East Lansing
School of Rock

Explore School of Rock

East Lansing

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School of Rock East Lansing
2037 W Grand River Ave.
Okemos, MI 48864
517-220-7625
Hours
  • Monday: 3 PM - 9 PM
  • Tuesday: 3 PM - 9 PM
  • Wednesday: 3 PM - 9 PM
  • Thursday: 3 PM - 9 PM
  • Friday: Closed
  • Saturday: 10 AM - 3 PM
  • Sunday: Closed

Music programs at School of Rock East Lansing combine one-on-one lessons with group band practices

School of Rock in Okemos, Michigan is proud to serve the East Lansing community—as well as surrounding areas like Lansing, Haslett, Williamston, Webberville, and DeWitt—with a revolutionary music education approach. Our quality music lessons are taught by real, practicing musicians and students can learn to rock out on guitar, keyboards, drums, and vocals, across many genres. Students can develop their skills in a supportive and encouraging environment, and gain confidence like true rock stars by jamming together in a band with friends. Our students perform at community-based events like Sun Dried Music Fest in Mason, Music In The Park Series throughout Lansing, Jazz Fest and Blues Fest in Old Town, and Music in the Mall at Meridian Mall. Students also regularly play at local venues like One North Kitchen & Bar, Reno's East, The Junction, and Macs Bar. Come join the band and visit School of Rock East Lansing today!

Programs we offer

Rock 101 music program in Okemos for kids and beginners
Rock 101
Ages 8-13

Rock 101 is one of School of Rock East Lansing's top programs for kids and beginners. Students have one weekly group rehearsal where they learn to play classic rock songs that have been simplified for beginner musicians. Additionally, Rock 101 students in East Lansing have a weekly private music lesson with an instructor who helps them learn the concepts and skills behind their performance songs.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY PRIVATE LESSON
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP REHEARSAL

The Path to Take the Stage

Our music programs for kids in Okemos are designed to get students on stage performing, with the goal of building strong musical proficiency. Younger students at School of Rock East Lansing who have participated in the Rookies program can move to our Rock 101 music program once they’re ready. Additionally, students (typically ages 8 to 13-years-old) can begin Rock 101 without any prior experience. The goal of this rock program is to quickly develop a basic competence on students’ chosen instruments before moving on to our famous Performance Program.

Performance music program for teens in Okemos
Performance
Ages 8-18

The Performance Program at School of Rock East Lansing is our hallmark music program, where tens of thousands of students enroll each year. It consists of a weekly group rehearsal where kids and teens learn by playing rock music's most iconic songs with a band composed of their peers. Students are assigned songs and parts that are tailored to them based on their age, experience and ability to learn new skills and concepts. Students then work through their parts in weekly private music lessons, refining the skills and concepts that those songs introduce. The goal of this curriculum is to prepare kids and teens for live performances. Every few months, School of Rock East Lansing Performance Program students take the stage and play at local Okemos music venues in front of a live audience.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY PRIVATE LESSON
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP REHEARSAL

The Path to Take the Stage

School of Rock East Lansing's music programs for kids and teens are designed to inspire by getting students on stage and performing. All of our other music education programs focus on readying students for our famous Performance Program. This is where students develop incredible musical skills. Performance Program students have often gone through our Rock 101 program first or have some previous basic music experience. These young musicians will have custom development plans outlined by their instructors with key concepts reinforced during private lessons and group rehearsals, all with the goal of performing live at a Okemos music venue.

Rookies music program for children in Okemos
Rookies
Ages 6-7

At School of Rock East Lansing, our music program for children with no previous musical experience (typically ages 6 to 7-years-old) is called Rookies. Rookies students have one weekly group music lesson where they learn fundamentals like chords, rhythm and song structure. Kids get to learn and experiment with multiple instruments so they can later decide which one they ultimately want to continue pursuing in Rock 101.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP LESSON
  • USE OF SIMPLIFIED ROCK INSTRUMENTS TO TEACH KIDS TO PLAY MUSIC

The Path to Take the Stage

All of our music programs are designed to inspire students to learn and develop a strong musical proficiency. At School of Rock East Lansing, younger students who are not ready for a more comprehensive program like Rock 101 can start in Rookies. Additionally, students who have completed the Little Wing program will progress into the Rookies music program. No prior musical experience is needed for Rookies. Once your child is ready for private music lessons (typically older than first or second graders), they will graduate into our Rock 101 program.

