Q & A for the Battle of Bands 2009
Where will the event be located?
On May 30th and June 6th (11am-3pm)
The House of Blues
8430 W Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
On June 14th (9:30am-12pm)
Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood
1000 Universal Studios Blvd. #99
Universal City, CA 91608
What time will the event start and when will it end?
At the House of Blues: From 11:00am to 3:00pm on both days.
At the Hard Rock Café: From 9:30am to 12:00pm.
Why are there three event days this year?
1. We split the event into three days because RockSTAR has grown so much that there are more schools and more bands than ever before. It isn’t possible for the number of bands we have this year to all play at the Hard Rock Café’s Founder’s Day event.
2. We want the competition at the House of Blues to be fair and every child’s experience to be special. They will all play on the main stage during the first two days.
3. The Hard Rock Cafe event will be an easier, more relaxed day. It is a celebration of the kids and their accomplishments. Also, letting the top 12 winning bands play a concert is a more equitable way of rewarding them. With over 100 bands this year, there is no real way for us to determine only one winner.
Every band will play at the first event at the House of Blues, but only the top 12 bands (6 bands from each day) will move on to the Hard Rock Café. Unfortunately, we can not know in advance who will be chosen to play at the second event, so please plan accordingly. A schedule for that event will be sent out immediately after the announcement of the winners.
Is the event free?
House of Blues: May 30th and June 6th
All children performing get in for free. Admission for everyone else is $10. Pre-paid admission ticket order forms postmarked by May 25th are $8 each. If you need another pre-paid admission ticket order form, you may download and print one from our website www.rockstarmusiceducation.com. Click on the “Battle of the Bands” link and you should find it at the top of the page.
Hard Rock: June 14th
Entry to this event will be free for everyone. All students who move on to the Hard Rock event will be treated to brunch. The full menu will be available to family and friends.
What time should I get there?
Every school has a different performing time. Please check www.rockstarmusiceducation.com for a final schedule before the event. You must arrive at least 45 minutes early. Because of the large amount of bands performing this year and the time constraints, if your child is not present when the band is set to perform, the band will still go on without your child. There will be no exceptions if a child shows up late.
Why is my child performing at the time posted on this schedule?
The schedule has been designed to accommodate over 1000 families involved in this program. It has been organized so all schools are given enough time to get there, and so all families can get home at a reasonable time.
Will transportation be provided?
Unfortunately, we will not be providing transportation. You will be responsible for getting your child to and from the event. We suggest carpooling to keep traffic and emissions down. This will also help to ensure that all band members arrive on time.
Where do I park?
House of Blues: May 30th and June 6th
You may park at the House of Blues parking lot (entrance on N. Olive Dr.) for $7.00. You can also park at any of the lots nearby. Parking fees may apply. There is also metered street parking on Sunset Blvd.
Hard Rock: June 14th
Please park in the Jurassic parking lot (charges may apply). Valet parking is also available. The Hard Rock Café will validate your ticket so that you can stay for 2 hrs. Other charges may apply depending on how long you stay at the event.
What should I do when I arrive?
House of Blues: May 30th and June 6th
There will be signs posted at the venue letting all families know how to get into the event. Note: There are two rooms upstairs with merchandise, games, music gear, etc for all to try out.
Hard Rock: June 14th
The Hard Rock Café is located towards the center of the Universal City Walk adjacent to the movie theatre. There will be a check in station in front of the event. Once your child has been checked in, there will be signs and announcements made to let you and your child know where to be. When it comes close to your child’s time to play, please be near the appropriate stage.
Should my child bring anything?
Your child does not need to bring anything to the event, all instruments will be provided. We will not be using anyone’s personal instrument to ensure equality and so that all bands are in tune and ready to play. Gibson, Remo, and Guitar Center are graciously donating high quality equipment for this event.
Can I bring my own instruments if I want to?
No. We understand some children may be upset by this decision. In order for the show to go on smoothly, all instruments are already tuned and onstage. RockSTAR does not want to be responsible for a child’s instrument missing, or a guitar that wasn’t tuned properly before the show.
How should my child dress?
This is a Rock ‘n Roll event. We encourage you to let your child dress like a Rock Star! Dyed hair, fake tattoos, painted face! All will be welcome. Please make sure that any costuming is appropriate for an elementary school event.
How should I dress?
This is a Rock ‘n Roll event and you are your child’s #1 fan. We encourage you to let out your own inner Rock! Also matching your child’s spirit may help them to feel more comfortable and secure. Please make sure that any costuming is appropriate for an elementary school event.
