A somewhat socially challenged kid, Will Burton (Gaelan Connell) has had it
rough at school, so when his mom announces that she has taken a new job, Will is
not all that upset that they will have to move. As it turns out, Will gets
really lucky; everyone in his new school is completely obsessed with his main
love in life -- music. Will happens to enroll at his new school just in time for
Bandslam, an intense battle of the bands that has the student body buzzing.
Surprisingly, Will also becomes fast friends with a couple of girls at school:
Sa5m (the "5" is silent, played by Vanessa Hudgens), a pretty girl who has a few
social issues herself; and Charlotte Banks (Aly Michalka), a popular beauty who
is hoping to win Bandslam with her band and beat her ex-boyfriend Ben's (Scott
Porter) band.
Before long, Charlotte finds out about the incredible musical talent Will's been
hiding under a bushel, and she asks him to manage her wannabe rock band. With
his ear for sound and his eye for talent, Will has the band blasting out a sound
all their own in no time. But just when the band members think they may actually
have a chance, tragedy strikes, and the past comes back to haunt them. Now that
he has others counting on him, Will must find the courage to rise up from the
disappointment and figure out who his true friends are.