By Paul Kwo

Whether in Alhambra, South Pasadena, San Gabriel or halfway across the world, many music students dream of singing and playing in a rock band. Grab a few friends and start jamming away at mom and dad's garage. We've all seen the image of the frustrated parents hearing the ruckus the kids are making in the garage. The kids are all just jamming loudly without any guidance or supervision.

Even if the students are taking separate guitar, bass, drum lessons and voice lessons on their own, putting it together is still another daunting task. Getting a coach to work with the students is an important aspect in helping students create music in a meaningful and listenable manner. Students can ask questions and work on music together as a group with a coach that will help bring it all together.

The key towards a good Rock Band is practice. With the proper coaching, a band can get a lot done even in a short few months. It is also very useful to help students set realistic performance goals as a part of their formation. After all, what's the point of starting a Rock Band if the band isn't going to perform.

In Alhambra and the San Gabriel Valley Pasadena area, there are plenty of performance opportunities for students. Monterey Park offers an annual Got Skills competition for students free to enter. They work with Asian Pacific Clinics in Rosemead for the youth in the 626 area and beyond. We here at PopRock Academy has participated. We also have connected with many local festivals and events such as the Alhambra first friday event and the Alhambra 4th of July and Hotspot celebration to provide performance opportunities for our students. There are many open mic opportunities in Pasadena, Alhambra and Hollywood for new bands to start. Arcadia has a 626 Night Market event multiple times a year for bands to submit audition videos to showcase their talents. Most schools in the San Gabriel Valley have talent shows and competitions for their students to participate in. There are just so many ways for students to get out there and perform. And with performance opportunities, students are much more motivated to practicing and working hard.

So aside from the hard work of practicing, marketing is just as important for a rock band to flourish. Know what the band is about and what the goal of the band is. Set realistic expectation and take incremental steps towards accomplishing them. A solid marketing plan is just as important for the survival of a band. Setting crazy goals like signing with a major record label in 1 year or 2 will most often lead to disappointment causing the band to dissolve. So if your band's dream is to aim to be a working band, work with your coach on a realistic plan of attack. Know the steps that it takes to get there and be realistic about the approach. Don't just jump into it jamming with your friends in a garage and expect some amazing record producer will walk by and hear you play and sign you on the spot. No one can guarantee you fame and stardom. But with lots of hard work, anyone can be a solid working band.

Let Your Inner Rockstar Shine!