We recently had the pleasure of welcoming Jasper, Henry, and Emma to our holiday program, and it was an absolute joy to see them in action! Jasper’s First Holiday Program Experience This was Jasper’s first time attending The Rock Academy holiday program, and at 12 years old, he quickly settled into the environment and had an amazing time. Jasper has been taking guitar lessons for about four years , and it really shows in his playing. He knows a wide variety of songs and pla

Why Jackson is a Star at The Rock Academy Jackson is a lead teacher at The Rock Academy’s school holiday programmes in Wellington and band school. For the past five years, he has been a driving force behind some of the most popular kids holiday programmes , thanks to his incredible musical talent and warm, inspiring teaching style. Music-Filled School Holiday Activities At The Rock Academy, our school holiday programmes are all about creativity, confidence, and fun. Jackson

Meeting at Rock Academy One of the things we love most about the Rock Academy holiday programme is the friendships that form along the way. Annabelle and Lily are a perfect example of that. Both girls attended the holiday programme and hit it off from the very first minute. Annabelle had been to Rock Academy programmes before, while Lily was joining us during a very special time in her year — and it didn’t take long for them to become best friends. Lily’s Musical Journey Arou

A Typical Start Tom is 12 years old, plays bass guitar, and has been part of the Rock Academy holiday programme for nearly three years. Watching his musical journey has been a great reminder that learning doesn’t always happen in a straight line — and that fun is often the first step. When Tom first joined us at our holiday programme, he was a very typical nine-year-old. His main focus was having fun: activities like playing four-square, table tennis, running around the hall

In a dimly lit venue tucked between cafés and bookstores, a young band stepped onto the stage and delivered the kind of performance that reminds you why live music matters. A Room Full of Anticipation Before the first chord even rang out, there was a buzz in the crowd: the murmured expectation you hear at the start of something special. Friends, family, classmates, and curious listeners filled the space, leaning forward, waiting to see what these young artists could do. When

If you’ve ever wondered why some guitarists seem to improve at warp speed while others struggle for months, the secret often comes down to one simple thing: individual finger coordination . Most players start their guitar journey by learning chords. While that’s great for playing songs quickly, chords rely on group finger memory . Your fingers move together as one unit — which is perfect for strumming but not ideal for mastering speed, accuracy, and dexterity. To truly devel

Hello! I’m Ruby! I’ve been playing piano for over 14 years, exploring a wide range of genres from classical to rock. I’ve studied professionally through Trinity College London, and I’m super excited to share my passion and skills with others! My biggest inspirations are my Nan, my amazing piano teacher Susanne (who’s been teaching me for 12 years!), and my dad — who’s a rockstar himself! I absolutely love working with people of all ages and can’t wait to help you reach your m

Mike's Place (c) Mike McGuiness 2002 Every now and then, a student comes along who reminds you exactly why you love teaching music — and for me, that’s Kapua Tai . I’ve known Kapua’s whānau for a while; I’ve had the absolute privilege of playing in bands with his dad, who happens to be an incredible guitarist himself. His mum is an award-winning waiata singer-songwriter , known for her powerful voice and heartfelt storytelling through music. So you could say the musical tale

Kia ora Geoff, Just a quick update; Hazel and I absolutely loved our first lesson with Theo today. He is an absolute star, super clear instructions, perfect pace and we really appreciated his encouragement. Hazel and I were both so surprised we are learning songs already! On the admin front, confirming that I have joined Hazel for the lessons. Also - I'm aware the first lesson is free, however can you make sure to add the cost of an extra 15mins x 2 people to our first invoi

At The Rock Academy we love seeing transformation — and few stories embody that more than the one of Ella (name changed for privacy). A couple of years ago, Ella joined our youth ensemble as a guitarist and back‑up vocalist. She was enthusiastic, eager, and ready to learn. Today, she commands the stage as lead singer of the band Latitude — her voice full, mature, and unmistakably confident. A Solid Foundation Back when she first walked through the door, Ella’s skills were pr

Hi, I’m Theo – a passionate multi-instrumentalist and music teacher at The Rock Academy. I’m currently completing a Bachelor of Commercial Music at Massey University, majoring in Music Practice. I specialise in guitar but can also play and teach piano, drums, and bass guitar with confidence. Music has been a lifelong passion of mine. I started out on the ukulele at the age of 4, picked up the guitar at 8, and soon expanded out to piano, drums, and bass. Over the years, I’ve p

Hi, I’m Flinn — born and raised in Wellington, I live and breathe music. My journey began in high school when I first picked up the guitar. That early spark soon grew into a deeper passion: not only playing, but recording, producing, and exploring what sound can do. Music isn’t just my profession — it’s the heart of everything I do. How I Got Started: The Rock Academy & Early Teaching One of the first steps in my pathway as an educator was working privately, where I delivere

In this video, you'll see me (Geoff Day) jamming along with one of my pupils, working through a simple but powerful chord pairing: G...

Thanks to all the kids, families, and helpers who made this week one to remember. We can’t wait to do it all again next holidays! This school holiday program was an absolute hit — full of music, energy, and sunshine! Our group of 16 talented young musicians spent their week busking daily , filling the streets with song, laughter, and the joyful sounds of creativity. From confident singers to rockstar guitarists, pounding keyboard players to percussion champions, every child f

We’re so proud to share an incredible moment from The Rock Academy — Molly , one of our talented young musicians, recently won a...

Looking for an epic, creative, and confidence-building school holiday programme for your child this July? Look no further — The Rock Academy’s Winter Holiday Programme is back and better than ever! 🙌 From Monday 7th July to Friday 11th July , we’re turning up the volume and giving young musos aged 6–16 the chance to grow their musical skills, perform, make new friends, and have an absolute blast! 🎶 What’s in the mix ? ✅ Daily Busking Trips – We head out every day to the

? t week’s Band School concert at the iconic Fringe Bar in Wellington was an absolute blast! Our talented young musicians took to the...

Are you a young musician or interested in the behind-the-scenes of live music production? Here’s an exciting opportunity to perform live...

Rewarding Effort, Character, and Performance At The Rock Academy, we believe that music education is about more than just hitting the...

My name is Kat and I’m a third-year music student at Massey University. I’m part of a club called Cheerios and Chinwags, which runs...