The Rock Tutorial

Participants in the “Rocktutorium” workshop have the opportunity to try out various band instruments and learn the basics of playing them.

Every two weeks, the bands work on a new song. To this end, instrumental lessons are held in small groups. The following week, the bands perform the song they’ve rehearsed for one another. The instrumental instructors also listen in and offer tips. At the end of the semester, the bands perform at the “Rocktutorium Party” with two or three songs of their own choosing that they’ve practiced during the semester. Each band has a set time once a week in the band room to rehearse.

Below, music student Mandy describes what makes the Rocktutorium special for her:

The rehearsals are incredibly fun. Either you’ve made plans with friends before the semester starts and assigned instruments, or you’ve formed a band during the first session with people you didn’t know very well—or at all. In either case, you really grow close as a band. Personally, I’ve taken part in the seminar three times—twice as the lead singer and once as the bassist. I also find the interaction between the bands exciting. The atmosphere at the auditions is super relaxed, so it’s easy to shake off stage fright (and I had plenty of that at the beginning…). The mood at the Rocktutorium party is always lively, too. The feeling of being on stage and seeing your fellow students cheering is great, even if everything isn’t quite perfect yet. And how could it be, after just one semester of lessons on a new instrument…

Besides all the fun, you learn what it’s like to play together in a band. You gain a lot of valuable experience for your future career as a teacher, since it helps you better support students in a band project you’re supervising. You also learn the basics of a new instrument and how to set up the mics and run the cables. That’s definitely very useful for school and in other situations too!