Little Wing music program for toddlers and preschoolers in Okemos
Little Wing
Ages 4-5

At School of Rock East Lansing our Little Wing music program for preschoolers and toddlers teaches students foundational music skills by playing games and participating in other interactive musical activities. Little Wing students have one weekly group music lesson in which they use classic rock songs to learn about rhythm, song structure, melody and dynamics through play.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP LESSON
  • USE HAND PERCUSSION & OTHER TOOLS TO LEARN RHYTHM PATTERNS & MUSIC SYNTAX

The Path to Take the Stage

The Little Wing music program is the first step in a young musician's journey. At School of Rock East Lansing, toddlers and preschoolers who show an interest in music should start with Little Wing. As they get older, they will progress into the Rookies program, followed by Rock 101 and the Performance Program.

Songwriting
Age 12 and over

Our Songwriting program for kids and teens teaches the fundamentals of songwriting, arrangement and music theory, and helps students compose original works.  At School of Rock East Lansing, songwriting students receive one weekly private lesson where they learn concepts, technique and theory on an instrument of their choice. These principles are then applied in a weekly group lesson where students work together on songwriting exercises and lyrical workshops.  Every few months, Songwriting students take the stage to perform or band together to record their original songs.

What to Expect
  • 1 weekly private lesson
  • 1 weekly group lesson

The Path to Take the Stage

Our Songwriting program for kids and teens in Okemos is designed to create musical proficiency through the creation of original music. Students at School of Rock East Lansing who have completed our Rock 101 program can move to our Songwriting program once they’re ready. Additionally, new students who have prior experience with and basic knowledge of an instrument can also begin Songwriting. The program culminates with a live showcase where students perform their original compositions in bands at a local music venue. Students taking the Songwriting Program online will remotely record their original songs to produce a demo of the class's music.

Remote student playing guitar
Online
All Ages

At School of Rock East Lansing, our students can take online, one-on-one music instruction from the comfort of their homes. We call this program School of Rock Remote. This online music program contains weekly one-on-one instruction conducted by our expert School of Rock instructors in a safe virtual lesson room.
 
Students will receive their training using our proprietary education program, The School of Rock Method™, which couples live video lessons with our proprietary Method App™, SongFirst Approach™ and Method Books™. 

What To Expect
  • ONE WEEKLY 1-ON-1 LESSON
  • LESSONS CONDUCTED USING SECURE VIDEO TECHNOLOGY

THE PATH TO TAKE THE STAGE

All of our music programs for kids, teens, and adults are designed to help students gain amazing musical proficiency. School of Rock’s online music lesson program is no exception. Online guitar lessons, online piano lessons, online drum lessons, online singing lessons and online bass guitar lessons are all offered through the School of Rock Remote online program.

Adult music program in Okemos for students over 18
Adult Program
Ages 18+

School of Rock East Lansing's Adult Program is for students over 18 years old who are looking to either improve their musical proficiency or pick up an instrument with no prior musical experience. As with most School of Rock music programs, the Adult Program uses a performance-based music education approach. This means the curriculum focuses on learning music concepts and applying them in a live performance setting. Our Adult Music Program includes one weekly private music lesson and a weekly group rehearsal. Every student at School of Rock East Lansing is placed in a band of fellow adults and then assigned specific songs as a way of learning key music concepts and skills. Adult students then take the stage to play at a live show in Okemos.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY PRIVATE LESSON
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP REHEARSAL

The Path to Take the Stage

All of our music programs are designed to inspire by getting students on stage and performing, with the goal of building strong musical proficiency along the way. The School of Rock East Lansing Adult Program is open to all experience levels and each student will follow a customized learning plan developed by their instructor. Adult students will work together during rehearsal to prepare for a live performance at a real rock venue in Okemos.

