From afar, you might think the only thing happening inside this 120-year-old house is a quilting bee or a Harry Potter cosplaying game.
But if you got closer to the door at 15101 Washington Street in Haymarket, they would hear the sounds of blues riffs, rhythmic drumming, and powerful vocals, all of which make up the sounds of rock and roll. Once they passed through the doorway, you knew that you'd entered the School of Rock.
The School of Rock opened in Haymarket in July 2017 as part of a franchise first founded in Philadelphia in 1998. Since its founding, the school boasts over 350 locations worldwide with over 40,000 students.
According to manager Mary Hitchcock, the school currently has 12 teachers and is growing and seeking to hire more.
The school goes beyond the typical one-on-one lessons between student and teacher with the instrument of choice. They also teach from their eponymously named School of Rock method. This method not only includes one-on-one instruction but group instruction, stage performance, learning music theory methods, and learning one song at a time.
This method struggled under the Coronavirus pandemic and, like many other businesses, had to adapt to the situation at hand.
"Like it was for everyone else, the pandemic was a tough transition," says Hitchcock. " We did switch to online lessons and continued our group rehearsals online. We explored many new ways to approach teaching and convey concepts that we now use in person!"
With the pandemic winding down, the school has been able to return not just to in-person teaching but to live performances by its students. According to Hitchcock, the school's house band has four shows in May. The school is offering summer instruction not just in instrument instruction but also in songwriting and recording.
"Currently, we are offering many summer camps which are filling up quickly, one of which is a songwriting camp and recording camp, " says Hitchcock. "Many of our teachers have a music technology background and have taught production and mixing."
School of Rock is currently preparing its performance groups for two shows in May, focusing on popular rock groups The Beatles and AC/DC and hair metal bands like Motley Crue, Poison, and others.
School of Rock will perform at 90 Grados located at 8509 Rixlew Lane in Manassas at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 14, and then at the Craftworx Taproom located at 5615 Wellington Drive in Gainesville at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 21.
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ARTfactory and Birmingham Green made headlines in Manassas this week. ARTfactory’s Rooftop Productions, now Actors Theatre, won seven awards at the 2024 DC Broadway World Awards, including Best Musical for Kinky Boots and Best Choreography for The Rocky Horror Show. ARTfactory’s Pied Piper Theatre also earned recognition, winning Best Theatre for Young Audiences for its production of The Wizard of Oz.
Meanwhile, Birmingham Green, ranked as Northern Virginia’s top nursing home by Newsweek Magazine, announced Duane Smith as its new Nursing Home Administrator, effective December 30, 2024. Smith brings extensive experience from senior living leadership roles across multiple states and holds several professional qualifications. Birmingham Green continues its 90-year mission of providing quality long-term care to Northern Virginians in need.
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Should Virginia ditch the longstanding practice of electing the General Assembly and the governor in odd year elections?
The first odd year election in Virginia was in 1851, after a new state Constitution was approved and members of the House were elected to a two-year term. Before that, members of the House had one-year terms, and voters selected members every single year.
Now, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell says modern day voters are sick and tired of voting every year.
A Manassas man was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for providing drugs and alcohol to a child in exchange for sex acts and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting the same victim as well as other children.
According to court documents, Olajide Benjamin Ayilaran, 24, met a 14-year-old girl during the summer of 2023 and began communicating with the victim via iMessage. In the messages, Ayilaran offered to provide the victim drugs, alcohol, and nicotine products in exchange for sex acts. Between at least Nov. 21, 2023, and Feb. 29, 2024, Ayilaran met the victim nine times, usually in the morning before the victim went to school, to exchange the products for sexual acts. Ayilaran would wait for the victim in his car in a nearby park. When the victim arrived, he gave her the drugs and alcohol and then had the victim perform sex acts on him in the car.
Travel to French soil and join us for a night filled with two of the most beloved French traditions—no plane ticket required! ?
On January 25th, we invite you to experience the magic of Galette des Rois, a 700-year-old tradition celebrated across France throughout the entire month of January (and even beyond!). This sweet, almond-filled puff pastry topped with a golden crown isn’t just a treat—it’s a celebration! The lucky person who finds the fève (a porcelain charm hidden in one of the slices) becomes the King or Queen for the Day, and don’t worry—there will be plenty of royalty to go around! ??
But that’s not all! In France, Les Voeux (New Year’s wishes) continue throughout January, often accompanied by Champagne and good cheer. We’re bringing that festive spirit to you, with a lively evening packed with French food, wine, and music.
What’s in store:
Experience the passion and drama of Puccini’s “The Girl from the Golden West”.
Featuring special guest musicians from The Chesapeake Youth Orchestra,
this performance brings Puccini’s masterpiece to life with an extraordinary cast.
