PUNK ROCK MUSIC SCHOOL IN AUSTIN, TX
Femme Rock is a music school in Austin, Texas, where women and non-binary adults age 21+ can learn how to play instruments in a band on stage. Additionally, we offer drum lessons, guitar lessons, bass lessons, songwriting workshops, DJ lessons, and more!
Band classes meet for an hour and a half once a week, for eight weeks. We’ll go over the structure of the songs, provide you with resources to learn each part, then teach you how to put it all together with your fellow bandmates. The learning environment is highly inclusive, supportive, and empowering; think of us as a support group for female musicians. At the end of eight weeks, you'll know how to play 3-4 songs with your cover band and perform them live on stage.
Band classes are best for intermediate and advanced students who have taken lessons previously. Total beginners are welcome, but it's advised that they take beginner instrument classes and/or private lessons outside of band class.
Whether you're taking drum lessons, guitar lessons, bass lessons, vocal lessons, band classes, DJ lessons, or songwriting classes... you're in great hands. :)
Reece Herrera
Founder of Femme Rock, Drum and Band Class Instructor
As the founder of Femme Rock, Reece has always been driven by the mission that women and non-binary adults deserve their chance in the spotlight, to be loud, be aggressive, show up with conviction, and re-write the rules of the music industry together. As a self-taught musician who has been playing drums for 30+ years, Reece's teaching style is inventive, unconventional, and highly empathetic, focused on intuitive feeling and ear training. Reece aims to fully understand the learning styles and development of each student and adapt lesson plans to the unique individual.
Cass Brostad
Band Class Instructor
Cass is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has been working in Austin for almost a decade. She currently plays accordion, sings, and writes for the 8-piece garage folk ensemble, Madisons, as well as writes and performs in her own group, Cass Brostad and the Terrible Lovers. Listen to them on Bandcamp here.
Andrea Carroll
Bass and Band Class Instructor
Andrea (she/they) is a multi-instrumentalist with decades of live performance, recording, and touring experience and a degree in Music Performance. Andrea has been a music instructor for 15+ years. Cheering students on as they experience those “light bulb” moments of learning and developing new skills is one of her favorite feelings! When not doing all things music, you’ll find Andrea involved with local activism and non-profit organizations.
Kelsea Pinkston
DJ Class Instructor, Founder of BABE
Kelsea (DJ Hip Stir) is the founder of BABE and a standout DJ currently based in Austin, TX. Her playful dance between house, electro, and global rhythms always draws people to the dance floor. BABE is an organization for women, non-binary, genderfluid, and genderqueer folks to participate in and shape Austin's electronic music scene. BABE values intersectional equity, community, learning new skills, and FUN. They offer DJ lessons (both digital & vinyl), events, and meetups for the musical women and non-binary folks of the Austin BABE (Bad Ass Bitches Elevating) community.
Erin Malone
Voice, Keys, Guitar, and Music Theory Instructor
Erin Malone is a multi-instrumentalist & vocalist who was previously teaching online from Dallas but now lives in Austin! She has over 25 years of playing & performing experience as well as 15 years of teaching experience. She received her bachelor’s in music education in 2014 and has been teaching music privately full-time for the last 5 years. She played guitar in Greybloom (post-hardcore) and also has a solo project (post-rock/midwest emo/math rock) under her name. Erin is most passionate about playing guitar in alternative genres and making these playing styles accessible to everyone.
Brooke Hampton
Extreme Vocals Instructor
Brooke Hampton started screaming in her parents' house at 14, trying to emulate the raw power of her favorite female-fronted hardcore bands. Inspired by their boldness in a male-dominated scene, she made it her mission to create space for other femme voices in heavy music. What began as a cover project at Emo Night at Barbarella quickly evolved into Slow Pulse — her original band born out of grief, grit, and the need for authentic expression following the loss of her mom to cancer. Through songwriting, Brooke found healing and connection, and Slow Pulse has since toured the U.S. and played festivals nationwide. Her greatest joy? Seeing other women show up, scream loud, and take up space in the scene she loves so fiercely.
Femme Rock is a music school in Austin, Texas, where women and non-binary adults age 21+ can learn how to play instruments in a band on stage. Additionally, we offer drum lessons, guitar lessons, bass lessons, songwriting workshops, private lessons, and more!
Band classes meet for an hour and a half once a week, for eight weeks. We’ll go over the structure of the songs, provide you with resources to learn each part, then teach you how to put it all together with your fellow bandmates. At the end of eight weeks, you'll know how to play 3-4 songs with your cover band and perform them live on stage.
Band classes are best for intermediate and advanced students who have taken lessons previously. Total beginners are welcome, but it's advised that they take beginner instrument classes and/or private lessons outside of band class.
Our goal is to help women explore their creativity and natural talents, gain confidence, and become a family... while also learning how to play an instrument. We aim to be highly inclusive, supportive, and empowering; we're sort of like a support group for female and non-binary musicians.
