How would you rather learn music: through endless lessons or by performing with a rock band?
“It’s just more fun at School of Rock,” said Baylee Parks, general manager.
Students at this new Colorado Springs music school still learn theory and how to play their instruments proficiently. They simply learn through classic rock songs rather than Hot Cross Buns. Traditional lessons are great – they provide countless social, academic and emotional benefits. But some students soak up the lessons more quickly when they already know the rhythm and words to the songs.
Think Queen. Guns and Roses. Led Zeppelin.
Fun for students.
Even more fun for parents.
The Students
Brooklyn Berruti, 16, had always loved to sing… in her own home. She had never taken vocal lessons until she heard about School of Rock and decided to call for more information. Berruti arrived nervous for a complimentary one-on-one lesson.
“The energy was so positive,” she said. “They were such sweet people.”
She enrolled. Terrified at first, she quickly settled in and began to find her voice. In fact, this rising star recently auditioned and earned a spot in the school’s house band – an elite squad of musicians that plays regular gigs in the region. These days, she rarely worries about mistakes. She still makes them (as even the pros do), but she trusts the band to have her back, shifting on the fly when required.
“It’s so amazing,” she said. “I’ve grown so much as a singer in the time I’ve been here.”
Her favorite songs so far? Youth Gone Wild and Sweet Child of Mine.
Why Rock?
It’s fun. It’s familiar. It’s collaborative.
“We are not a lesson factory,” said Parks, the general manager. “We are a community of musicians. They build lifelong friendships. They establish this bond in a band setting. … Working with a band is like a team sport.”
Owners Brandon and Heather Wyatt saw this firsthand when their son attended a School of Rock in Texas. Their family decided they wanted to expand this performance-based music education to Colorado Springs. The school started taking a few students in October 2020, but due to Covid-19, postponed its grand opening until April 2021.
A few months later they have eight bands, each with a distinct theme: punk rock, classic metal, grunge… The bands are assembled loosely by age and by musical interest.
School of Rock offers lessons for ages 3 through adult.
The youngest students get a broad introduction to music and instruments through weekly group lessons. Students aged 8 and up have a weekly 45-minute private lesson to learn an iconic rock song. They return a few days later to work with their band. Every four months, School of Rock books each band to play a set list at a real venue in Colorado Springs.
“If you are learning music that excites you… you are so much more likely to continue,” Parks said. “You’re going to fall in love with music.”
But it’s more than that.
“Their self-confidence and ability to work with others increases exponentially,” she said. “We… want to change students’ lives for the better.”
Some instructors have bachelors and masters degrees relating to the instruments they teach. Others are credentialed teachers, who happen to have a love for music.
The Basics
There are six programs at School of Rock:
- Little Wing, ages 3-5
- Rookies, ages 6-7
- Rock 101, ages 8-13
- Performance, ages 8-18
- Songwriting, ages 12 and over
- Adults, ages 18+
They offer free trial lessons, during which students learn a song. Not sure what instrument is the best fit? No sweat. They have every instrument in house. Students are welcome to try out different instruments first: drums, guitar, bass, keyboard, piano and more.
School of Rock started as a single school in Philadelphia in 1998 and now has more than 350 schools and 40,000 students spanning the globe.
Website: https://locations.schoolofrock.com/coloradosprings
Facebook: @sorcoloradosprings