Both young and old can rock out in the School of Rock
There are music schools and there is School of Rock. Founded in 1998 at Philadelphia, USA, School of Rock now has more than 100 branches in various states and around the world. Its first franchise in Asia recently opened at the Greenhills Shopping Center. With the brand comes the promise of “music lessons done differently.”
“The best way for kids to learn music is by performing music,” points out Paige Peavler, the director of new schools and international operations. To keep students interested, SoR believes in starting with the music, rationalizing that if you begin with theory, students tend to lose interest, but if you teach them music, they get more interested in theory. “We teach musical concepts using the shows. Our concept is built around students interacting with each other and playing together, and we’re the only school that does that,” she elaborates.
“Most kids have very short attention span. If you’re plopping down notes in front of them, making them play music they don’t like, very few will go through the whole process; most will probably drop out somewhere along the way and just play rock. That’s exactly what we did as kids. We stopped taking lessons and just learned from each other. You just don’t want to go back because it’s boring,” shares Nino Caruncho IV, a guitar player herself who is the managing director of the local franchise.
Their entry-level program called Rock 101 is designed for the young ones or the inexperienced. It entails a weekly 45-minute one-on-one session with an instructor, plus a 90-minute rehearsal where the student plays with students of similar ability. Those who have mastered the basics can opt for the Performance Program, which focuses on harmonies, musicianship, and how to perform in an authentic rock show environment. Again, this includes a weekly private lesson and group band rehearsal with a live performance as the culminating activity. “Learning how to play within a group is very inspirational. It’s motivational. They police themselves pretty much about learning their music and they’re working towards a goal,” Peavler emphasizes. “It’s not just a jam session; they put on a live rock show in a rock venue. It’s fun with the lights, fog machine, the whole deal so they get to feel like rock stars. The main point of it is because they get on stage and they perform, it boosts their confidence. And they learn how to be part of a team,” she shares.
SoR’s roster of teachers boasts of actual performing musicians. “There are teachers who can probably teach really well but don’t know anything about playing in front of a crowd. Our teachers have bands, have actually played in concerts, and are really in the circuit,” Caruncho guarantees.
A tour of the facilities reveals several rooms for oneon-one instruction on vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums; a couple of areas for rehearsal; a place set to be made into a recording studio; and a students’ lounge. “We want the kids to interact, to talk to each other and be friends. Unlike other schools [where] you go in then at the end of the session, you go home, there’s no camaraderie built. One of the things that’s important to us is to build a community,” says Parkin Chiu, another owner of the local franchise, and also a musician himself.
“There’s a huge social aspect to this that is very important to kids, to feel like they belong to something. Kids who might have been outsiders or loners who come here find kindred spirits. Many of our students become lifelong friends when they meet here because they’ve got this common interest. The other part of this is the studies that have been done—that if children participate in music, they do better in school, mathematical skills shoot through the roof because it [music] is based on a lot of math. Comprehension improves because of the listening that they do. It’s not just a fun thing; it enhances a lot of the other learnings. And the skills that they pick up here takes them forward in any occupation that they may pursue,” enumerates Peavler.
SoR’s initial target market was the seven- to 18-yearold range. But due to insistent demand, there are now classes for adults. “Many of them get so enthralled by what we’re doing for the kids and say, ‘I wish this had been around when I was growing up!’” shares Peavler.