We meet at the Femme Rock Community Space - 2006 W Koenig Ln, Austin, TX 78756
To begin playing with a band class, the experience level is intermediate. Beginners are totally welcome to join a band, but it's advised that they take beginner instrument classes and/or private lessons outside of band class. If you think you need additional 1:1 support, let Reece know and she’ll recommend a private instructor or a Femme Rock buddy you can team up with.
Everyone needs to start somewhere! If you're not feeling 100% confident yet, you can start by taking private lessons or a beginner group drums, guitar, or bass class. If you're interested in taking private 1:1 lessons, let Reece know and she’ll hook you up with a badass instructor!
No sweat! We will provide you with amps, cables, microphones, and a drum set for band rehearsals. You'll just need to bring your guitar/bass, any cables, pedals, or tuners you'd prefer to use, and your drumsticks to class with you.
If you need a guitar/bass or a drum set to practice at your house, you can rent equipment from Rock N Roll Rentals for about the same monthly fee as a TV subscription service. Or you could borrow equipment from someone in the community. If you want to sign up for a Femme Rock class but need equipment, let Reece know or post in the community's Slack workspace and we’ll get you hooked up with whatever you need.
Before your first class, try to read over the chords/tabs, watch the instructional videos we share in the community Slack workspace, and listen to the first song a few times. Take a stab at learning as much as you can before class, but keep in mind there are no expectations to know how to play the song in its entirety on day 1. When you arrive on your first day of class, we'll listen to the first song a few times, play our instruments alongside the song, go over the structure (intro, verse, chorus, counting measures, etc.), and then "rip the band-aid" to see if we can play the song together without any crutches -- this helps us see the parts we need to go home and work on.
Pro Tip: We don’t expect you to know how to play the entire song on day 1. However, the sooner you learn the songs all the way through and get “off book,” the more time you’ll have to fine-tune with your band before the showcase.
All classes are typically Monday-Friday evenings, sometime between 6-10 PM.
Band classes are an hour and a half long, and there are 8 classes in a session at the same day/time each week.
Group instrument classes (drums, guitar, bass, etc.) are an hour long, and there are 6 classes in a session at the same day/time each week.
Your specific day and time will depend on which class you sign up for.
Singers: Bring lyrics if you need them! We have microphones and a PA at the space.
Guitar/Bass Players: Bring your instrument, cable(s), tuner, and a pick. You can also bring your pedal(s) if you choose to play with one. We have amps at the space.
Drummers: Bring your sticks! We have a drum set at the space.
Keyboard Players: We have a keyboard at the space.
Signup is on a first-come, first-served basis. You’ll need to sign up through the website and send payment to confirm that your spot is secured.
To sign up for a class, first check the “classes & lessons” tab of the website to see if the group class or band and instrument you want is open. If your spot is open, fill out the form with your name, contact info, and which instrument you’re signing up for (if applicable). Payment for the class is due at the time of signup, and once you've paid for your spot, we'll block out the spot on the website so nobody else can take it.
Group instrument classes (drums, guitar, bass, etc.) are $345 per person.
Includes:
6 weeks of 1 hour classes (taught by an instructor)
All backline equipment provided at rehearsals and the showcase
Band classes are $395 per person.
Includes:
8 weeks of 1.5 hour classes (taught by an instructor)
A live showcase at a venue
All backline equipment provided at rehearsals and the showcase
BYOB bands are $305 per person.
Includes:
8 weeks of 1.5 hour rehearsals (no instructor)
Optional live showcase at a venue
All backline equipment provided at rehearsals and the showcase
Payment is due in full on the day you sign up. Payment is accepted via credit card, debit card, PayPal, or Affirm. If would like to pay in installments using a payment plan, use the Affirm or PayPal option at checkout, which will break your payment into 4 installments.
Payment options through Affirm are subject to an eligibility check and are provided by these lending partners: affirm.com/lenders.
Payment is due in full on the day you sign up. Payment is accepted via credit card, debit card, PayPal, or Affirm.
If would like to pay in installments using a payment plan, use the Affirm or PayPal option at checkout, which will break your payment into 4 installments (interest-free)!
Payment options through Affirm are subject to an eligibility check and are provided by these lending partners: affirm.com/lenders.
Upon signing up, you’ll be invited to the Femme Rock community Slack workspace and the specific channels for any band or group classes you sign up for. This is where you can get to know your bandmates before the session starts and where instructors will communicate about songs and class updates.
At the beginning of the session we’ll add you to community Slack workspace, where you can communicate with your bandmates. In your band's Slack channel, you can post suggestions for songs you like and explore options with your bandmates. When it comes time to decide on the 3-4 songs, your instructor will post a poll in the channel and everyone will vote on their favorites. After the top 3-4 songs have been selected, your instructor will post tabs and instructional videos for how to play each part.
You can look up instructional videos on YouTube. For guitar or bass, look up some scale exercises you can practice to improve your finger coordination. For drums, try some of the pad practices on Drumeo.
The type of guitar depends on the genre or song that we are playing. Please reach out to your instructor directly to specify.
Pedals are certainly not required, and the spectrum for pedals and tones can be very wide. Pedals tend to be genre-specific. For example, genres like rock, grunge, classic rock, metal, or punk will use various distortion, wah wah, or fuzz pedals. Genres like surf, folk, psychedelic, ska, experimental, or country might use harmonix, reverb, or flanger pedals.
