Osbourn High School has several performing arts classes. When a student thinks about those classes, they usually think about orchestra, band, or even theater. However, there is one more class that not every school contains. Guitar is taught by Mrs. Rubach, and without her and the other guitar participants, there wouldn’t be the exciting Osbourn High School RockFest event today. According to Mrs. Rubach, she says, “We used to have a regular spring guitar concert, and some students asked if we could do a couple of fun songs. Once that happened, all of the classes wanted to do fun songs too, and RockFest was born.”

RockFest is different from the regular guitar concerts students have to participate in. If you’ve ever attended the event, you’d see that RockFest completely lacks the formal approach, with a more energetic and excited crowd for each song. RockFest is when students have the opportunity to use electric guitars, basses, and sing songs. Students are able to explore avenues that they might not have considered before.

When you prepare for RockFest, it’s not just getting music and practicing your own part. It’s more interactive for students and contains a lot of specific steps. Mrs. Rubach said, “There are many aspects to Rockfest. First is asking who wants a part and then picking and arranging the music for the class and specialty parts.” These parts are most important. Since the classes will be performing songs like The Man Who Sold the World by Nirvana and Linger by The Cranberries, you have to make sure there are enough students who want to sing and play the specialty parts. There has to be a lead guitarist, a rhythm guitarist, and a bassist. It varies with the song because not every song was created the same way.

When the formal guitar concerts near an end, Mrs. Rubach takes a list of students who want to have a specialty part. As soon as the final concert is over, you can officially prepare for RockFest. “Next begins the process of teaching all of the parts. Once we have all of our parts learned, I program the amps with each song’s sound, and we rehearse in the classroom. I create a program for the event that lists all of the songs and the performers, and I create a poster to help advertise the event,” Mrs. Rubach said.

Students who agreed to sing have to have private rehearsals with Mrs. Rubach before or after school. Without any singers, there wouldn’t be any songs for the class to play. As soon as the songs are chosen, that’s when students officially get their specialty parts, and when the class gets their part. Even if you’re a student who doesn’t have a specialty part, you can still stumble across several obstacles. “Some students don’t practice their parts, and I have to scramble to find people to fill in. Students who are absent or frequently late are also an obstacle because they are behind,” Mrs. Rubach said.

And if you’re a student who has to learn their own separate parts, you can find yourself in struggling situations. Especially if you’re a student who is singing and has a specialty part like Braelyn Krupinski, who said, “The preparation is a lot of work, especially as someone who is playing two pieces. I have to practice multiple times a week, sometimes for hours at a time. I have to practice my singing almost every day, because singing doesn’t come naturally to me. Now that RockFest is close, I feel confident about the song I’m singing due to my practicing a lot.”

RockFest is for every guitar class, which means that there are students who have participated in RockFest previously, and there are some students who have never participated before. It’s easy to get nervous or overwhelmed; the crowd the event attracts is usually a big one, and may seem intimidating to some. Especially if you plan to sing, like Emma Husband, who said, “Yes, this is my first time. I am a little nervous, but mostly excited because this is my first time singing by myself in front of a crowd, but I have been to RockFest before, and the atmosphere is very fun, so I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Or similarly, Braelyn, who also said, “Yes, this is my first time participating in the RockFest. I’m a little nervous because I want to perform well, but as we get closer to the concert, I’m feeling more confident and excited.”

The last week before RockFest is when the nerves really begin to spike. You have your final rehearsal with the entire class, professional drummer, and at that point, you should be getting used to the bright stage atmosphere. “The weekend before RockFest, I have to set the stage with the chairs, stands, amps, guitars, etc. My husband programs the sound board for each song, and a professional drummer comes in to set up. We spend a week practicing on stage (including after-school rehearsals) before the big day,” said Mrs. Rubach.

As musicians, we want everything to be perfect, and RockFest is our main way of showing our school what guitar has to offer. In the end, it’s amazing to see how well everything comes together.

“My favorite part is when the class finally comes together and everything gels. It’s such a good feeling when the idea comes to life,” said Mrs. Rubach.

If you’ve ever attended a RockFest concert, how did it go? If not, do you plan to? Leave your responses in the comments, and here is a link to pictures from the RockFest concert this year!