Each month, we choose one Rock Dojo student who rocked the hardest! Think of it as a digital fist bump to the students who practiced their guitars the hardest, helped others the most, and set a positive example for the rest of the students during our after-school guitar lessons for kids. As you can see from the criteria listed below, receiving the student of the month honors is no easy task!

Student of the Month Criteria

Academic Criteria:

• The student comes to his/her after-school classes, private guitar lessons, or group guitar classes prepared and ready to learn.
• The student exhibits a strong command of the musical concepts being taught in class as demonstrated by earning at least two-stripes on his/her Rock Dojo colored guitar strap.
• The student is working to his/her full potential.

Leadership & Teamwork Criteria:

• The student is a positive role model.
• The student helps his/her classmates during the Rock Dojo after-school group guitar classes or at home.
• The student has a positive attitude, follows directions, and demonstrates a strong character.

Meet the Student of the Month | December 2019

• How to read guitar tab.
• The name of the open strings.
• One finger exercise for left-hand dexterity, strength, and speed.
• How to play The Jaws & James Bond Theme Songs, Another One Bites the Dust, and Seven Nation Army.

Eliott, who is in fifth grade,  is currently learning how to play the minor pentatonic scale in the open position and “I Love Rock’n’ Roll” by Joan Jett & the Heartbreakers. When asked what he likes most about the Rock Dojo after-school guitar classes, Eliott says, “I get to learn the guitar, and it’s really fun!” 

Above and beyond his guitar skills, Eliott shines bright as a team leader. For example, Eliott shows up every Tuesday five to ten minutes before class to help set up the room, write the classmates’ names on the whiteboard, and clean up after class. He does all this despite never having been asked once to help out by the teachers!  That level of proactivity will serve Eliott well as a musician for years to come.

For those kids who want to learn to play the guitar, Eliott has some advice, “Get a good guitar, get a good pick and practice.”

Eliott currently holds a yellow belt, but he’s well on his way to earning his black belt in rock!