School of Rock to bring aspiring musicians to Summerfest

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Every aspiring musician’s dream is to perform live on a huge stage in front of thousands of people.  Better yet, at a music festival that brings together the industry’s hottest stars. This summer, School of Rock, the national leader in performance-based music education, is giving hundreds of students a chance to play their hearts out on stage in Milwaukee at what is recognized as “The World’s Largest Music Festival.”

Young musicians from around the country will have their chance to shine by competing in a School of Rock “Battle of the Bands” at Summerfest.

Thirty (30) bands comprised of over 200 student performers will compete in the GEMBA competition at Summerfest on June 29 and 30.  The School of Rock student performers that will descend on Summerfest hail from fifteen (15) states including Texas, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Tennessee, Florida, Nebraska, California, Oregon, Washington, Ohio, Kansas and Delaware.  They will be joined by over 300 friends and family members to cheer them on as they compete for the top honor.

“These School of Rock students will be coming from 21 markets in the U.S. and are extremely talented artists,” said John Boler, Chief Marketing Officer at Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.  “We are thrilled to give them the opportunity to showcase their skills on Summerfest’s major concert stages to a diverse set of music fans.”

The performances will be judged by well-known musicians; tentatively scheduled are Slim Jim Phantom (The Stray Cats), Earl Slick (David Bowie), Jim Peterik (Survivor, Ides of March), Bruce Kulick (Kiss), Metal Mike (Rob Halford) and Eric Bloom (Blue Oyster Cult).  The competition will take place on Saturday, June 29 at the Harley-Davidson Roadhouse, Uline Warehouse, and U.S. Cellular Connection Stage.  The top bands will then battle in the finals at the BMO Harris Pavilion on Sunday, June 30.

“It is wonderful to be able to offer our students the most inspirational experiences in performance-based music education, and we are honored to be partnering with Summerfest to make this “Battle of the Bands” a reality,” said School of Rock CEO, Chris Catalano. “I am looking forward to the excitement and energy our students will bring to these wonderful stages.”

The competition will give students the opportunity to show off their skills for a chance to be named the best band in the land in front of thousands of concert-goers. School of Rock creates a supportive and motivating environment that inspires its’ students to rock on stage and in life.  By hosting the “Battle of the Bands” event called GEMBA, a Japanese word for the “real place,” students will have the ability to share their talents with a real live festival audience.

Visit Summerfest.com and download the mobile app presented by Boston Store for iOS and Android to make your own custom Summerfest lineup including the School of Rock performances!
Summerfest 2013 will take place June 26 - 30 and July 2 - 7, from Noon until Midnight and will be closed Monday,