Building bands, creative expression, and infectious confidence for ages 5 – 14.
A real band experience, every Saturday morning, for kids who want to make some serious noise together.
I'm a dad with an 8-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter. I spent months looking for a group music programme in South Croydon and Surrey that captured the energy, the fun, and the professional standard I knew my children deserved. I never found it.
Every option I encountered was the same thing: rushed sessions in cluttered classrooms, budget gear, and children pulled out of their Maths and English lessons to do it.
So I built something better. In the best room I could find.
This is Kerim's Church of Rock — a real band experience, every Saturday morning, for kids who want to make some serious noise together.
I've spent most of my life on stage, in the studio, or working at Music Bank London — one of the world's premier professional rehearsal facilities — keeping high-end rehearsals running for some of the biggest artists and touring bands on the planet. That work demanded total command of every instrument in the room: drums, bass, guitars, keyboards.
As a rock vocalist who has played in bands for most of my life, I bring the full picture of what it means to perform — microphone technique, physical presence, how to carry yourself when the room is watching. The quiet ones find a voice. The restless ones find a purpose. The ones who've always had something to say finally have somewhere to say it.
I'm also a songwriter with years of experience, and one of the things I'm most excited about is helping kids understand how a song is actually built — so that eventually they can start expressing themselves through music of their own.
I hold a current Enhanced DBS certificate and full public liability insurance through my Musicians' Union membership.
If you have been looking at group music programmes in the area, you have likely seen the same thing everywhere.
| Other Music Schools | Kerim's Church of Rock | |
|---|---|---|
| Session length | 20–30 minutes | 60 minutes |
| When it runs | During the school day | Saturday morning only |
| Gear | Budget-grade | Pro-standard backline, valve amplifiers |
| Who leads it | High staff turnover, employees | Kerim — an experienced local musician who built this for his own kids |
| Atmosphere | Cluttered classroom | Historic church |
Your child will never miss a Maths or English lesson for this. Sessions run Saturday mornings only, by design.
Saturday morning at the church is a deliberate break from screens, feeds, and passive consumption. No phones. No scrolling. Just a group of kids making a loud, joyful, collective noise together — and getting better at it every week.
A high-energy entry point built for younger kids. From the first session, the gear is the hero — children learn what an amp does, how a cable carries a signal, why the drum kit is the engine of the band. They are treated as musicians from day one.
Sessions run on a guided format with simpler arrangements and a celebratory energy throughout. Bands run at 6 members.
The full programme. Technically rigorous, performance-focused, and built around the atmosphere of a real rehearsal space. Kids who graduate from Little Rock Legends arrive here with vocabulary, confidence, and an understanding of the backline that most adults lack.
The graduation itself — the moment a Little Legend becomes a full Church of Rock band member — marks a genuine step up, one that kids and parents both feel.
Church of Rock is in its founding phase — the first bands are now forming at the church. There are a limited number of places available across both programmes. If you want your child to be part of something from the very beginning, this is that moment.
Every band runs 8 members. When a child registers they choose their Main Role — their first-choice instrument. That is their seat in the band.
Within sessions, songs sometimes call for flexibility — a track that needs an extra rhythm guitar, or doesn't need two keyboard parts. When that happens, band members flex into a secondary role for that track. At the end of every 12-week term, any band member can request a Role Swap for the following term if they want to permanently move instrument.
There is no audition, no prerequisite, no right answer. All are welcome.
Being the singer is about the most honest form of music there is. It's just you, the microphone, and the message you want to share.
The Feeling: That "I can do anything" feeling that comes from letting your voice be heard by a crowd.
Why You'll Love It: If you've ever felt like your voice was too small, the microphone changes all that. It's a place to find your confidence.
The lead guitar is for anyone with a big imagination. It's all about going on an adventure with sound to see where a melody can take you.
The Vibe: That awesome feeling when you hit a high note that everyone can hear.
Why You'll Love It: If your brain is always full of big ideas or you love to daydream, the lead guitar lets you turn those thoughts into music.
The rhythm guitar is the muscle of the band. It's the steady, strong force that keeps every song moving forward like an unstoppable train.
The Vibe: The cool feeling of a heavy chord vibrating right through your arms.
Why You'll Love It: This is for anyone who likes the idea of being the "power" behind the sound. It takes all your energy and turns it into a solid beat.
The bass is the deepest sound in the band. It's the part of the music you don't just hear — you feel it in your chest and under your feet.
The Feeling: A low, rumbling power that makes the whole room move.
Why You'll Love It: If you like the idea of being the steady "anchor" that holds everything together, the bass is your home.
The drums are the heartbeat of the music. It's a role for your whole body, where you use your energy to tell the rest of the band exactly how fast to go.
The Feeling: The huge rush of energy you get from hitting a perfect beat in time.
Why You'll Love It: If you're the kind of person who is always tapping your pen or can't sit still, the drums are for you.
The keyboards are like having a magic toolkit. You can make sounds like a grand piano, a futuristic spaceship, or even a whole string section.
The Feeling: The fun of discovering a brand-new sound that no one has ever heard before.
Why You'll Love It: This is for the curious ones who love to experiment and add the "wow" factor to every track.
Every Saturday is a full hour of band rehearsal. We pick up where we left off, dig into the music, and by the end of the session every band member walks away having actually achieved something — a riff nailed, a section locked in, a moment where it all came together.
We work through real songs. We focus on how each instrument fits into the bigger picture. We build stage presence alongside musicianship. And at the end of every session, every band member gets specific feedback on what they did well and what to focus on for next week.
It feels like a rehearsal because that is exactly what it is.
Founders rate: £55 per month for the first bands formed at the church.
Weekly Sessions: Every Saturday, covering the full school term.
The Holiday Rule: Billing aligns with the school year. When the church is closed for holidays, billing pauses automatically. You only pay for the months we are playing.
Church of Rock is in its founding phase. There are a limited number of places available across both programmes.
Every band member holds a physical Roadie Passport — a booklet that tracks their technical skills alongside their musical development. Badges and stickers are earned by demonstrating real, named skills.
Over-under technique, first time demonstrated correctly
Tracing a full signal chain from instrument to speaker
Setting appropriate gain without feedback
Maintaining position and presence through a full run-through
Holding a part consistently through a complete section without stopping
The passport belongs to them. It is a record of what they have built.
Every band member receives a personalised AAA photocard and lanyard at the start of each term — their name, their instrument, their band. A backstage pass. The real thing. It is refreshed every term, making it a marker of how far they have come.
Every 12 weeks, the bands perform a full concert at the church. Progress is tracked on a physical Band Bus Roadmap displayed at the church — each band has their own magnet on the journey. The performances are real community events — families, neighbours, and the local community all welcome.
Parents are always welcome to contact me directly. After every session a Lesson Summary is emailed home — what the band worked on, what your child achieved, and their focus for the following week.
Kerim's Church of Rock is a Community Interest Company. Every penny of surplus goes back into the programme — better gear, better tools, and expanding access for more young musicians.
The church is a community space with history and meaning, and this programme is part of keeping it alive and relevant for the neighbourhood. The concerts bring families back into the building. The kids on stage are local children doing something genuinely impressive in a space that matters to the community around them.
The vision is straightforward: to build something that this community is proud of. A Saturday morning institution that gives young people a reason to put the phone down, show up, and be part of something great together.
As the church itself puts it — all are welcome.