Stage Ready Band Workshops

Seven weekly rehearsals. Two live performances. One unforgettable summer.

Whether you’ve dreamed of joining a band for years or simply want to get beyond practicing alone,
Stage Ready lets you experience live music from the inside.

When you join the Stage Ready program, you’ll be matched with fellow musicians from your community. Together, you’ll build a setlist, shape your arrangements, and rehearse as a band at Watermelon Music, a long-standing Davis institution. Then you’ll take the stage at The Melon Ball performance hall, and a second public performance at a local venue in Yolo County.

Along the way, you’ll be guided by a professional coach with stage experience, who will be present at every rehearsal. They’ll give advice, help solve musical and logistical challenges, and keep your band on schedule and on track for opening night.

Stage Ready isn’t a sightseeing tour of the music scene. It’s a real band experience. You pick the songs. You shape the sound. You play the show. No backing tracks. No canned accompaniment. Just musicians working together to create something memorable.

Along the way, you’ll develop critical performance skills, learn how to work effectively with other musicians, and build connections that can last far beyond the program. The final performance isn’t necessarily the end of the story – it might just be your band’s first gig.