As if the prospect of Harvard graduate students duking it out in a battle of the bands weren’t appealing enough, Little Kids Rock gives us yet another reason to see the show on Thursday, April 10. That’s when Corporate Whore of the Harvard Business School, Mr. Sparkle from Harvard Law, and Inner Jerk from the Kennedy School square off on stage at the Big Easy in the name of the little after-school program that could (and already has, in California, New York, and New Jersey). At stake is one day of free studio time for the winner, and all proceeds from the $10 admission will benefit the after-school program.

Founded in California by elementary-school teacher David Wish, Little Kids Rock aims to provide music education to kids ages five to 12 without putting a strain on schools’ already limited arts budgets. The program lists Bonnie Raitt and B.B. King among its honorary members and is now seeking funds to launch itself in the Boston school system.

"It provides kids with an outlet to express themselves, which is important in that 2 to 6 p.m. period," says co-founder Mike Fernandez. "Our main objective is to get the kids to play their own music and write their own words. It gets the kids to express themselves, and the adults too." The program has produced several CDs of the children’s original songs; the latest, Coast to Coast, includes odes to a dinosaur, Yoda, and a Corvette. Teacher training begins later this month, and Fernandez also hopes to forge a relationship with the rich Boston music community. "I really hope the Boston Little Kids Rock becomes an entity of its own," he says. "That’s the master vision."

The Big Easy is located at 1 Boylston Place, in Boston, and doors will open at 9 p.m.; the first band goes on at 10. For more information, call Mike Fernandez at (617) 501-0575 or e-mail mike@littlekidsrock.org.