Rock Band Program

Currently our band members range from 11-18 years old, but age is less important than attention span and willingness to practice!

You don't need to be an expert in your instrument, but you'll need to be able to follow along during rehearsal. We hand out sheet music with tab and chord charts, so we recommend going over those in your private lessons.

It's okay if you can't read or play all your parts right away!

As long as you practice your parts between rehearsals, that's what counts—and we'll simplify parts as needed. We can't spend group practice time teaching everyone their individual parts, but band members get plenty of guidance when they're learning something new. Your private teachers can help too!

Note: Band practice is fun, but we cover a lot of ground in practice each week. Members are expected to stay in practice mode even when they’re not actively playing, and be ready to jump in when their part’s up.

Band fees are separate from private lesson fees, and cover a one-hour 45-minute rehearsal once per week, plus recital and performance fees.

Current Sense & Color private lesson students: $139/month
Students not currently in private lessons at Sense & Color: $179/month

Rehearsals are one hour and 45 minutes long, held once per week (except for the school's regular vacation weeks). Occasionally we'll need to reschedule to work around group schedules, but current practice days and times are:

• Sundays from 6:00-7:45pm

Band rehearsals are held in a separate location about nine minutes from our Leander school, near New Hope and Lakeline Blvd (near the Good Lot).

Read more about the location and see a photo here.

Band openings depend on several things: which instruments are currently in the band, the abilities of the players, complexity of the current music, etc. If you're interested in joining a band, text us at 512-817-3663 or email us to see which spots we currently have open.

If we have multiple players on the same instrument, it's possible you may not play on every song, but every member gets lots of stage time! We create our own song arrangements, so there's room for all instruments.

If there isn't a band opportunity that works for you right now, we'll add you to a waiting list for an open spot or a future group.

Your first band session is free and serves as an evaluation for both the students and the teachers. Joining the band is a commitment and we want to make sure it’s the right fit! You won’t be automatically enrolled after your first session, so when you decide you’re ready to join for real, be sure to let us know.

Our band program isn't a six-week or ten-week thing. It's a real band with no set ending date, so it lasts for you as long as you want it to.

You'll create real bonds with your bandmates, and as you continue to play together, you'll get better (both individually and as a group). And as your set list grows, you'll get to play cooler shows over time! Members may move on and be replaced over time as needed, but for the most part, band rosters will stay pretty consistent.

We cover a lot of ground each week, so it's important to attend rehearsals!

If you need to miss a rehearsal, be sure to notify us ASAP via text (512-817-3663) or email (staff@senseandcolor.com) so we can arrange to cover your part that day.

There are no makeups for missed band rehearsals. If a member misses enough rehearsals to affect the band’s ability to perform, their parts may be given to other members, at least temporarily.

Bring your music (and a pencil) every time! You'll learn MUCH faster if you pay attention to your music and take notes to use at home.

If you're on guitar, bass, or violin, bring those to every practice, along with your tuner, capos, picks, etc. (Be sure to get a protective case and never leave stringed instruments sitting in a hot car!)

Practice can get a little loud, so earplugs (designed for live music situations) are recommended.

We have cables, amps, drums, keyboards, music stands, mic stands, and microphones, so you don't need to bring those!

Our rock bands play at the end of our recitals (approx. four times per year), and there are band-only shows as well.

Our favorite venues have been Kick Butt Coffee in Austin and the Lucky Rabbit in Jonestown, but we've hosted recitals at a number of live music venues in Cedar Park, Leander, Pflugerville, and Austin over the years, including Steamer Lane, One-2-One, Hanovers, Smooth Village, and Cherrywood Coffeehouse.

We usually debut 2-3 new songs at each performance, but the goal is to build and maintain a polished set list long enough to play real shows—so songs will stay in the rotation indefinitely.

As our repertoire grows, we won’t have time to play every song each week in rehearsal, which is where homework comes in! The older songs are still in our set list, and we’ll need them when we play longer shows. (Of course, if the band collectively decides they don't like a song and want to toss it, they have that power.)

Songs are nominated by band leaders and members, so the set lists may have a different feel based on the members in each group. Our current sets include songs like:

• Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden

• American Idiot - Green Day

• Say It Ain't So - Weezer

• Zombie - Cranberries

• Love Song - The Cure

• Carry On Wayward Sun - Kansas

• Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes

• Twilight - Boa

• My Hero - Foo Fighters

Billing is month-to-month, with no contracts.

We require at least 7 days’ notice before the end of the month in order to cancel billing, but remember that being in a band is different from private lessons. There are other students depending on you!

If you need to leave the group, please try not to leave in the few weeks before a show, and give as much notice as possible so we can start recruiting for a new member. (Ideally, we'd love it if departing members stayed with the band until their replacement is found—but that's just a request, not a requirement.)

Tuition is non-refundable once billed! If you cancel in the middle of a month after paying for that month, you can still attend all remaining sessions that month if you choose.