When Matt Ross signed on to run School of Rock in 2005, he wasn’t much more than a music student himself. A career businessman, Ross only just entered the sonic sphere 10 years ago. “I played when I was a kid but stopped, because I could never find an inspiring teacher. People used to be so committed to their kids studying music, and I think we’ve seen a downtrend over the years because there were fewer inspiring programs, and kids weren’t inspired by their marching bands and classical music in school. And it’s one of the reasons we exist.

“When I stumbled onto the School of Rock I had already been playing for three to four years, and I realized that I could take my practical business experiences and my new student experiences and work with this organization to create a better mousetrap for teaching music.”

Founded by Paul Green in 1998, the original School of Rock operated as a single location in Philadelphia, providing an intensive rock-based music program which sought to fill the voids left by conventional music education. The business turned to heavy expansion in 2004, and at this point there are over 50 Schools of Rock running throughout the States with dozens more in planning and hopes of going international. Ross considers his program the “national leader in music education for kids.”

One of the ways in which the School attempts to earn this title is by putting on an annual summer tour of the School of Rock All-Stars, a band comprised of 20 to 25 of the best players it has to offer. Chosen through a combination of rigorous auditions and staff recommendations, these students have converged for the past few years to travel the country and play spot-on renditions of rock classics. Throughout their 90 minute sets musicians rotate in and out of the performance, though those who are multi-instrumentalists may also simply shift over to another instrument. “You might see a kid who’s singing, then the next song he’ll slide over to rhythm guitar, and he might slide over to play drums and then come off stage. It’s a hockey game; people come on the ice, and people come off the ice.”

Though currently a cover band, Ross remains open to the idea of playing with the All-Stars formula. “A lot of our kids are in bands. We work with them on new music. I have a feeling that you’ll be hearing more from us as far as putting kids out there who are showcasing their own music.”

This year’s tour pays tribute to the original Live Aid concert, with the touring set list reflecting the musical diversity of that show. Also in keeping with the spirit of that event, School of Rock has partnered with Linkin Park’s Music for Relief, a charity devoted to aiding victims of natural disasters worldwide with a current goal of aiding victims of the Haiti earthquake. “When we were thinking about Live Aid, we reflected that they raised money for famine relief. We started to research organizations that benefit Haiti. We were looking for a music-centric partner. Hence, Music for Relief. They’ve done a really nice job in a grassroots way. Most of the money they raise gets passed right through to recipients who need resources.”

Ten dollars from each School of Rock All-Stars ticket will go to Music for Relief, though some shows are listed as free shows. Considering this sizable cut into their ticket price, the presence of free shows, and the fact that one can’t just cram these kids (and their parents) into a van and expect them to live like the average cost-cutting musician, there’s not a lot of tangible profit to be made with the All-Stars Tour. The emphasis, therefore, falls upon the benefits that don’t come with a price tag affixed.

“We put a group of 20-25 kids on a bus with parents and chaperones, we’ve got a tour manager, we roll into a city, we set up, we sell merch and perform, we do press. It really is like a rock band on tour, except these kids are getting such a life experience for the first time. It’s game-changing for them. It is more expensive, but it’s what we’re committed to doing.” This isn’t to say that there aren’t potential business windfalls to be made. “In some respects, these kids are the Pied Pipers of our program. When we put the All-Stars on tour, I’ll often get a call from someone who wants to open a franchise school, and the reason they want to do this is because they become inspired by seeing these kids play.”

When not touring, the usual workload of the School of Rock students involves three hours of private music lessons per week. Though the school’s main emphasis is on classic rock, students have also studied funk, reggae, punk, metal, and Broadway shows. Three times a year, each school puts on a concert featuring its best students, who range in age from 7 to 18.

One benefit of attending the School of Rock is the potential to come in contact with professional musicians. Schools have hosted presentations from the likes of Slash, Robby Krieger of the Doors, Perry Farrell, and Eddie Vedder. One such visit turned out especially well for two students; after visiting the School of Rock, multi-instrumentalist Adrian Belew took on drummer Eric Slick and bassist Julie Slick to form the Adrian Belew Power Trio.

Despite these contacts with high-profile musicians, Ross comes out strongly against the use of music simply as a means to get rich and famous. “We never sell a promise of rock stardom. We’re not a record label. We’re just trying to inspire kids and help them with their dreams in a realistic way. When we get these kids together to play and perform and develop this confidence and love, what often emerges is this interest in being a pro musician. I tell them to go to college, play as much as you can, develop and fine-tune your skill set, and a career in music will be there for you afterwards.”

Considering the growing decentralization of the music industry, a fracturing which often weeds out the glory-hounds and retains musicians with purer motives, the more realistic expectations presented by the School of Rock may end up serving a great benefit to the whole. “We might be creating the greatest farm system ever for the next generation of great musicians.” Ultimately, however, Ross sees the music is its own reward.

“There really is some magic in watching kids do things that are supposed to be difficult and historically not that much fun, and watching them do them unbelievably well and have tremendous fun. What we do works on a very fundamental level. I love watching this evolution in kids: they become better as musicians and better as people, and they often emerge socially. It’s fun watching students grow up.”


More information can be found at www.schoolofrock.com.