The sound of the applause was so overwhelming, it required a second round of audience voting to distinguish which band would be the hailed victor for the first Battle of the Bands concert held in Bethel Park.

“I know there were other people cheering, but we were so loud, I literally couldn’t hear anything,” said Mackenzie Butler, 18, who played bass guitar and trumpet for the School Rock House Band. “The environment was so much fun. We were all there to jam together. We were all in our element just having fun.”

On Sept. 2, Bethel Park hosted its final event in its summer Park and Play series. Four bands selected to participate: AggressicA, Hooks in the Reed, Winchester Ghosts and the House Band from the School of Rock. Each played a 40-minute set, exhibiting a variety of styles, so the approximately 250 audience members had their work cut out for them when it came to choosing a winner.

“I felt like it was pretty close,” said Lindsey Sibert, Bethel Park recreation special events coordinator. “We had a lot of talented musicians. We actually had to ask for a second round of applause to make sure we were picking the absolute winner.”

And after two rounds of enthusiastic cheers, it was clear who the winner of the night was: the School of Rock’s House Band.

“It didn’t really matter who won. It was just cool to play on stage and play with the people you know and love,” said 16-year-old guitarist Gavin Sciullo. “It was a win either way.”

The School of Rock, with locations in Castle Shannon and Pine Township, provides music lessons for children from all experience levels. Kids can try out for the House Band, which allows them to gain onstage experience, the inner workings of a band from fellow musicians, and even a chance to go on tour.

Dan Moore, general manager and musical director for the South Hills school, uses rock music to teach life lessons such as building confidence, working hard to hone a craft and working with a team.

“There’s a lot more that happens than just teaching music,” Moore said. “You know, it’s very parallel to a sports team. There are six or seven kids working on a song; that is their team. We try to stress that camaraderie, listening to each other and helping other one another.”

For the Sept. 2 performance, the Wexford and South Hills students combined their house bands.

“I thought ‘Highway Star’ went really well,” Moore said about the cover of Deep Purple’s 1972 classic, also complimenting the students’ rendition of a 1970 Chicago hit: “‘25 or 6 to 4’ also always kills, and we’re lucky enough that we have a couple of horn players so we could pull that off.”

Addison Gigione, 16-year-old drummer from the South Hills School of Rock, also thought ‘Highway Star’ was a fan favorite.

“The drum part in that is super fun. The guitar players get a solo, it’s a cool vibe.”

Winning the Battle of the Bands was a bittersweet experience.

“It was our last big hoorah together. We were excited for that but it was a little sad because it was our last show together,” said singer and drummer Michaela Butler, 18, as some of the students have headed to college. “I’m glad we able to put on a good show and win it in the end.”

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