Hello! We would like to welcome you to our first season of our Youth Rock Band in Ithaca!!  Ashley Ickes and I (Kylie Brown) have been working hard to create the foundation for a program that we hope to run for a long time. 

Schedule and end of season performance

Rehearsals will be an hour and 15 minutes long on a weekly basis starting on January 23rd and continuing on Thursdays. There will be two bands: one that I will direct from 4:45-6pm and one Ashley will direct from 6:15-7:30. The season will be 12 weeks long and will end in early/mid April. Students must be able to attend the final performance. The final performance will be at K-House on Sunday, April 6th. 

Location and Equipment

Weekly rehearsals will take place at K-House Karaoke bar and suites. We'll be in one of the suites each week and the room may change based on K-House's availability. Students must bring their own equipment except the drummer. Drummers may need to come early or stay late to help tear down the set each week. Guitarists and bass guitarists must bring their instrument, an amplifier, and music stand. Keyboardists must bring their keyboard, stand, and amplifier. 15 minutes are allotted for transition time, set up, and tuning in each rehearsal. There are also 15 minutes between rehearsals to help ease the transition between bands.

Tuition

Tuition will be on a sliding scale from 100-130 per month. If this amount isn't accessible for you please let me know. Payment will be done through fons if Kylie is your band teacher and through venmo if Ashley is your teacher. More payment details will be in the welcome email your band teacher will send after you're enrolled. 

Attendance

Because there are a limited number of rehearsals, attendance is crucial. Tuition will be charged regardless of student attendance. All students must attend the end of the season performance on April 6th at K-House Karaoke Lounge and Suites. If you have more than two missed rehearsals, this will negatively impact your ability to join the band in the future unless in the case of family emergency or serious illness. 

Practice and music

Students must practice the material outside of rehearsal. Both bands will receive a practice chart that is accessible on a shared band google drive so that students know what to practice each week. If it is evident that a student isn't practicing, the band teacher will contact the parents to support the student in practicing. If this becomes a persistent issue after parents have been contacted it may negatively impact the student's ability to join the band in the future. Kylie and Ashley will provide a 3 ring binder of music and a music stand for each student for each rehearsal. More details about what music we'll perform will be in the welcome email from your band teacher.

Instrumentation

Since there are a limited number of spots for each instrument, please be aware if we have too many of one we may (sadly!) have to put you on a waitlist for next semester. We'll try to find a place for you if at all possible, especially if you're open to playing a new instrument. I will offer a free lesson to anyone that's learning a new instrument to be in rock band. 

Enrollment/Policies

Each season all band members will enroll in the program via this quick google form so I can get contact info, establish your tuition rate (sliding scale 100-130 per month), and have everyone sign the youth rock band policies (also attached to this email). When you fill out the form you'll be able to choose what time you prefer. Again, my band will rehearse from 4:45-6, Ashley's band will rehearse from 6:15-7:30.  After you're enrolled, you will be sent a welcome email from your band teacher and they will request payment via their billing platform. I will be using Fons to request monthly payment, and Ashley will be using Venmo for monthly payment. There will be more details about payment in the welcome email.

Gratitude

This program wouldn't be possible without the generosity of Alina from K-House Karaoke. K-house provides such a unique experience to the community and I hope you'll become a patron and make some music with them if you're not already. I'm also deeply grateful to Ashley, as she is a staple of the Ithaca music scene and has connections and a wealth of talent that she's contributed to the program already. 

To sum it up, if you're interested in joining the band

  • enroll at this link:  Google Form

  • You will receive a welcome email from your band teacher in the next week

  • Your teacher will request payment for the first month

  • bring your equipment to our first rehearsal January 23rd!

  • attend the end of the season performance on April 6th at K House Karaoke!

Please let me know if you have any questions! Feel free to click the link at the footer of my website and send me an email. I'm thrilled to launch this program and hope you'll be a part of it!

Kylie B.