoor School on Saturdays 28 November and 5 December at 6.00pm. If any band members are unable to perform on one of these dates please let Ros Miles know as soon as possible – rosmiles@rockschools.co.uk or 07738 974220.

Meanwhile we have been chosen by Waitrose in Towcester to be one of their local voluntary organisations for support in November. Of the three chosen for the month the one with the greatest amount of tokens is invited to the store for a photo session and presentation of a cheque to the value of tokens given. So please could all family and friends shop as much as possible in Waitrose in November and help contribute to our number. You also get a token if you stop for a cup of tea so a good reason to take a break there!

Our Parents and Friends Association held their AGM on 26^th September, a new committee is now supporting Rockschools and any help you can give to them would be greatly appreciated. As yet they have been unable to elect a new Treasurer so if any parent or friend would like to volunteer their services the chair would love to hear from you. Please contact Fleur Cawthorne at fleurc@qvsglobaluk.com if you think you can be of any help. No previous experience is needed, just a little bit of time each week, and the outgoing Treasurer will be on hand to assist as and when required.

We have also been asked by the Vision Youth Café in Towcester if we have bands who would like to play there on Friday 30 October or in November at their band nights. Do contact Gemma Knight on 07933 507590 or at gemma.vision@yahoo.co.uk if any bands want to take part.

On Friday 11 December Rockschools, with Vision Youth Café, will be supporting the Mayor, Chris Lofts, by putting on a gig at the Youth Community Centre in Towcester which will be a showcase for local bands and raise funds for the Mayor’s chosen charities for this year. More details will be available shortly but would students who can help set up the event and bands who would like to take part please see Ros after half-term. Any time given will count towards volunteer hours for NVYA.

On Saturday 22 November Zoe Hale from NVYA (Northamptonshire Voluntary Youth Action) will be coming to Rockschool to sign off volunteer hours for those students already registered with NVYA and to sign up new volunteer student staff and helpers. So would any staff or helpers not yet registered please see Ros before then.

We hope you all have a good holiday and look forward to seeing you again in November

We held a very successful Open Day at the beginning of September, where many of our bands played outside in the sunshine to audiences old and new. Rockhopper Recording Studio brought their recording caravan to the Open Day and several bands were able to be recorded during the afternoon.

Two of our bands, Prestige and Intro Out are now taking part in the Rockhopper Buckingham Idol competition. Do give them your support and vote for them at www.rockhopper-studios.co.uk as soon as you can.

We are starting New Rockschools Classes from September, on Wednesday evenings at 7.00–9.00pm in Towcester. These are for anyone aged 18 to 80+ who want to play guitar and/or sing and they are suitable for all styles and abilities. Groups are led by David Taylor and Kat Stephens and they would welcome all Mums and Dads, Grandmas and Granddads, friends and family of Rockschools students to their classes. Call Ros on 07738 974220 or email rosmiles@rockschools.co.uk for more information.

We are still offering individual tuition this year, including Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano, Keyboard and Singing. We now have many students taking these lessons but there are still a few places left for anyone wanting to improve their skills, or learn a new one.

Most students have now had their equipment PAT tested but for those who have not, or those who now have new equipment to replace any that failed, Tom Mitson will be with us again on Saturday 3rd October to do more PAT testing.

Our Parents and Friends Association are holding their AGM on 26^th September and are recruiting new committee members to support Rockschools so any help you can give to them would be greatly appreciated.