Though our younger years are long gone many of us can still remember the fantasies we had as children. Many of us wanted to be sports heroes and some of us actors. And then others wanted to be rockstars.

The truth is that it may be more likely to become the former than the latter. On Mtv we see our favorite singers and bands and think that any one of us could be up there garnering praise and raking in the big bucks. But not many of us realize how hard it is to get to that point. It takes years of dedication and hard work before anyone will even turn an ear to listen.

Few know this better than those trying to live the dream. On any given night of the week you can find musicians gathering in a garage, a basement, or a bar cranking up their guitars in hopes that they may get that one chance to stand in front of 10,000 people and cry "thank you and good night!" But a local band can spend years just trying to develop a fan base and release a recording. Without any label support for marketing or financial backing the brunt of the responsibility lies on the shoulders of those that are also in charge of creating the music. Free internet sites, such as www.myspace.com and www.garageband.com have helped small bands get their name out and book shows, but there is always something to be done and arguments to be had.

With this in mind Rock On will be taking a behind the scenes look at what being in a local band is really like, from practicing to recording and playing shows. Hopefully it will give the reader a look into the not so glamorous aspects of hometown bands as well as highlight the better moments because if you ask any musician, they'll tell you that they wouldn't trade it for anything.