Venice and West LA Locations Welcome New Students
By Susan Payne
School of Rock is back in session and this year, the Venice and West LA locations are looking to do what it does best for students of any age — build community within the school.
Students learn on a song-first approach, individual lessons combined with group rehearsals in an atmosphere that encourages learning in a supportive environment where students of all skill levels are comfortable and engaged.
Through School of Rock’s song-first approach, musicians start learning core parts of a song, then utilize music theory to polish the more difficult parts.
“Most of our students are getting a private lesson and a group rehearsal, so that could be eight to 10 hours per month in our facilities, a value that is unmatched in Los Angeles music instruction scene,” said Justin Salmons, School of Rock regional manager.
“By teaching our students real songs from day one, we’re teaching them scales and rudiments and theory so they can play those songs with the band and develop a camaraderie that allows their passion for music to thrive. Kids find the joy of music, get better faster and make a ton of friends while doing it,” Salmons added.
Salmons has been a part of School of Rock for more than 13 years and recently introduced his 4-year-old son to the Little Wing program. This program features a special curriculum where students play games and participate in interactive activities to help them internalize foundational music skills. Little Wing students have one weekly group lesson and learn about rhythm, song structure, melody and dynamics through play.
Salmons’ 6-year-old son is in the Rookies program — one weekly group music lesson that teaches fundamentals like chords, rhythm and song structure. Rookies start to experiment with multiple instruments to help them decide what they’d like to pursue in the next level.
“My kids look forward to their lessons every week. My 6-year-old has been in the program for over two years now and has been exploring different instruments. He really loves singing, keyboard, guitar and drums. We’re just waiting for him to pick the right one for him. They say music class is their favorite part of the week,” Salmons said.
Rock 101 is a beginner and intermediate band program that includes individual lessons and band rehearsals. These students have opportunities to shake off any stage fright before moving on to the next level of instruction, which is the Performance Program.
“Performance is the hallmark of School of Rock’s performance-based education. We cast the students into a culturally relevant, historically and musically rich show in an ensemble format, about 15 to 20 kids in each band. They rehearse the set over the course of four months and we put them on stage at a real venue, like the Troubadour,” Salmons said.
Students, from ages 8 to 18, are assigned songs and parts tailored to their age, experience and ability to learn new skills and concepts. At its foundation, performance students build strong musical proficiency, while introducing them to on-stage performance.
“We are the most revolutionary music school in the world and your kids will never have as much fun learning music as they do at School of Rock,” Salmons said.
To learn more about School of Rock Venice and West LA locations, visit Venice.SchoolofRock.com or WestLASchoolofRock.com.
