Westchester County residents who don”™t like blaring music in the vicinity take note: the School of Rock may be coming to your town. And take heart: Maybe that caterwauling will lead to the next Steppenwolf.
The Paul Green School of Rock Music, which first opened in 1998, is looking to open an academy in Westchester County, according to CEO Matt Ross.
The school teaches youngsters between the ages of 7 and 17 how to play guitar like Jimi, bass like John Entwistle, drums like Ginger Baker, keyboards like Billy Preston, or to sing like Janis Joplin.
Since the first school was started by Green, a professional musician, interest grew steadily until it became “a phenomenon” in Philadelphia. The school began franchising in January 2006, and currently has 30 locations across the U.S. The company hopes to have 75 schools by the end of 2008, and around 300 when fully realized.
Tuition is monthly and students can stay for as long or short as they choose, though generally once students graduate from high school they do not continue, though many come back as teachers.
Roth said the company is looking for real estate in the eastern part of the county, in towns such as Rye, Chappaqua and Mount Kisco.
Ross said the school looks for free-standing buildings of around 2,500 square feet to house its rock academy.
And about those neighbors that could potentially complain about all that racket?
“We keep most of the sound within the building,” said Ross.
Further, Ross said the school looks for locations where there is “a vibrant arts community” and where parents may be supportive of giving their kids a musical education.
“People invest in their kids,” he said. “Classical music education is abundant if they want to go that route. But if they are interested in contemporary music, we offer that instruction.”
Students of the program perform four live shows per year that consist of about 20 to 25 songs.
Generally, the shows are themed by band, genre or time period. One show that every program performs is Pink Floyd”™s “The Wall” in its entirety.
Music that students in the rock school learn ranges from Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Queen to the Beatles, Metallica and the Rocky Horror Picture Show, said Mark Biondi, executive director of the music program for the planned Westchester school.
And students can be directed toward playing the music they are interested in, he said.
“We try to help the kids play what they are inspired to do,” he said.
Biondi believes the group, classroom-style education is more effective than private lessons, because students will be more inspired to practice so they don”™t look foolish in front of the rest of the class.
“The kids want to show how good they are, they want to shine,” he said.
Some prior students of the school have gone on to perform with major musical acts, said Biondi.
Two former students are the rhythm section for Adrian Bellew, who has played with rock pioneers such as King Crimson and Frank Zappa.
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Jon Anderson, lead vocalist for the rock group Yes, recently took nine graduates of the school to perform with the band on some of its East Coast tour dates.
The school also has a touring band, called the School of Rock All-Stars, featuring some of the best musicians from the schools across the country.
“We”™re a performance-based music school,” said Biondi. “The kids work toward performing live shows.”
Ross said the school is expected to open in the mid to late fall. Enrollment is capped at 200, and there is a waiting list for students who can join when someone else either graduates or doesn”™t continue with the program.
Ross said the company has plans eventually to open 10 schools in the suburban New York metro area.
For information and pricing about classes, e-mail mbiondi@schoolofrock.com.
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