School Of Rock Coming To Newtown

Is your teen intrigued by your collection of classic rock records from the 70s?

Do you find your child singing along to tunes on 102.9 MGK that were written long before he was born?

Then, my friend, you probably have a School of Rock candidate on your hands. And you’re in luck, because School of Rock is coming to Newtown. The facility plans to open its doors by early June.

The performance-based music school, which is relocating from Feasterville to the Village at Newtown Shopping Center, is for kids ages 7 to 18.  The school teaches guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals.

“We’re rock and roll based,” explained owner/GM Paul Pollock.  The individual lessons and group rehearsals are geared towards the songs that will be performed in an upcoming show.  

The shows, which are performed publicly at Penguins Pub in Warminster, are based on a theme, explained Music Director Rob Groden. Sometimes that theme focuses on a single band or artist, like Led Zeppelin or the Beatles, and other times it could be a genre, like funk or reggae.

“It’s more than just a school, it’s a community we’re creating,” explained Pollock.  He knows first hand. Pollock became interested in opening a School of Rock after his own daughter excelled as a keyboardist and vocalist in the program.

The first School of Rock was headquartered in Philadelphia. “Now we have more than 80 schools throughout the country,” Pollock said. He said the School of Rock teaching philosophy is based on getting the students excited to learn about music.

At many schools, “when children start to learn music, the teacher tries to teach them theory first. We do it the opposite way. We give them that excitement and then they want to learn the theory,” Pollock said.

Skills gained at School of Rock go beyond musical talent, said Pollock and Groden.

“The sooner that you bring music into your life – not just listening but learning – the better you are going to get,” Pollock said, adding he has seen students prosper academically and musically. 

The program builds self-confidence, teamwork abilities and even math skills, Pollock said. “You have to learn math by counting and doing rhythm,” he added.

The performance based aspect “teaches (students) to be accountable for their actions,” said Groden, who has been playing guitar for more than 30 years.

School of Rock Newtown is accepting enrollments in all fields. Students who register in March and April will receive a discounted rate. To enroll, call 215-968-7700.

Additionally, registration is open for a series of weeklong summer camps at School of Rock.

There will be a beginner camp, where students can explore a variety of instruments. School of Rock will also offer a Beatles performance camp, a classic rock performance Camp and an “iPod shuffle,” where the students will get to pick the songs performed.

School of Rock students will be performing at Welcome Day on May 6 at 2:30 p.m. on Sycamore Street. Pollock said representatives from the school will have information, enrollment coupons and a drum machine at the event.

For more information about School of Rock Newtown, visit www.newtown.schoolofrock.com or check out the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SORNewtown.