Eight weekly rehearsals. Two live performances. One unforgettable adventure.

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. Then you’ll take the stage twice in Davis: first at The Melon Ball performance hall, and then a public show at Sudwerk Brewing.

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.

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.

Get signed up!

Reserve your space here for Fall 2026!

Tell us your age, instrument, genre and time preferences, and we’ll match you up with other musicians to form a new band with tons of potential. If we can’t put together enough workable band arrangements (like if we get two dozen guitarists and one drummer) we’ll give you a full refund. The more flexible you are with times and genres, the more likely it is we can find a space for you.

Youth (11-18) and adult groups are available. Where possible, we’ll try to match you with other musicians around your own age. Every member of the band gets a voice in choosing the music.

Bands consist of 4-7 musicians: a drummer, a bassist, one or two guitarists, one or two vocalists, and possibly a keyboard player. We also keep one extra slot in each band available as a ‘wild card’ – if you want to bring your saxophone, violin, or bagpipes, we’ll figure out how to fit you in!

After you’ve been assigned to a band, if you wish to drop and receive a refund, you must contact us no later than two days before your second group meeting. We’ll refund your full tuition, minus a 10% service fee. After the second meeting, no refunds will be provided.

Stage Ready Band Workshops for Fall 2026

$419.00

Recording Experience Add-On

For an additional $100, spend half a day at Shattered Records, Sacramento’s premier recording studio! Owner and studio engineer Jack O’Donnell will show you around and get you mic’ed up. You’ll go through the whole studio process, record a track, and receive a copy of the stereo-mixed result.

Note that at least four members of your band need to purchase this add-on, although they can do so any time prior to the end of the workshop. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll give you a refund. You can always contact Shattered Records directly to schedule a recording session.

Schedule

Joining a band is a commitment to be present at all rehearsals and the final performance, and to work on your songs outside of rehearsal. If you know you’re going to miss more than one week of the workshop, don’t enroll this time, just wait for the next one!

Fall 2026

Rehearsals: Bands will meet for rehearsal once a week for eight weeks, between September and November. Rehearsals are 90 minutes, and held at Watermelon Music, 1970 Lake Blvd, Davis, California.

Melon Ball Performance: Bands will get on stage at The Melon Ball (located at Watermelon Music) and play their set! The length of the overall event will depend on how many bands we have and how long their planned sets are. This will be a weekend afternoon in November.

Local Performance: Bands will also have the opportunity to play a live show at Sudwerk Brewing at 2001 2nd St. in Davis! This will be a real show, from sound check to encore, and you’ll be promoted like a real band – because you are!

Recording Experience Add-On: Near the end of the program, we’ll schedule the recording sessions at Shattered Records at 2010 Alhambra Blvd in Sacramento.

Prerequisites

Stage Ready is designed for musicians who already know the basics of their instrument and are ready to play with others.

Everybody: Play with steady time and understand the basics of your instrument—notes, chords, scales, and/or rhythm patterns as appropriate. Beyond that, the level of technical challenge you take on is up to you, and your instructor will help you adjust material to match your ability.

Guitarists: Move comfortably between common major and minor open chords. Some familiarity with barre chords is recommended.

Drums: Maintain a steady groove at a variety of tempos. Transition into and out of fills without losing the beat.

Bass: Play common bass grooves confidently and maintain solid time. Listen and lock in with the drummer.

Vocals: Sing in tune and in time. Have a basic understanding of your vocal range and be willing to adapt songs when necessary.

Keyboards: Form major and minor triads without relying on written notation. Play common chord progressions with both hands.

Other Instruments: Understand the fundamentals of your instrument and its role in an ensemble. Some experience adapting guitar, keyboard, or vocal parts to your instrument is helpful.

We bring:

Drum kit (Tama Superstar Classic)
- Snare, hi-hat, kick drum
- 2x rack toms, 1x floor tom
- 1x crash cymbal, 1x ride cymbal
Stage Right 40W x 10″ guitar amp
Stage Right 40W x 10″ bass amp
Vocal setup
- 2x Shure SM58 microphones w/stands
- TC-Helicon Mic Mechanic 2 vocal effects pedal
- 2x 10″ QFX PA speakers
Keyboard setup
- Yamaha YPG-235 76-key digital keyboard
- Peavey KB-100 100W keyboard amp

You bring:

High-fidelity earplugs (available at Watermelon Music)
Notebook and pencil
Water bottle
Drum sticks
- If you want to bring in more pieces, or use your own snare or pedal, respect everyone’s time and arrive early to set up.
Your guitar or bass
- Pedals
- Instrument cables
- Tuner
- Spare strings

Staff & Partners

Chris Wisnia

Chris is a devilishly handsome comic book creator, writer, artist, and musician. He’s been teaching guitar at Watermelon Music since 1997 and specializes in getting students excited to pick up their instruments and play.

An accomplished comic artist, Chris’s work can be found at Chris Wisnia Arts. He’s also the leader of Weird Harold, a raucous and hilarious rock outfit that has been delighting and occasionally befuddling Davis audiences since 1990.

Chris brings decades of experience, creativity, and infectious enthusiasm to every rehearsal.

Chris Wisnia
Stage Ready Instructor

Barry Figrim

Barry is the founder of Bright Bear Workshop, a musical consignment and event service operating alongside Watermelon Music. He’s the director of the Stage Ready program.

Barry started volunteering around Watermelon after helping move a big cabinet in 2024, and continued hanging around and volunteering his time. After pretending to work here for over a year, he decided to actually start a business and make a real commitment to the Davis music community.

Barry also operates Bright Bear Laser Works, designing and manufacturing laser-cut organizational items for the hobby board gaming scene.

Barry Figrim
Bright Bear Workshop

Jack O’Donnell

Jack is the owner of Shattered Records, Northern California’s premier recording studio. Brian Wheat, bassist for Sacramento’s hometown hard-rock band Tesla, built the first incarnation of the studio in the early 2000’s.

The second location on Alhambra Blvd was purpose-built from the exterior walls in. Jack was brought in as manager in 2016 to open the studio doors to the public and operate as chief engineer, and became owner in 2021.

Jack feels he has a responsibility to be a part of a thriving and dynamic community. By working with area non-profits, educational organizations, and businesses, he provides access and opportunity today and for the next generation.

Eight weekly rehearsals. Two live performances. One unforgettable adventure.

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.