Can my child’s band make t-shirts/matching costumes/etc?
Yes. Some bands prefer to dress in a theme or make band t-shirts. You can talk to the other parents in your child’s band if you do want to coordinate a specific rock look (80’s big hair, punk, emo, etc) or make matching costumes. While this is not a requirement, it may help your children to feel more unified and prepared.
Will there be food available?
House of Blues: May 30th and June 6th
The House of Blues will be serving food during the event. They may make some adjustments for this event. We encourage you to support them by taking advantage of their generosity. Besides The House of Blues has really good food if you have not eaten there.
Hard Rock: June 14th
All students who move on to the Hard Rock event will be treated to brunch. The full menu will be available to family and friends.
What do we do after our child performs?
House of Blues: May 30th and June 6th
We invite everyone to stay and support the other bands. Please note that the winners will be announced at the end of each day.
Hard Rock: June 14th
We invite everyone to stay and support the other bands. You will also be able to walk around Universal City Walk.
Will earplugs be available?
Of course! There will be signs posted indicating where you can pick up some earplugs.
Can I bring my Video Camera?
We would prefer that you didn’t. A professional camera crew (Caplive.com) has been hired so that you can just enjoy the event while it happens. We do not want parents to push their way to the front so they can video-tape their own child to the detriment of others. The DVD will be high quality, with multiple angles, and is available for only $15.
What is the prize and how many bands win?
In the interest of keeping this event fair and fun, there will be 12 winning bands, 6 from each day at the House of Blues. Those 12 bands will receive trophies and will play at the Hard Rock Café. Also, these 12 bands will be filmed and showcased as the top 12 RockSTAR bands of 2009.
Legendary House of Blues on the Sunset Strip partners with RockSTAR Music Education for the 4th Annual Battle of the Bands!
RockSTAR Music Education is better than ever and ready to rock the Sunset Strip. So get you hair spray shining and guitars ready because its time to crank the amp to 11! On May 30th and June 6th more than 100 student bands from across LA will take the stage at the Legendary House of Blues on the Sunset Strip competing for the title of ULTIMATE ROCKSTAR!
For the last 3 years RockSTAR has been committed to musical mentoring and is very fortunate to have had the support of Rock n’ Roll icons such as: Carlos Santana, Sammy Hagar, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Slash, Chris Slade, Victor Wooten, Brett Michaels, Britney Spears, Hoobastank, Gerry Brown, Stanley Clarke, John Otto and many more.
With legendary support of this kind, the 4th Annual Battle of the Bands will be even more sensational than before!
This two day festival of music will culminate in 12 bands playing at the Hard Rock Cafe in Universal City Walk on Sunday June 14th. This performance will be in honor of the Hard Rock’s Founder’s Day celebration.
This battle is right around the corner, and in an effort to keep all of our families up to date on the newest information regarding this event, we will be posting every update including schedules of bands, battle days as well as an online Q&A letter to answer all the incidentals of the day of the Battle. If you have any specific questions regarding this battle feel free to email your questions to rockstar@starinc.org.
Be sure to check your mailboxes for our mailing going out later this week!
Thanks again to our committed families and little rockers for making this program the success that it is!
RockSTARs and RockSTAR Parents
Yesterday morning, July 16th at 9 am on KCBS2, RockSTAR Music Education was featured on The Rachael Ray Show. The footage was filmed at last year’s 2nd Annual Battle of the Bands 2007, which took place entirely at the Hard Rock Cafe’!
JUSTINCREDIBLE, the “master of ceremonies” for the battle, appears frequently on The Rachael Ray Show and helped in getting the participants from last year’s Battle of the Bands on KCBS2.
For those RockSTAR’s who were in the Battle last year, please follow the link to the website below, click on the RockSTAR play icon and you may catch a glimpse of yourself ROCKING out!
CLICK BELOW FOR RACHAEL RAY ROCKSTAR FEATURE
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/rockstar-battle-bands/
(if link doesn’t work, copy and paste address)
Not ALL bands are featured on this short exclusive peek, however the clip is a great snapshot of the excitement and energy of the day’s events. We hope that you tell your friends and family, who may have missed the event, about this amazing feature.
Visit our RockSTAR Blog page for all updates and news regarding RockSTAR Music Education.
http://www.starinc.org/blog/rockstar/
Rock On
RockSTAR Music Education
www.rockstarmusiceducation.com
