Musicians Live Concert Dreams Through Rock Club

By Carla M. Collado
Staff Writer

A new program in Long Beach fresh out of a 10-year run in Australia is giving both young and old musicians a chance to hit the stage and live out their dream of becoming rock stars.

“As long as they can play the basic chords and have fun, we’ll do the rest,” said Frank McIlquham, director of The Rock Club.

The Rock Club offers programs for youth, adults and underprivileged youth. All programs include coaching (in a band) by professional musicians, use of brand new musical equipment, rehearsal time in a studio and a finale concert at a major venue in the Los Angeles area.

Youth ages 12-17 can choose from various one-week summer sessions starting in mid-July. From 9 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday, they learn everything from music history, music theory and how to work together as a band, to setting up a PA system, stage presence, booking gigs and negotiating contracts, among other things.

“We teach them just about everything else they need to know in the music industry,” McIlquham said.

Lunch is provided, and then from noon to 3 p.m. they’re placed into their bands (matched by skill level) and practice learning five to seven songs in the studio.

Bands typically consist of a singer, drummer, two guitarists, one bassist and a keyboard player. On Saturday at the end of the one-week session, each band performs in front of a live audience at a major venue in the area (yet to be determined), McIlquham explained.

The youth program costs $479, and part of the proceeds from member fees and ticket sales will be donated to the YMCA of Greater Long Beach, he said. Slots still are available for the summer sessions, and roughly 42 youth are needed per weekly session. For youth who can’t attend during the week, there is another session that takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for four Saturdays (also starting in mid-July) and ends with a big concert on the fifth Saturday.

The Rock Club’s adult program is geared toward men and women who have played music in the past, still have a passion for music and want to relive those days of playing onstage.

“We want the kids to look at dad in a different aspect; ‘Oh man, he’s a rocker!’,” McIlquham said.

Adults in the program rehearse at the studio two hours a week for four weeks using new equipment and being coached by professional musicians. They learn five to six songs and play a finale concert at the House of Blues in Hollywood. This program costs $639 and includes invitations to 10 clinics during the year taught by professional players.

McIlquham said The Rock Club’s programs not only help musicians network with other musicians, but also help close the gap between them and the professional musicians who have been successful in the music industry.

“When you’re a musician and you like to play, there aren’t a lot of opportunities to play and meet people,” he said. “We’re closing that gap…. We’re about networking, listening to people and having fun in the process…. And the camaraderie of people playing music is a fantastic thing.”

Professional musicians who coach with The Rock Club include: guitar coach Leo Nocentelli, who’s recorded with Stevie Wonder, Bonnie Raitt, The Supremes, The Temptations, Paul McCartney, Sting, and others; Rue Phillips, who’s worked with Ozzie Osbourne, Bill Ward (Black Sabbath), Jack Bruce, Bob Daisly, Eric Singer, Bob Glaub (Bob Dylan), and more; and Bernard Purdie, the world’s most recorded drummer who has played for Louis Armstrong, Aretha Franklin, Michael Bolton, Joe Cocker, Jeff Beck, Miles Davis, Roberta Flack, The Rolling Stones, B.B. King, Bob Marley, and more.

In addition to its regular programs, The Rock Club is looking for corporate sponsors for its July outreach program to help underprivileged youth. It is aimed at youth ages 12-17 who can’t afford the costs of the program, and includes all aspects of the youth and adult programs (rehearsals, coaching, studio time, finale concert). The only difference is that the sponsoring adults also attend the program alongside the youth, McIlquham said.

To register or to sponsor, call (866) 597-1116 or visit www.therockclub.net. 39>