PARKVILLE, MO - Some terrific local teenage musicians are working hard to be ready to share the stage with legends of Heavy Metal next month. They’ve been invited along on a unique musical cruise — as spotlighted performers. The members of the All-Star House Band of the Kansas City School of Rock are Reaching 4 Excellence as the FOX 4 Young Achievers of the Week.

They play the music of their parents and their grandparents. Classic Rock, Heavy Metal, The Blues, Reggae, Grunge — pounding rhythms and melodies pouring from the strings, brass, keys, drums and throats of kids not yet out of high school — and some not even out of middle school.

 
“They’re awesome!” raves Mark Ballard, General Manager of the Kansas City School of Rock. “You would have thought they’d been playing for 15 years.”

They are the All-Star House Band of the Kansas City School of Rock which teaches rock musicianship and performance skills to kids from all over the metro area.

“Our kids are surprisingly varied in their background,” says Ballard, “but they have that commonality of they love the Rock and Roll music.”

“I feel like I’ve evolved so much into something so much better,” says bass player Michaela Davis. “It’s way cool.”

And for 13 year old Michaela, whose parents have been gone a lot serving in the U.S. Army, her dad in Iraq and her mom at a fort in southern Missouri, the All-Star House Band is like a second family.

“We’re so close,” says Michaela. “I celebrated my birthday with them. We all just kind of click. One person helps another. I’ll show you. We all just kind of figure it out together.”

This close-knit group of four girls and six boys represents the School of Rock in countless community performances, like one outside the stadium on a very chilly night before a recent football game in the Park Hill School District.

“They used to surprise me,” says Ballard. “Now they don’t surprise me anymore because I expect more of them. I keep raising the bar and they keep jumping over it. It’s fantastic.”

And now they are jumping a very high bar. They have been selected by the promoters to go sailing and to perform with some of the biggest legends of Heavy Metal music.

“We’re playing on a cruise to Jamaica and the Grand Cayman Islands,” says 13 year old guitarist Andrew Nassab, “with world renowned bands such as Skid Row, Tesla, Queensryche and RATT.”

It’s the ShipRocked Cruise — a unique music vacation that will put the band in front of 2,500 people devoted to Heavy Metal music.

“This is big deal,” says Michaela, somewhat in awe.

“They get to do something that’s a completely unique experience for them,” says Ballard. “And they’ve grasped that. And they’ve put in the work.”

The band members have grasped it — working tirelessly to raise money to go on the trip and to be prepared to play with and for these rock giants.

“That is one of the greatest feelings there is,” says Andrew, “to know that these bands think we are good enough to perform with them.”

The ShipRocked Cruise isn’t the only high-profile gig for the band this fall. In fact, just a few days after returning from playing in The Caribbean they’ll take to the stage to rock the huge crowd at the Plaza Lighting Ceremony on Thanksgiving night. But first the cruise and all the acclaim — and expectations — that come with it.

“They rock their brains out,” says Ballard. “And I’m predicting that the people who are skeptical to see that kids’ show are going to come and have a better experience there than they will with some of the other bands.”

“Let’s go crazy!” beams Michaela. “It’s all about to happen. We spent so much time building up to it and learning all the songs and working on it and now it’s really going to happen.”

And they can’t wait for the head-bangers to get a blast from them — up-and-coming rockers on a roll — and rising fast.

The ShipRocked Cruise departs from Fort Lauderdale on November 15th. The band is still deep into fund-raising mode to cover expenses and the cost of getting chaperons on the trip and shipping equipment. To help with that go to http://www.schoolofrockkc.com/ .

FOX 4 news is Working 4 You to spotlight outstanding young people and their positive accomplishments. In our weekly report called Reaching 4 Excellence we meet young achievers in subjects like academics, the arts, leadership, community service, volunteerism, career exploration, overcoming obstacles and heroism. Watch for Reaching 4 Excellence every Wednesday on FOX 4 News at 9 p.m. and every Thursday on FOX 4 News at 5 a.m. and 5 p.m.