School House Rock

Working at the Paul Green School of Rock Music was one of the greatest experiences of my life. While others complained about summer jobs waitressing and interning, I genuinely looked forward to every day I had the chance to step into the Chatham, New Jersey branch of the School of Rock Music.
The Paul Green School of Rock Music began in 1998 in Philadelphia when Green hatched the idea to develop young musicians’ talent and ambition in a concentrated direction. Since its start, the School of Rock has expanded to more than 40 locations nation-wide. The school’s unique approach to music education sets it apart from other music programs and schools because it not only integrates both individual and group instruction, but also provides students the opportunity to perform everything they learn several times a year at real venues with real audiences, playing real rock and roll.
The school welcomes students aged 7-18 and of all levels, beginners to advanced, on guitar, bass, vocals, drums and keyboards. It also offers students who are proficient on other instruments including violin, horns, and other percussion the opportunity to share their talent in a variety of shows. Students not only learn musical proficiency and technique, but the program also places them in an environment which allows them access to and the ability to learn about musical equipment, showmanship, discipline, how to work with others and an artistic outlet. Students are also given the chance to participate and perform in end-of-season shows where they perform some of the greatest rock and roll classics, providing them with the motivation necessary to over-come stage fright and build confidence.
The School operates with an open, rolling admission and 3 seasons a year: spring, summer and fall. At the end of each season, students perform their selected show, which include bands and styles ranging from Southern Rock and Hair Metal to Led Zeppelin, The Doors and Iron Maiden vs. Judas Priest. Students are exposed to all types of rock and roll music and given the unique opportunity to learn and perform it with friends at many well-known and respected venues across the nation. School of Rock students perform more than 500 concerts to more than 200,000 people every year and have appeared at The Knitting Factory, BB Kings, The Roxy and Lollapallooza.
The goal of the Paul Green School of Rock Music, is to help students realize what they are capable of and place them in a position not only to recognize that potential, but give them the opportunity to share, explore and develop their talent and foster a new generation of incredible musicians.
The school also takes an industry caught in a vice of greed and corruption and purifies it by bringing it back to the basics of rock and roll: freedom, rebellion from the standard and love for the music, not the money.
After working in radio during the summer of 2007, with a booking agency this summer and after hearing, reading and learning about the other sides of the industry through classes here at JMU, working at and for the School of Rock was the most refreshing experience of my life. Each of the employees was there for love of music and for the thrill it gave them to see children excel at their instruments and learn to perform and appreciate some of the most classic and quintessential songs in rock history. Television and music videos place importance on sensationalism, radio places it on the number of listeners and artist management relies on audience draw at venues only looking to make a profit. The industry is desperately concerned with revenue in a time where demand for music is greater than ever, but payment for it is reaching an all-time low. However, the School of Rock removes itself from the spiral of money over music by focusing on the cultivation of a new generation of young musicians who will learn to love Pink Floyd before the Jonas Brothers and Janis Joplin over Hannah Montana.
After working at the front-of-house all summer, I have heard an incredible number of parents say how jealous they are of their sons and daughters’ opportunity to learn that type of music in such an environment. Being a classically-trained violinist, I too can relate and admit I wish I could have grown up learning Clapton rather than Bach, though both are valuable in their own right. However, the comradary and mutual respect the children gain for each other by playing together, inspires me and makes me especially jealous. I never felt so close with my orchestral peers, and yet these 17 year-old guitarists embrace 8 year-old drummers and even enjoy performing beside them.
Personally, working at the school was a blessing. For the public, the success of the school could be a miracle. This growing network of talented and well-trained musicians is coming through the ranks and coming quickly. The very best students, The School of Rock All-Stars, have already toured with acts including The Butthole Surfers and Jon Anderson of Yes worldwide, setting a new standard for youth performers.
Ultimately, the greatest attribute of the school of rock is the outlet it gives young students to perform and very often, they amaze and astonish those who see them. The Paul Green School of Rock Music is saving rock and roll one kid at a time. So far, it is doing an incredible job.