What would you say if I told you that there’s a school that your kid would actually want to attend? Well, there is one right in Wayne, and it’s easily the coolest spot in town for kids who want to learn music.
If you’re not sure, we’re talking about the School of Rock.
For adults of a certain age and inclination, dreaming of being a rock star was a Quixotian affair. The chances of ultimate success were negligible, but the dream was worth it. Face it – if you were in a band, you were cool. But you were on your own to figure out everything.
That’s where School of Rock kicks in hard. The instructors there are all established working musicians who have done it. They know the process of playing, gigging, and everything that goes into maximizing your talent. And the kids that go there are talented.
“I like to call it ‘finding their tribe’,” explains General Manager Charlie Corletta. “We strive to not only produce confident and inspiring musicians through our programs and classes but we are in the business of enriching lives. For some, School of Rock is a safe space where they can develop a sense of community and belonging while carving out an identity for themselves. For others, SoR is the path from the lesson to the stage where they can begin to align their musical dreams and aspirations with real life applicable learning experiences that will set them up for a lifetime of successes on and off the stage.”
That’s right – the goal isn’t just to create dynamite musicians. They know they have an impact on the entirety of their lives. Not something that you can glean simply from YouTube videos.
Take Colin for example. He started out teaching himself music through YouTube during the pandemic. His mom signed him up to get him out of his room, alone with his guitar and keyboard, to play music with others. She almost needed to talk him into it. Once there, he “found his tribe.”
The school not only teaches lessons, but it sets kids up together in internal band situations, with local performances as the end result. There, they can show off their skills in front of a crowd, in a professional setting. They also select some of the students to be part of a “house band” that performs publicly for promotional opportunities.
I got a chance to talk with Connor, Jake, Logan and Patrick of their house band, and they take this very seriously.
“School of Rock does more than just make me a better musician. It makes me a better performer,” says Connor. “You don’t just sit there and play. Things like stage etiquette, timing, how to get your amp set right, even how to tune your drums (yes, that’s important) – it becomes muscle memory.”
“With vocals, it’s weird because you don’t even know you’re progressing until a couple of months later,” according to Patrick. “I’ve expanded my range into a healthy way of singing with better breath support and it’s all coming together, making it a lot easier vocally.”
Watching them perform, you can see the results. All are multitalented, many playing multiple instruments skilfully, with pro-level stage presence. You can feel Patrick’s intensity and could imagine him fronting a band like Slipknot seamlessly. People like this own the stage, no matter how old they might be.
Performing is the end goal. For most of them, it’s the engagement with the audience and instant feedback that it brings that stands out. Knowing that they can do this and do it well makes the difference. The school hones the skills that they have musically into true entertainers.
When students graduate from the program, it makes an impact on the school. During their Spring show at the Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck, Charlie’s pride of these students was evident. Music is a shared live art form, and seeing their growth and rise beyond what they could’ve imagined is an emotional experience for each of them involved.
“In the words of the Black Crowes, ‘they say she talks to angels.’ Well, she has the voice of one,” he said of graduating senior Faith. He undersold her.
By the time they’re ready to move on, these kids know that they’re something special.
For most of them, music isn’t just a hobby. It’s often their dream, an ethereal connection to something deeper.
For a kid like Colin – a naturally shy kid, it’s far more personal.
“I love how music can evoke an emotion just by using abstract concepts of chord progressions, time signatures, subtle things that you discover. They can make emotions in you surface that you never might have expected. It’s how I can express myself, through my playing.”
For kids who may struggle with expressing themselves, music can be a way to bring that out. It gives them their voice, their confidence, and their touchstone. School of Rock gives them the pathway to hear the roar of the crowds that these remarkable kids so justly deserve.
School of Rock is located at 1055 Hamburg Turnpike in Wayne. To find out more about their program, give them a call at (973) 653-5432.