School of Rock

by Jill Duff-Hoppes

At School of Rock Oviedo, students get to rock out right away. Why? Because School of Rock is different from conventional music schools in two important ways, says Wes Simmons, who opened the Oviedo location in 2011.

First, the school employs a SongFirst approach to learning, using its own patented set of teaching tools collectively called the School of Rock Method.

“Learning music should be fun,” says Wes, “but it’s not always taught that way.”

With its SongFirst approach, School of Rock intentionally buries lessons about music theory and technique into the act of playing a song from the get-go.

Second, School of Rock focuses on performance-based music education, supplementing weekly lessons with weekly group-play sessions. Students also have exciting opportunities to perform in the community. Training is offered for kids, teens, and adults in guitar, bass, drums, voice, and keyboard.

“Our group-play layer inspires motivation, excitement, and commitment in a very practical and meaningful way,” says Wes. “We’re playing real equipment in a band setting with other student musicians and having fun while learning.”

Adds Wes, “The performance-based aspect provides a reason to practice and therefore helps students develop solid practice habits.”

To learn more, please visit SchoolOfRock.com.