House Band program for gigging at local venues in Okemos
House Band
Age 17 and Under

The School of Rock East Lansing House Band music program gives students under 18 the opportunity to join a gigging band composed of fellow musicians from their school. These students perform additional live shows throughout the year. All students in the Performance Program have the opportunity to audition for a spot in School of Rock East Lansing's House Band. Once selected, House Band members become leaders in their School of Rock community and perform live shows at MI rock venues throughout the year.

What To Expect
  • A GIGGING MUSICIAN'S EXPERIENCE
  • FREQUENT LIVE PERFORMANCES IN COMMUNITY

The Path to Take the Stage

Performance is the core of School of Rock's educational approach. Therefore, we create additional opportunities for students to perform on stages throughout Okemos and the rest of MI. The House Band music program allows each school's most talented students the opportunity to join a band and play routinely in front of live audiences. Once a member, students will gain real music experience associated with gigging musicians and will become leaders and mentors inside the School of Rock community.

The AllStars national tour features the best child and teen musicians
AllStars
Age 17 and Under

The School of Rock AllStars Tour takes the very best students from around the world and sends them on a nationwide summer tour across the United States. Less than 1% of School of Rock students are selected each year to represent School of Rock as an AllStar. All Performance Program students are eligible to audition for this prestigious program. The intensive audition process starts off with video submissions followed by live auditions. Once selected, AllStar students will have an authentic touring experience including traveling on a tour bus, doing tour publicity and starring in nightly performances at famous venues and festivals during a two-week tour.

What To Expect
  • A MULTI-CITY, COUNTRY-WIDE MUSIC TOUR EXPERIENCE
  • PERFORMING ON SOME OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST FAMOUS STAGES IN THE WORLD

The Path to Take the Stage

Becoming an AllStar is the highest level of achievement for a School of Rock student. They play on legendary stages large and small, including The Knitting Factory, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, The Troubadour and Lollapalooza. AllStar students often go on to have accomplished careers in the music industry. Former AllStars have gone on to become touring artists, star in Broadway musicals, get signed to record deals, become finalists on talent competitions like "The Voice" and "American Idol" and have other notable roles in the music industry.

Music Lessons in East Lansing

Kid learns to play guitar at School of Rock Okemos

Guitar Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock East Lansing, we offer beginner guitar lessons for kids. Our expert guitar instructors guide your child from start to finish with private instruction and weekly group band rehearsals. Every instructor at School of Rock East Lansing is an experienced musician, and they emphasize foundational music theory and technique when teaching guitar lessons to kids. Unlike other Okemos guitar lessons and programs, School of Rock is designed to get students performing in a band.

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Adults

It’s never too late to learn to play the guitar. Similar to our kids guitar lessons, School of Rock East Lansing's beginner guitar lessons for adults utilizes a performance-based curriculum. Our experienced instructors teach adult students through popular rock songs, and teach students to play guitar in a way that’s challenging and fun. We believe the best way to learn is by doing, which is why we combine weekly private guitar lessons with group band rehearsals. At School of Rock East Lansing, we teach beginner guitar lessons for adults in our Adult Program. This program gets students performing onstage at a local Okemos venue.

Key Concepts
  • Technique
  • Solos
  • Chords
  • Theory

Intermediate to Advanced Guitar Lessons

As students gain skills and experience, we move them along to more challenging programs at higher skill levels. Intermediate and advanced students take the skills they learned in beginner guitar lessons, and layer on more difficult techniques and concepts. School of Rock East Lansing offers advanced guitar lessons for kids and adults that teach by playing challenging classic rock songs and emphasize playing the guitar in a real music venue. Our Okemos guitar teachers will work with each student to develop a custom learning plan.

