Rockonsin founder Dennis Graham talking details for 2025 high school garage band competition

Max and civic media. We are local music. I like that little base outro. That's pretty cool. No limit.

They are out of Columbus Middle School in high school and also Menona Grove High School.

They were the runner up to the 2024 rock constant. And if you want to see them live, you could do that.

Sunday May 18th at the Harmony Barn Grill here in Madison Rocker.

That's pretty cool, Jimmy. You know, they also played at Woodfest last year over in the sugar maple stage.

Great up and coming band. It's perfect that they were the runner up from rock,

Hanson. Rock, Hanson is the only statewide garage band competition for 7th to 12th grade garage bands in the nation.

That is it's open to all musical genres and the finals are being held at Summerfest.

Back on the show to tell us all about the 2025 competition is founder and producer of rock, Hanson Dennis Graham.

Dennis, welcome back to Maxing Gradio.

Well, thanks so much, Jimmy. And thanks so much, rocker. It's a pleasure to be here at WDMAX 92 7 Civic Media and I'm Maxing Gradio.

And you're absolutely right. No limit, very talented young band.

Man, they're pretty awesome. And it's great to see you, Dennis. How you been? What's new?

Doing doing good, man. We're right into the band application period that's open right now until April 30th,

where we want any Wisconsin 7th to 12th grade garage band of any musical genre.

And by the way, we're getting more metal now after Sacramento at one in 2022.

Nice. The majority of the bands so far have been metal.

But we want these young bands. And again, only Wisconsin to trying to get in from other states.

Well, now hold on a second, Dennis. Yes.

What is rock, Hanson today? And how does it work? Tell us about the mechanics of it.

We'll get to the details of when you got to sign up and stuff like that later. But how does it work?

Well, basically what it is, they're going to apply and all that.

And it's free. Everything's free with rock, Hanson.

We will, we have three music industry judges with 30 years plus experience,

such as Kathy Dettmerz, who used to run the Heinrichs and they will score out their one song video

that each band sends in cover original. And you know, they're looking at everything from synergy

to vocal blend, a mastering of the instruments. And then on May 15th,

we announced the top 10 bands that will be going to Summerfest and performing on their

Rora Pavilion stage on June 26th, five bands and June 27th, five bands with 20-minute showcase sets each.

So 10 bands out of all the bands that submit their videos end up getting picked on specific

categories. And then they perform at Summerfest where they're judged again.

Yes, there's three other judges there using that same rubric, you know, kind of synergy,

wild back to vocal blend and so forth. And yes, first of all, they all receive just as being a part

of the top 10 bands, two sure mics. One vocal, one instrument mic. And what are they competing for?

Well, they hope to be the winner runner up. Last year's runner up, you just heard the very,

very talented no limit. The winner and runner up get a second Summerfest showcase gig of 45 minutes

on July 3rd on the Rora Pavilion stage. Now hold on, give us a little background on Wisconsin,

rock, Hanson. I mean, it started 21 years ago as launch bed, right? Yes, yeah. And then I

did that evolve. What's the evolution? Well, basically, you know, it's I started it up as my idea

I brought and it came to fruition. And it was essentially to really give these young musicians

and bands, Justin Wisconsin, an opportunity, a form, so to speak, to be able to show the love

of music and expression and willing to wanting to get out there and perform. And as a result of that,

it's grown tremendously. We pulls bands from every part of the state. How many how many

submissions are you getting these days? In the last couple of years, I would imagine it grows

every year, right? Well, you know what? During the 21 years, it's usually ranges between like 35 to 50

because there's when you look at it, it's just like a young basketball team. You have to have

these guys get together and gals, practice, have discipline. And there's a lot of effort into it.

And so it varies. It's always been in that particular range. You get a lot of support from the

school districts around the state with the music programs. If I mean, I say that in some

music programs and public schools, but sorry everybody. But yeah, if that was the case,

do you get support from them and they kind of throw musicians, young musicians your way?

I certainly get a support from the statewide music teachers, yes, because every band director

and every middle school and high school and private and public schools and gets two of those

rock-ons and posters, they do put them up in the music room. They know the kids that yeah,

they enjoy the instrument they're playing, but they know the rockers that are in their

music class as well. And then I send that poster out as well to all of the music stores in the city.

You know, and they give me a lot of support, but it takes a lot when you just heard like no limit,

that takes a lot of effort. And that's us at a young age. At a very young age. And that's what's

amazing. I've seen hundreds, thousands of my dear wife Jane there. I've taken her to thousands of

concerts. And some of these young bands guys are better than some of the one hit wonders I saw in the

60s. It's because it's because of the access really to, for example, when I was going to high school,

at whitewater high school, we didn't have a drum kit every high school in middle school has a

drum kit now. So I mean, you know, that's I had I would hang a cymbals here and have a snare drum

and that was it, man. Dennis Graham with us here from rock-ons and a maxing. Give us a checkster if

you want. If you want to ask Dennis a question, eight, four, four, nine, six, seven, two, seven,

eight, nine, or just call our texts from the Civic Media app. Dennis, let's talk about the 2025

rock-ons and competition now. It's a free entry, obviously. There's a couple of deadlines here.

