Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How does a typical Join the Band session work?
    We group students (Band Members) together by age and playing level. Our basic and most popular class meets for 8 weeks. Bands rehearse three songs one hour a week for seven weeks in our studio under the direction of a professional musician. The eighth week is your concert at a local nightclub for all of your fans!
  2. Where is the Join the Band studio?
    Click here for a map and directions to the studio.
  3. What is the age range of JTB Band Members?
    We have bands for everyone from kids as young as 8 years old through adults of any age, including teenagers, working professionals, Moms, Dads, senior citizens, etc. Our motto is “Where Everyone Plays.” We have even booked bands made up of all family members!
  4. How do I sign up?
    Click here to fill out our online registration form. You may also register by phone at (818) 345-8950.
  5. How many Band Members are in a band?
    Most bands have three to five Band Members. For a three-song band we need a minimum of three Band Members, and for a Five song band, we need a minimum of four Band Members. Our largest bands have had up to eight Band Members.
  6. Do I have to audition to Join the Band?
    We like to evaluate each new Band Member in person so we can place them in an appropriate playing situation.
  7. Do you offer private lessons?
    Yes, we have teachers in our studio that are available for private instruction. Guitar, Bass, Drums, Vocals, Piano/Keyboards, etc. We also encourage all students to have a private lesson each week to help supplement their Join the Band® experience.
  8. If I have friends that want to Join the Band® can we all be in the same band?
    Yes, of course we can work that out.
  9. What if I have to miss a class?
    We do not recommend signing up for a Join the Band session if you are going to miss more than two rehearsals. Rehearsals cannot be made up. You must make your rehearsal time a commitment to you and your Band Members. Class tuition is not pro-rated if you miss.
  10. Do I need to bring any equipment?
     No...just your instrument. All the equipment in our studios is professional quality. We supply the drum set, guitar and bass amplifiers, keyboards, and sound system. All you have to do is walk in and play.
  11. How are songs picked out?
    We have a very diverse song list of over 900 songs - click here to see our song list. Band Members must submit their song requests two weeks before a session begins. If there is a request that is not on our song list, we need three weeks notice to prepare the music. The music needs to be prepared in chart form so the teachers can run the rehearsals efficiently.
  12. Do I need to know how to read music?
    No, but it does help. All Band Members are given a chart to follow for the rehearsals. Some students read them, some don’t. The readers always learn everything faster. In this day and age of internet tablature a lot of guitar and bass players get “tabs off the internet." Our experience has been that most of the tablature sites are very poor transcriptions of the songs.
  13. How loud to the bands play?
    We recommend that everyone wear earplugs. Decibel (sound pressure) levels do vary from band to band. The safest bet is to just learn how play with earplugs.
  14. Can I bring my own equipment to the concert?
    No. All the equipment you rehearse with will be at the concert. Guitar and Bass players must use the amps that are provided. We also prefer that drummers use the provided cymbals. Our shows feature a lot of bands and there is not enough time to set up and strike equipment between them.
  15. Can parents or friends sit in and watch the band rehearsals?
    We prefer that only Band Members be in the room. It is distracting to the bands to have parents or friends in the rehearsal studio. Plus it is easier for the teacher(s) to keep everyone focused without the distraction of non Band Members in the studio. If you would like to sit in on a class please ask the teacher first.