From practices to live shows, The School of Rock House Band is transforming aspiring musicians into rock n’ roll stars faster than you can say “is this thing on?”
Located in Cresskill NJ, the program serves to nurture young talent and potential as well as develop young musicians into confident performers. Richard “Ritchie” Cavaliere-Mazziotta (’25) a student at THS with a passion for music, and member of House Band, takes us through his experience and highlights playing shows.
Mazziotta began playing the guitar in middle school, and joined The School of Rock two years ago. Ever since then, he has played countless gigs and has grown in his musical abilities.
“It’s a great place, and I got a lot of really great experience performing live and playing shows,” Mazziotta said. Performing live on stage can be nerve-racking but the supportive environment has helped build his confidence and teach him strategies for avoiding becoming paralyzed by stage fright
“For me, it was very difficult at first because I am very shy so it was hard to start playing in front of people. I still do get nervous, but I think it has helped me become more confident on stage.”
Not only has House Band been a great success in building Mazziotta’s confidence to perform live shows, it also impacted his social life. Meeting people who communicated through power chords and beats gave him the chance to form meaningful connections with those who shared his love for music and performing.
“My favorite thing about performing is having the experience of being able to play music with these kids that I know and that I am close with. It’s cool to connect with other kids who are really into music like I am,” he said.
Mazziotta encourages others to get involved, as being able to perform live and go on tours has been an amazing experience for him and many others.
“We did a tour over the summer where we went to Nashville to perform at the Tin Roof Bar. We had a tour bus and everything. It was really awesome. This was one of the shows that really stood out to me because we got to tour with other House Bands from other towns and got to connect and play along with them.”
Now a senior, he has taken up a leadership position by helping determine sets, picking songs, and guiding newcomers.
“I help the younger and newer kids get acclimated, which is really nice to see because I remember once being very nervous, and the seniors at the time helped me out a lot, so it is nice to pass that on.”
The House Band has played two recent shows so far and isn’t stopping any time soon.
“We had a community day at Tenafly and another in Cresskill. Those were pretty fun. We get a lot of gigs at fairs,” Mazziotta said.
Next step for House Band: World tour. Just kidding, but there are upcoming shows at the Fort Lee tree lighting on December 5 and Vancoun park on December 6, both at 6:30 p.m. These will be shows that you do not want to miss.