Tell us what's up. You bet. Okay. We won any seventh to 12th grade garage band in the state of Wisconsin

of any musical genre. And like I said, we seem to be getting a lot more metal this year. Never used to

get that. Want him to go to rock-onson. RLCK on sion.org. Sign up. It's free. Send in one video,

cover, or original that the judges will score out. And the deadline is April 30th. And you can

follow us on our socials at rock-onson at tiktok, Instagram, Facebook. And I do want to give a

shout out to Madisonary Music Association. That's my partner with this program. Nice. As well as a

big shout-out for the reason that this even continues on to the Nicholas Family Foundation,

Lane Nicholas. Without their support, it wouldn't happen. But what they're hoping for is that on May 15th,

those three judges that are looking at with 30 years plus experience in the industry,

we'll choose the top 10 bands. We will announce on our socials. So again, at rock-onson,

Instagram, tiktok, and Facebook, the top 10 bands on May 15th. And then what's the next step?

Well, again, they will have five bands that will perform June 26th, five bands, June 27th,

on the Aurora Pavilion stage with 20-minute Showcase sets at the big gig, the world's largest

music festival. Now, what else can bands win? I mean, I know you get the kind of the big gig at

summer fast. Yeah. What other prizes are kind of up to win? Sure. The top two bands, which last

year was we had, again, no limit, that was our runner-up. Our winning band was new normal,

very talented band out in Acida, Queen of the Holy Rosary in Wisconsin-Dells High School.

What did they win? What are the bands this year hoping to win? Well, if they win it, they get that

second gig, July 3rd, 45-minute Showcase sets each on the Aurora Pavilion stage,

then each of those bands receives recording time at Michael's and his blast house studios in

Madison, 12 hours for the winner, eight hours for the runner-up. That's where these songs were

recorded, original songs. And then the winning band, and again, this is all free, receives a

sure wireless vocal mic system, as well as in each individual winning band member receives

the Rockhonson Award. How amazing is that? I mean, just to be able to play Summer Fest, but get that

recording time, which is big. Yes. That's a huge prize. Of course, time microphones are great.

Dennis, if there's someone out there, they want to sign up for Rockhonson. They want to go out,

see some shows. Where's all the information at? How they connect with you? Again, you want to go to

rockhonson.org, rlck0n sion.org. You want to sign up by April 30th. We will then score them out

three judges, and we'll announce the top 10 bands going to the Rockhonson State Finals at Summer

Fest on May 15th. Oh, go ahead, Rockhonson. I was just going to say, hey, you know, I heard one of

the bands, a slow pulp that was in there. They were, they've been in Europe opening for

Deskab for cutie. Yep, they were actually one of the bands. This was back 10 years ago, was the

modern mod from Madison East High School. And then there was another band in the competition

called Sleeping in the Stereo from Madison West High School. They got together, created slow

pulp. They're located, you know, they're headquartered right now down in Chicago. But yes, they are

making a big charge on the music scene. And they just did a European tour last fall behind Death

Cab for Cutie playing the Royal Albert Hall. Playing these major venues. I don't know how many holes

are there. Isn't this lead singer for slow pulp? The, is it at Michael Massie? Emily Massie.

Yeah. Michael Massie's daughter. Yeah. Yeah. She was a lead singer for modern

Madison East High School. So yeah, just an incredible amount of talent. And you've guys have heard

of some of these other cats that have come through before like Gabriel Dulles. Sure. Oh, yeah.

You know, he literally picked up his acoustic guitar, went down to Nashville. And now he's a

singer's song right down there. He's a superstar. Oh, yeah. Yeah, he's doing very well. And just,

you know, other bands in this area, Desk from, from, from, from, yeah, you bet Desk and Geology Club

over Milwaukee. And as I said, Sacramento, those guys rock at heart down in a water

fruit, our first ever metal band to win in 2022. And now the metal bands are going, hey,

I'm going to do that. And I want to, I want, I want the bands out there to know that any genre,

does it, you know, Americana, reggae, rap, rock, punk, we've even had hip hop in the past. But,

you know, you have to play live instruments. And you got a lot of people. That's the thing right

there. You know, what you're, you're exactly right, Jimmy, because the ones that will win it have an

act. Right. Exactly. You just can't stand there. You got to, you know, really get into it. Yeah.

And, you know, bring the fun. You got to bring the fun. Absolutely. So it's, you know, it's been,

you know, youth garage band is rocking Wisconsin. Baby, it's been a lot of fun. And just to give

that opportunity out there and encouragement, because, you know, I'm a big coach, but I'm also

love music. And I know, I know how often the music program, there's the first thing to be

come. Yeah. That's right. Dennis, you are also a promo machine. When it comes to rock,

Hanson, you're on all the radio stations across the state, all the TV stations. You do a great

job. Thank you for what you do. Rock, Hanson, get the information right now. This was last year's

winner, right? Yes. New normal. And they were from Deceda Queen of the Holy Rosary and Wisconsin

Dells High School in their song Control. Let's check it out right now. It's Max Inc. on

Civic Media. We are local music.

You look on the end of you. I need to say it, but you know it's true.