Nashville Rock Block Registration Now Open

East Nashville gets rocking again in January

If you haven’t already heard about it, Nashville Rock Block is a satellite program of Murfreesboro’s Youth Empowerment Through the Arts and Humanities (YEAH) that gives local kids between the ages of 10 and 17 a chance to play in their own rock band under the supervision of professional working musicians from the community. Over the course of the program’s eight weeks kids will form and name their bands, write their own music, learn to play the music of popular artists, and finally play in a Saturday Night Showcase in front of their friends, family and fans. (We got a chance to check out the showcase that ended the first Nashville Rock Block session last month and some of music was better than some “real” bands we’ve seen before!)

As with the last session, this newest installment of Nashville Rock Block will be held at the East Nashville Performing Artist Co-op at Five Points. Headed by musician Tiffany Minton, the program operates with a mission to provide a safe space where kids can explore their creative potential, to support an artistic culture that fosters self-esteem through collaborative learning, and to empower kids to use their talents to create positive social change in their communities. All kids are welcome whether they’ve been shredding for years or are just getting interested in playing a real instrument after wearing out their copies of Guitar Hero.

The next session of this unique program starts on January 8th, 2011 and runs through February 26th. Nashville Rock Block registration is now open and continues through January 5th, with instrument preference going to those who sign up first. The total cost for the eight-week program is $160; if that’s on the high side, you can look into some scholarships. Too old to play but still want to help out? Check out this page to donate or loan your gear to help these kids rock out, or donate cash to YEAH here.