If you've reached an intermediate to advanced level of playing and you're interested in learning more about pedals and tones, we'd recommend trying out Rock N Roll Rentals’ Pedal of the Month Club. That way you can try out different pedals during rehearsals to get the exact tone you're looking for when the showcase rolls around.
To get the most out of your tabs, videos etc. we’d recommend printing out the song breakdown sheet (this will be posted in your band’s Slack channel) and then compare/contrast the breakdown to the tabs and chords.
Another tip: While watching the instructional videos, immediately try to play section by section. If it’s helpful, you can also slow down the YouTube videos so you can understand each part (here's a video on how to do that). Then, when you feel really confident, try playing through the whole song!
Here are a few things you could try:
1. Practice with instructional videos online, on your own time.
2. Take a group instrument class (drums, guitar, bass, etc).
3. Take 1:1 lessons with a private instructor.
4. Practice songs you're learning at least 2-3 times a week.
5. Sign up for a Femme Rock class that seems "above your experience level." We're confident you'll rise to the occasion and kick ass!
6. Get together with your fellow bandmates and go over the songs together.
Absolutely! Midway through sessions we will start discussing possible dates and times for your band to get together for extra rehearsals before the showcase.
If you miss a class, no problem at all. The band will usually still meet at the scheduled time, or we will reschedule if the circumstances call for it. There will also be options for scheduling extra rehearsals as well if your band wants some extra practice before showcase.
Femme Rock is a safe and supportive space for women and non-binary adults to grow and learn, and we take bullying VERY seriously. If someone is being rude, inappropriate, or making you feel uncomfortable, please talk to your instructor directly after class or send our founder, Reece, a direct message through email, text, or Slack. Your instructor and/or Reece will address the problem directly while keeping you anonymous.
IMPORTANT NEXT STEP: Once you’ve contacted your instructor and/or Reece, give yourself a pat on the back for being an amazing, beautiful feminist who won’t tolerate any “Mean Girls” bullshit. We [women] have been through enough bullying and inequality throughout history, so let's try to keep it supportive, shall we?
The showcase date varies by session, but they’re usually on the Sunday (or following Sunday) after the last band class in the session. You can see the showcase date for your upcoming session on the band class signup page.
Showcase locations and times can vary, but they’re typically between 3PM and 9PM on a Sunday. Past showcases have been at Kick Butt Coffee, Stubb’s, Speakeasy, Dirty Dog, and Hole In The Wall.
We’ll post the band lineup on the Femme Rock community Slack workspace about a week before the showcase so you can see exactly what time your band goes on.
The day of the showcase, please show up an hour before your band goes on (the lineup will be posted in the Femme Rock community Slack workspace about a week leading up to the showcase). Bring your guitar/bass, cable(s), tuner, any specific pedals you want to use, and drumsticks -- everything else is covered!
And make sure you look in the mirror and tell yourself, “You GOT this!” Get stoked and have some fun! You’ve worked hard and deserve to let loose and enjoy yourself.
We encourage everyone to play the season! But if you have an unexpected life event or conflict, please let your instructor or Reece know immediately. You will be responsible for finding someone to "sub-in" and cover your spot for you.
If you cancel your Femme Rock enrollment (includes group instrument classes, band classes, Bring Your Own Band, and long-term bookings of private lessons) at least two weeks before the start of your first class, we will issue you a class credit to use on a different Femme Rock class or workshop of the same value. If you cancel on or after that date, there is no refund.
Band Classes & BYOB:
- If you cannot show up to class, you will have to give your bandmates a 7 day notice.
- If you are sick, please let us know 3 hours before class.
- Bands are allowed 1 free reschedule, any others past that will be charged $50 an hour (split between your bandmates).
- If you do not show up for your first 3 classes, you will be replaced with a “fill in” with no refund or class credit.
**These policies aren’t meant to scare anybody but instead, to help establish respect and accountability within your band.
Private Lessons:
All lessons within a private lesson 6- or 12-pack must be completed within the originally set timeframe and end date (lessons are scheduled for either every week or every other week). We understand that unexpected life events occur, and allow up to 2 reschedules during the private lesson pack timeframe.
If you cancel your Femme Rock enrollment (includes group instrument classes, band classes, Bring Your Own Band, and long-term bookings of private lessons) at least two weeks before the start of your first class, we will issue you a class credit to use on a different Femme Rock class or workshop of the same value. If you cancel on or after that date, there is no refund. We encourage students to find someone to "sub-in" and cover your spot for you.
Additionally, Femme Rock has the right to cancel group or band classes if not enough students sign up. Band classes require a minimum of 4 participants, and group instrument classes require a minimum of 3 participants. If your class is canceled before the session, we will issue you a class credit to use on a different Femme Rock class or workshop of the same value.
Yes! Refer a friend to Femme Rock and get $50 off your next class or lesson! Simply have them mention your name during sign up. We'll send you a unique coupon code for $50 to use when you book with us again. Spread the word and enjoy the benefits!