Introducing School of Rock: Sutherland

Posted on June 15, 2017 by Paul 'Browny' Brown

When we heard about this new franchise hitting schools around Australia that’s potentially creating the “Next Generation” of Australian rockers, of course we jumped on board to find out more about Australia’s School of Rock…

Hugh Taylor here, as a Parent with a 12-year-old Son who is growing up listening to a wide variety of music genres, mostly influenced by his mother and father’s CD collection born out of the 80’s and 90’s, it was only a matter of time before he picked up my guitar and wanted a piece of that glorious moment when every kid decides he is going to be a rock star. My son could already hold down a fairly decent beat on his cousin’s drum kit, but guitar lessons were in order, so let the search for a music school begin.

Living in the Shire we thought for sure we would have no problems finding the right school for our son. One that would not only challenge him in his musicianship but also teach him the correct fundamentals of music education. After many months of unsuccessful trials and teachers that seemingly had come straight out of High School, my son was bored out of his mind.

I was introduced through a mutual friend to Kenny Martin, Owner of School of Rock Macarthur the 1^st School of Rock Franchise in Australia.

Immediately my wife and I knew this was the place for our son. With the guidance of some very skilled tutors and directors they had our son playing rhythm guitar and drums in their Oz Rock seasonal show playing at least 6 songs. Not only could we “not” believe how successful the 15-week performance programme was for our son, but also for many other kids in the programme.

After seeing a gaping hole in the music education industry within the Shire, my wife Kathleen and I realised what was to become School of Rock Sutherland, simultaneously along with School of Rock Perth, we opened on the 4^th February 2017 with a hell of a racket outside its studios in Sutherland, showcasing Lindsay McDougall (aka The Doctor) of Frenzal Rhomb playing alongside the Macarthur House Band and some other very talented kids who learnt their chops in School of Rock Studios.

School of Rock Sutherland just played their 1^st Seasonal Shows which showcased to a crowd of around 250 people with huge success. There are currently 194 schools around the world and over 26,000 students showing testament to the success of these schools.

At School of Rock there’s two performance programmes, these programmes make up the core of what we do, paying tribute to the World’s Greatest Musicians from many genres.

Rock 101

Rock 101 is designed for younger beginner students with no playing experience and is designed to get students playing right away.

Including:

30-45-minute weekly lesson teaching song and theory.

90-minute weekly rehearsal for end of season show.

Use of facility during opening hrs.

Performance Programme

Performance Programme is meant for mature young students to teenagers who can show they have basic knowledge of their instrument and are willing to put in the hard work.

Including:

30-45-minute weekly lesson

3 hours’ weekly rehearsal for end of season show.

Use of facility during opening hrs

Our Students also have the opportunity to audition for House Band.

House band students are the best of the best from the School, these kids get to showcase their talents on real stages more frequently in front of real crowds, further enhancing their musicianship. Then if they are up for a challenge, they can audition to tour America with one of our affiliated schools playing venues like Wildwood, Summerfest, Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, just to name a few.

School of Rock students also get to meet famous musicians through our mentor programme like

SLASH (Guns n Roses)

JOSH HOMME (QOTSA)

PAGE HAMILTON (HELMET)

JOSH FREESE (A PERFECT CIRCLE, PARAMORE, NINE INCH NAILS)

Our mantra at School of Rock is:
“We Don’t Teach Music to Put on Shows. We Put on Shows to Teach Music”

Photo Gallery by resident photographer Mick Goddard of Mick G Photography and Wall of Sound.