Beside a humble sandwich board along Route 9W in Congers bearing the name R&R Music School, there”™s not a hint of what”™s going on inside a nondescript brick building steps off the highway.
But walk into the light-filled home of the school and suddenly, music is in the air.
A full drum kit anchors the performance space adjacent to the waiting area. Jimi Hendrix and Grateful Dead posters hang above the reception desk and side-by-side lesson rooms are filled with keyboards, guitars, amplifiers and plenty more.
And before a morning visit is over, owners Ryan Marks and Ryan Townsend, longtime colleagues and collaborators who perform together as R&R, will even pick up their guitars and play a bit, bringing their vision to audible life.
Marks and Townsend, Rockland natives who grew up in Valley Cottage and New City, respectively, began playing together in 2004.
Both studied music in college and have made it their focus through both performance and teaching, most recently at Village Music in New City.
And now the school, which opened July 2 at 16 N. Route 9W, has been launched to offer instruction on the most popular options ”“ guitar, bass, drums and piano ”“ but also in voice, ukulele, banjo, mandolin and violin.
“We have a curriculum of what we want them to learn but we also ask them ”˜What would you like to know?”™” Marks said of the R&R approach.
The answer can be anything from chart hits to television theme songs to that classic everyone who”™s ever picked up a guitar has seemingly wanted to learn ”“ Deep Purple”™s “Smoke on the Water.”
“The kids keep us on our toes,” Marks said.
But it”™s not just for kids, as the school offers lessons for everyone from pre-school to adult.
“It”™s probably about 4 to 64, maybe a little earlier, a little later, too,” Marks said of the age range they have taught.
Sometimes the older students will indeed ask for the more traditional.
“They want to go to Motown ”“ and I”™m happy to take them there,” Marks said.
Marks and Townsend did a little construction to transform the 1,200-square-foot space from the business office of a wine importer into a musical setting.
The location made it a project they very much wanted to take on.
“The best thing is it”™s a freestanding building so we can play anytime of the day without hurting someone”™s feelings,” Marks said with a laugh.
The school, which offers individual lessons, jam sessions and rock camps, is well-plugged into social media, as well.
The school”™s website (rnrmusicschool.com) also offers a live radio feed and streams live performances.
“If you have a relative or grandparent in Florida, you can see a kid perform,” Marks said.
“The kids love it, ”˜It”™s me. It”™s me,”™” Townsend added.
Frequent Facebook posts range from items on “this day in rock” to alerting fans to tune back in at a particular time for a live performance being broadcast.
“We hope to grow into the space a little more,” Townsend added, eventually expanding to a professional rehearsal and recording space for local musicians.
Having teachers who are active in music is also a plus, Townsend noted. As R&R, Marks and Townsend play a circuit of tristate clubs, bars, restaurants and private events.
“It”™s cool for them,” Townsend said, to see that “we”™re not sitting home on weekends.”
Marks, for example, also played bass for two national tours of “Kidz Bop Live.”
“We went across the country and played arenas,” he said. “That was like a dream come true.”
To get the word out, Marks and Townsend are working with area schools and even visiting summer camps to offer a glimpse into what they do. They will also be participating in SeptemberFest, Nyack”™s next street fair Sept. 9.
Music has clearly impacted both Marks and Townsend.
As Townsend says, “I can”™t imagine myself doing anything else.”
And that”™s exactly the feeling they hope to pass along to their students.