Kids learn to drum at School of Rock Okemos

Drum Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Drum Lessons for Kids

School of Rock East Lansing is the best option for anyone looking to learn the drums. Our beginner drum lessons get kids behind the drum kit and on their way to taking the stage. That’s why at School of Rock East Lansing we combine private drum lessons for beginners with weekly band rehearsals—it prepares students to perform live. With years of experience teaching drums in Okemos, our drum instructors teach beginner drum students core techniques, including how to groove, play rudiments and more.

Beginner Drum Lessons for Adults

Our drum lessons for adults are designed to accommodate all skill levels. At School of Rock East Lansing, our beginner drum lessons for adults are built for musicians with little to no experience. We teach adults using the same core performance-based education philosophy as our drum lessons for kids—performing with a band accelerates the learning process. Adult students will perform live at a venue in Okemos. Unlike other Okemos drum lessons for beginners, School of Rock combines private drum lessons with weekly band rehearsals so students are ready to play in front of real, live audiences.

Key Concepts
  • RUDIMENTS
  • TIME SIGNATURES
  • TECHNIQUE
  • GROOVE

Intermediate to Advanced Drum Lessons

More experienced to advanced drum students need a drum lesson curriculum that builds upon foundational skills and continues to grow musical proficiency. That’s why at School of Rock East Lansing, our drum lessons are customized for each student and his or her goals. Our Okemos drum instructors integrate more complex techniques and concepts—intermediary grooves, shifts, meters and more—into a student's individual lessons and group band rehearsal, and will also select more difficult songs for his or her live performances.

 

Kid learns to sing at School of Rock Okemos

Singing Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Singing Lessons for Kids

School of Rock East Lansing offers beginner singing lessons for kids. Our unique, performance-based approach develops students' musical proficiency by preparing them to perform live. At School of Rock East Lansing, our vocal coaches are practicing musicians who integrate key music fundamentals—breathing, posture and more—into a curriculum based on performing with a band. Each week, beginner singing students participate in a private singing lesson and a band rehearsal.

Beginner Singing Lessons for Adults

School of Rock East Lansing teaches adults how to sing in our innovative Adult Program. Students develop vocal skills at a challenging pace designed to help you see results with every singing lesson. Adult vocalists learn how to keep tempo, stay on-key and master advanced vocal techniques for a powerful and healthy voice. Our curriculum teaches students how to sing by using popular rock songs that emphasize key concepts. Each week, Adult Program students have a private singing lesson for beginners and group band rehearsal.

Key Concepts
  • TECHNIQUE
  • HARMONY
  • POWER
  • READING

Intermediate to Advanced Singing Lessons

At School of Rock East Lansing, our singing lessons for kids and adults are designed to help our students reach a high degree of musical proficiency. Intermediate and advanced singers take skills learned from previous singing lessons and layer on more difficult techniques and concepts. Our advanced singing lessons teach students to sing by performing popular rock songs that illustrate a specific vocal concept or technique. We pair weekly private singing lessons with weekly band rehearsals with the goal of getting musicians to perform live in Okemos.

Kid learns to play bass at School of Rock Okemos

Bass Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Bass Lessons for Kids

School of Rock East Lansing offers beginner bass guitar lessons for kids that blend weekly private instruction with weekly band rehearsals. This performance-based approach results in a high level of musical proficiency because it engages and inspires students. Every School of Rock bass instructor is a practicing musician in Okemos and teaches bass lessons for kids that get great results. Beginners learn to play bass guitar by using popular rock songs that illustrate key concepts and techniques.

Beginner Bass Lessons for Adults

Adults looking to learn bass guitar can enroll in School of Rock’s Adult Program. No experience is necessary in our beginner bass guitar lessons for adults. At School of Rock East Lansing, our experienced, local bass guitar instructors have the patience and skills to help adult students gain musical proficiency. As with all School of Rock music programs, our bass guitar lessons for adults ciriculum is performance-based, and include both weekly private instruction and weekly band rehearsals.

