Student Raves

“Growing up in the music world, music has always been an important part of my life. It’s always hard to know where to start though; that’s where Rockshop Academy came in. Starting out as just a “camper” at Rockshop, George was able to find two perfect band mates that started it all for me. At 15, we started the band Something Awkward and were able to play at really cool venues all over Santa Barbara. As I got older, I became a counselor at Rockshop over the summer of 2012 and was able to help many other young musicians trying to find their way. If it weren’t for Rockshop, I wouldn’t have had the courage to pursue music in my adult life and start the band Weird Wolves. My band mate, Raphael Colantonio, and I have since accrued tens of thousands of streams with our Industrial music with thousands of monthly listeners on Spotify alone. I’m so thankful for Rockshop and the role that George played in my life as a young teen. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for Rockshop Academy.”

— Ava Gore, Weird Wolves

“Just wanted to say Thank YOU for everything you taught me and for helping me find my passion. Nashville has been a crazy whirlwind of awesomeness and it's got me thinking back to my first drum lessons with you and the ol days at Rockshop. You really changed my life for the better. I was playing with a cover band last night and we were jamming a bunch of 90s and we ended up playing Counting Blue Cars. I'll be back to SB sometime soon!”

— Ethan Harbe

Dream Foundation 25th Anniversary

This video captures a LIVE Drum Group performance from 9 years ago! What are each of these students up to today?

Brennan Benko - Drums and Tours for many of today’s popular bands such as Bad Suns, Twin XL, Jordy The Blond, and his own local popular band False Puppet (with two other Rockshop Academy Alumni Tyler Benko and Channing Peake), Ethan Harbe - #1 on Call Live Drummer in Nashville, Tennessee, Alyssa Davey - Tours the world and plays locally in Santa Barbara with the Caverns, Maxton Hunter - Working in Hollywood in Music Production and Music Video Production, David McInnes - Received a scholarship to pursue music at Thornton School of Music, USC, Christian Pelonis - Plays for Loc Dawgs and 70s Teen Star Shaun Cassidy, Kaitlyn Mires - Engineered a guitar that plays itself for a school engineering project.