Menchey Presents: Rock the Appell Recap!

What is Menchey Presents: Rock the Appell?

A year ago, we set out to design an experience for more advanced students that taught them the knowledge that we, as performers, wished we had before starting our first band or making our first recording. Here at the Menchey School of Music, we firmly believe that learning an instrument goes far beyond practicing an instrument in a room. Whatever “Menchey Presents” was going to be, it needed to bring the music out of the practice room and onto a real stage. We wanted an experience that connected with young musicians and focused on making music, not just playing an instrument. So, we partnered with Keystone Kidspace and the Appell Center in York, PA to bring this vision to life. This summer, we launched the culmination of that work: Menchey Presents: Rock the Appell.

Menchey Presents: Rock the Appell was a summer camp focused on equipping students with the skills they need to form their own bands, book their own gigs, and write their own songs, while also giving them real performance experience on one of the largest stages in York. We placed 17 students into 11 different bands, and together they put on a fantastic final show for a packed audience. Each group of students chose their band names and set to work on learning their songs. For five Sundays in June and July, the students would start off in high-level classes. These classes included working with digital audio workstations, learning how to mic their band to make recordings, how to write music, and even studying the history of rock music. After that, they broke into masterclasses to work on their songs.

Meet the Bands!

The Performance

Finally, the whole experience lead up to a performance at the Appell Center for the Performing Arts Capitol Theater in downtown York, PA. The camaraderie backstage was a testament to these students’ growth from shy musicians to real rock stars. Each group took the stage and played their hearts out for a massive audience. We couldn’t be prouder of the extensive work that went into this experience and the quality of that final show. Huge thank you to Tom Klimek, Madi Thornton, and all the teachers/staff that made this amazing experience possible! 

Check out the photo gallery and full set video of the performance! Media coverage by York Store Manager, Jon Mrenna.

Watch the Whole Set!