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Photo: Bryan Niven
Music education has entered a new era. The School of Rock, a national program currently operating in Park City, and The Music School in American Fork, empower kids by using new teaching methods. Though very different, both programs share the same vision that kids learn best by rehearsing and performing with their peers. The result? A new wave of Park City youth passionate about music.
School of Rock
Established in 1998, the Paul Green School of Rock Music operates 40 locations in 25 states and caters to kids ages 7 to 18. The Web site of the national program states that its goals are: “To help our students realize their potential as artists, to put them on stage in front of as many people as possible and to help foster a new generation of incredible musicians.” According to Ed Dillon, music director for the Park City School of Rock, the goal is simple. “The reason we do what we do is so that budding musicians can play the music they want in the way they want.”
The Park City School of Rock started in the fall of 2007 with 35 students. Instructors commute from the Salt Lake location, but the program is administered by the Park City School District and operates at Ecker Hill Middle School. In fact, the school district approached School of Rock to bring the program up the canyon. Dillon praises their foresight saying, “This was a new thing for us. We hadn’t done a partnership with a school district before. It was very forward thinking.”
Instruction at the School of Rock combines private lessons with weekly ensemble rehearsals. The program is organized into three sessions. Each culminates with a concert at Ecker Hill that pays tribute to famous rock bands or genres of music. The concerts are open to the public with paid admission. Summer camps (“rock school boot camps”) run this year June 16 – 28 and July 7 – 19, 2008.
According to 11-year-old Grant Manley, the system works. “I wanted to learn how to play guitar and how to perform on stage. I didn’t like playing by myself, but once I came to School of Rock, I really liked it. I like the songs and the music we play,” he says.
And play they do. Students perform on stage with professional sound systems, smoke machines and colored lights. Guitarist and vocalist Jake McCauley (15) says, “I’ve always loved being in front of an audience since it’s one of my passions. I love it, I really do.” Drummer Robbie Derber (12) adds, “It’s a little nerve-wracking, but a lot of fun, especially if you don’t mess up.”
The performances and group rehearsals help kids build confidence, accountability and responsibility. According to Dillon, the students “really have to work to feel good about where they are in the program. That is part of the accountability.”
While teaching music to kids in Park City has its own unique challenges (broken arms from skiing or snowboarding are common), Dillon says it is extremely rewarding. “When someone has been struggling with a song and sees it come together for the first time, it’s a magical experience.”
(Editor’s note: School of Rock’s Park City program has grown so much in less than a year that it is looking for a new location, which may not end up being in Park City. All scheduled summer programs will continue at Ecker Hill International School, but after that, please consult their Web site for up-to-date information).
The Music School
Founded the same year as School of Rock, The Music School is structured more like a conservatory. “Students participate in pretty intensive programs, learning music theory, recording, and performing. It’s the complete music experience,” says Caleb Chapman, the program’s founder.
Originally started as the Crescent School of Music and renamed The Music School, the program has grown to include 1,500 students and 80 instructors in a state-of-the-art 16,000-square-foot facility.
The school offers a proprietary curriculum of individual and group instruction resulting in a faster learning curve. Recognized for its award-winning jazz programs, The Music School also offers rock and classical instruction. Chapman states, “We need more people to make great music and become advocates for music, keeping the culture alive and in the forefront of our community.”
Despite being an hour away, The Music School has a lot of visibility in Park City. Chapman is on the board of the Park City Jazz Festival, and his Crescent Super Band (awarded Best of State) performs there annually. As a result, 60 Parkites attend the facility in American Fork.
So what makes it worth the trip? According to Park City High School junior John Eckels, “The biggest incentive is the Crescent Jazz Festival held every March. Caleb brings in all sorts of professionals, people I’ve been listening to forever, and we get the opportunity to play with those artists.”
New this spring, Park City youth will have the option of taking private lessons online from high quality teachers or celebrity musicians. Students, trained to use cameras and software developed by The Music School, connect with instructors from their own homes.
The Music School is known for synergistic partnerships including an exchange program with Julliard and its renowned Artists in Residence program. This program invites celebrity artists to perform alongside students or to present clinics to students and staff. Says Chapman, “It’s the way we keep our teachers really fresh, on the cutting edge and motivated. It’s our version of continuing education.”
Such brushes with fame are also evident at the school’s summer Jam Camp created in partnership with the Park City Jazz Foundation. This year’s camp runs June 15 – 21, 2008 and offers intensive musical instruction for 13- to 18-year-olds from all over the country. The camp, located in Park City, concludes with a live concert performed by the students.
Ross Palomaki, a 17-year-old Parkite who studies jazz at The Music School, attended the Jam Camp last summer. “The instructors are professional musicians. It’s a great opportunity to learn from the best in the business,” he says. Eckels agrees, “You walk around the corner, and there is a Grammy-winning artist. It makes those people more accessible, having them here for the whole week.”
Such connections with professional artists are the benefits of participating in The Music School. As Chapman says, “Our students interact with celebrity musicians from many different genres. It is life changing for them to make friends with artists and make music with them.”
Find Out More
School of Rock
Information: schoolofrock.com
Enrollment: Jane Toly
(435.615.0215) or pcschools.us
The Music School
Information: TheMusicSchool.us
Enrollment: Andy Shelton, Campus Director (1.866.566.MUSIC)
Liz Yokubison is a freelance writer and mother of twins. An advocate of the arts and its positive impact on kids, Liz considered herself “music illiterate” prior to writing this article. She now considers herself enlightened with just enough information to be dangerous.
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