With Rock the Fox 2020 around the corner, Rock School students at Port Coquitlam’s Terry Fox secondary have honed their chords and harmonies this holiday break to ready for their “final exam.”
Their stage performances, which count toward their semester-end mark, will happen this month over two days at Terry Fox Theatre, with students showing their newly learned talents with original and cover hits.
A total of 24 acts will play for this edition that starts Jan. 15, with tunes made famous by: Adele, Carrie Underwood, Ruth B., Serena Ryder, Oasis, Rex Orange County, The Pretty Reckless, Pet Shop Boys, Elton John, First-Aid Kit, Kings of Leon, Dick Dale, Fall Out Boy, Foo Fighters, Jimi Hendrix and Alice in Chains.
Jan. 16, the students will play another diverse sound mix: Kings of Leon, Blur, Green Day, Cavetown, Ed Sheeran, Khalid, Shawn Mendes, Radiohead, The Beatles, Eurythmics, Rhianna, Avenged Sevenfold, Lewis Capaldi, Ramones, Dick Dale, Billy Joel, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Motley Crue.
Taught by Steve Sainas, Fox’s contemporary music teacher who founded Rock School, the full-credit program now sees about 200 Rock School and recording arts students each year, in grades 9 to 12, with the aim to teach music skills and genres as well as to create leadership through mentoring.
And ticket sales to their professionally produced semester-end shows are the program’s main source of funds to maintain and buy instruments and equipment, Sainas said.
Several years back, Rock School’s success caught the attention of CARAS/MusiCounts and received a $10,000 BandAid grant for new instruments.
Tickets to Rock the Fox 2020 are $5 and available at the door on show nights. Doors to the Terry Fox Theatre (1260 Riverwood Gate, Port Coquitlam) open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. events.
