Curriculum
The schools operate year-round, offering a variety of programs. Throughout the year, they offer lessons and performance groups, which can be on either weekdays or weekends. During summer, winter and spring breaks, they offer various day camps for intensive instruction.
The Burnsville, Minnesota, location originated[48] an early childhood music education known as "Little Wing", after the Jimi Hendrix song.[49][50]
At age seven, students can begin weekly lessons in the instrument of their choice in "Rock 101" classes. After "Rock 101", students can move to the "Performance Program" where they have a weekly one-on-one private lesson and three hours weekly of group band rehearsal that culminates in a concert before an audience.[51]
In 2021, School of Rock was awarded U.S. Patent for its revolutionary School Of Rock Method.[52]
The most skilled students at each school form a band and perform at various venues in their city, opening for established regional and national acts. Less than 1% of the total School of Rock population gets selected to the AllStars program.[53] Many schools have songwriting and recording programs as well. School of Rock launched their songwriting program in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, which worked well with the remote learning format.[54]
Most school instructors are working musicians with ongoing careers in rock music[55][56] and a number are graduates of the program. Instructors are encouraged to stress the fundamentals of both popular music and music theory, using songs from popular bands and artists like Led Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd, and music from genres such as 1980s glam metal, punk rock and grunge. The teachers often specialize in a single instrument, though many have skills in additional instruments and students are encouraged to learn multiple instruments. Instruction is available in electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboards and vocals.[57]
The students are paired with others of similar abilities to form bands and assigned a band coach. Dependence upon their peers is credited with being more effective than their own parents at ensuring practice discipline.[56][58]
There are occasional "Guest Professor" workshops featuring professional musicians, which include discussions about past experiences, songwriting, live performances, and handling fame. Previous guest professors include Jon Anderson, Earl Slick, Dave Stewart, Mike Watt, former Santana drummer Michael Shrieve[59][60] Peter Frampton, Roger Waters, Jackson Browne and Zakk Wylde.[61] The guest may also spend time assisting the students on their technique[62] and may perform a concert with the students.[63]
Most locations[64] offer an adult program for those older than 18 who wish to participate in a performance based music education program. Private lessons are followed by professionally guided rehearsals leading up to a pair of full length concerts.[65]
Locations take advantage of local music opportunities. In 2014, School of Rock Chicago cooperated with The Second City to produce a production of Tommy by The Who.[66] The Portland location has an annual concert of music by Portland bands called ''Best! of Portland''.[67]
Fees vary depending on program participation and school location, but it is in the range of "a couple hundred dollars a month."[68] The School has partnered with MySafeSchool[69] to ensure the safety of their students.
In 2021, School of Rock partnered with Gibson to create a limited-edition Les Paul Special electric guitar. Only 100 of the guitars were made and sold exclusively to School of Rock students.[70]
