AFTER SCHOOL CLASSES

Think of it like a stage: a platform to explore your interest in fashion, art, music, and dance; an opportunity to learn to record, break, shred, and design; a podium to stand on and express what you really think, feel, and believe; a chance to be heard…

Click each class to find out more info: Intro to Breaking, Fashion Design 101, Mixed Media Art, Rocketown Runway, Rhyme Lab, Jam Session, Drums, Basketball and much more.

--$10 COVERS THE ENTIRE MONTH!--

Intro to Breaking
Intro to breaking provides a strong foundation to the fundamentals of hip-hop's original dance style known as breaking (Bboying). Rocketown’s goal is to not only teach the dance’s style and technique but also the history behind the dance. We wish to instill pride, leadership, teamwork, and a feeling of accomplishment through out the course of the class.

Staff: Zach Stronk

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Fashion Design 101 (beginner)

This class is for new fashionistas. Try your hand at design by learning basic altering and fabric surface manipulations. Students will create their own altered couture outfit; taking part in the entire process from sketching the design to walking the runway with their own finished product. The clothing will be altered with basic sewing techniques such as hemming, darting, and surface designs such as painting, silk screening, and embellishing.

Staff: Ashley Caggiano - Ashley holds a bachelor’s of fine arts specializing in fabric surface design and fashion. She also has two years of specialty graphic design classes and has owned her own clothing line. In addition to general staff requirements listed above, Ashley has also taught fashion and art at Clarion University of Pennsylvania and works at Rocketown teaching classes in graphic design, mixed media art, studio art, and fashion design.

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Mixed Media (Story quilt project)

The ancient art of story telling is brought to life by creating mixed media compositions based on the work of contemporary African American artist Faith Ringgold. Students will work with staff to develop a story based on their own personal life, goals, and ambitions and then will reproduce that story onto a wooden panel. A variety of materials will be used with this project such as paint, papers and fabrics to create a rich composition. Each student’s panel will then be hung in a tiled motif to mimic the quilts of Faith Ringgold. Not only will the students learn basic deign fundamentals but they will also leave the class with a keen understanding of who they want to become and a clear picture of how they can get there.

Staff: Ashley Caggiano - Ashley holds a bachelor’s of fine arts specializing in fabric surface design and fashion. She also has two years of specialty graphic design classes and has owned her own clothing line. In addition to general staff requirements listed above, Ashley has also taught fashion and art at Clarion University of Pennsylvania and works at Rocketown teaching classes in graphic design, mixed media art, studio art, and fashion design.

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Rocketown Runway (Advanced Fashion Design)

This class is for the designer wanting to make a look all of their own. Dream it, sketch it, make it… and strut your stuff down the runway at Rocketown’s end of semester fashion show! Students will work one-on-one with skilled staff to create and execute a design all of their out. They will have access to superb equipment and exquisite materials. Students will leave the class knowing everything they ever wanted to know about fashion design and construction such as pattern construction, sewing techniques, and runway show preparation.

Staff: Ashley Caggiano - Ashley Caggiano holds a bachelor’s of fine arts specializing in fabric surface design and fashion. She also has two years of specialty graphic design classes and has owned her own clothing line. In addition to general staff requirements listed above, Ashley has also taught fashion and art at Clarion University of Pennsylvania and works at Rocketown teaching classes in graphic design, mixed media art, studio art and fashion design.

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Rhyme Lab

The Rocketown Rhyme Lab is an interactive creative outlet that allows youth to tell their story, voice their frustrations and find hope and strength in their artistic means and distinct voice. Individuals learn to rap, sing, write, create beats, and produce professional sounding tracks while also being given the opportunity to perform at showcases and future Rocketown events. The course is designed to help build teens’ confidence, provide positive, credible mentors, and create a constructive vision of hope to many of the students’ dire circumstances.

Staff: William “Crisis” Holt - William Holt, record producer and rapper, will spend his third summer as director of the Rhyme Lab. William, who goes by the moniker CRISIS, works regularly with local and national hip-hop, rap, and jazz artists. While working in the Rhyme Lab he attempts to use the teens’ life experiences as material. In the past, songs have covered the themes of death, fear, gang violence, overcoming adversary and the difficulty of seeing God’s presence in the hood.

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RCKTWN Jam Session

Love to play? Want to play? Have you heard someone play?

RCKTWN Jam Session is a creative space to perform and to learn; to try out a new instrument and perfect the one you have been playing for years; to make noise and beautiful music. Come. Some play the guitar, drums and bass, others play piano, sing, and rap. It doesn’t matter your skill level or if you have even played before. We just learn from each other and hopefully make some decent music along the way.

Staff: JB Wheeler. JB is a senior Social Work major at Lipscomb University. He first came to Rocketown as an officer with Alpha Phi Chi, a service fraternity at Lipscomb University. He led an initiative for the group to volunteer on Thursday nights with Re-Act. Since then he has taught guitar lessons at Summer Sessions, currently works in the coffee bar, and is a tutor with Re-Act. JB is also an intern with MDHA.

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Drums

Do you know how to clap? Then you just might have rhythm!

Come take drum lessons and find out.

The drums are the world's oldest instruments! Find out why your grandpa loved them so much as we teach you to play a fatback, flam tap and a Bo-Diddley beat.

Staff: Thomas Rose, Music and Creative Arts Pastor at Mosaic Nashville, leader of worship for student ministries across the U.S., and part-time coordinator for Enrichment Programs at Rocketown since January 2005, will work his fourth Summer Sessions.

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Basketball

We ball in the main venue. On days there are shows we find other games to play. This is just straight up street basketball.

Staff: Jeremy Jennings and Ryan Brunsink

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