Key Concepts
  • GROOVE
  • TECHNIQUE
  • THEORY
  • TONE

Intermediate to Advanced Bass Lessons

Our intermediate to advanced bass guitar lessons teach Okemos students the skills they need to become the backbone of a band. Students take skills from previous bass lessons and layer on more difficult techniques and concepts. At School of Rock East Lansing, our bass instructors use popular rock songs as a way of teaching students advanced concepts and techniques. We pair weekly private bass lessons with weekly band rehearsals to inspire and engage students throughout the learning process.

Kid learns to play piano at School of Rock Okemos

Keyboard Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock we teach differently than other music schools in Okemos. Our curriculum is performance-based, meaning that we prepare students to perform. Our piano lessons for beginners combine weekly private instruction with weekly band rehearsals. At School of Rock East Lansing, our beginner keyboard lessons for kids take key concepts and music fundamentals—finger placement, scales, key differentiation and more—and teach them through popular rock songs. This approach inspires and engages students, which results in attaining a high level of musical proficiency. Our piano teachers have years of experience teaching music in the Okemos area, and know how to coach and motivate students of any skill level to play the keyboard.

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Adults

The School of Rock East Lansing Adult Program puts beginner keyboard students in a band. Adult Program students in the Okemos area learn to play piano through a combination of weekly private beginner piano lessons and weekly band rehearsals. At School of Rock, our piano lessons give adult students the chance to perform in a band at local Okemos music venues, taking them out of the classroom and onto the stage.

Key Concepts
  • TECHNIQUE
  • TONE
  • THEORY
  • READING

Intermediate to Advanced Keyboard Lessons

At School of Rock East Lansing, our keyboard lessons for kids and adults are designed to help students get results. Intermediate and advanced students take skills learned from beginner keyboard lessons and layer on more advanced piano techniques with concepts. Our local keyboard instructors are all practicing musicians in Okemos, and use popular rock songs as a way of teaching complex skills. We pair weekly private piano lessons with weekly band rehearsals to inspire and engage students throughout the learning process.

Our Experienced Music Teachers

All of School of Rock East Lansing’s music teachers are experienced musicians devoted to helping students attain musical proficiency. Our instructors guide students one-on-one to personalize learning, inspire confidence and build social skills.

Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher Alex Everdeen
Alex Everdeen
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
Alex Everdeen is a guitar, bass, and drum instructor at School of Rock East Lansing. He picked up his first guitar when he was 10 years old and still has a hard time putting it down. Over the years, he picked up French Horn, drums, bass guitar, trombone, trumpet, and saxophone. He received his Bachelor’s in Music Education from Michigan State University and has performed with many prestigious ensembles, such as the MSU Wind Symphony and the Spartan Marching Band. He is an avid musician with a passion for finding the newest cool sounds.
Drum Teacher Benjamin Martin
Benjamin Martin
Drum Teacher
Benjamin Martin teaches drums at School of Rock East Lansing. He began playing drums in elementary school, in both concert and marching band. Two years after graduating he joined a local rock band, "Mr. Denton on Doomsday", that has toured regionally, nationally, and continues to perform today. Benjamin has 15 years of experience performing in shows and is excited to teach students not only how to practice, but also how to perform for an audience.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher Brian Alspaugh
Brian Alspaugh
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Brian began playing guitar since he was 14 years old and hasn't stopped yet. In addition to guitar, he also plays drums, bass and keys. He has been playing gigs since 2003. He is the guitarist and primary songwriter for local band Mr. Denton On Doomsday, an avant-garde rock 4 piece. Mr. Denton has performed at several national tours in support of their release "Origami Trail". Mr Denton performed in front of over 10,000 fans at the Common Ground festival in Lansing alongside Three Days Grace, All That Remains and P.O.D. At the Rockapalooza Festival in Jackson, they shared the stage with Candlebox, Saliva, Mushroomhead and many others.
Guitar Teacher, Keyboard Teacher Elijah Hoene
Elijah Hoene
Guitar Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Elijah Hoene is a Lansing native who has been playing piano since he was five years old, and guitar since he was seven. Between the ages of 12 and 19, Elijah was the frontman and guitarist for the band "The 89th Key", who went on to win the Loft's Homegrown Throwdown competition in 2018. Elijah loves to sing, play guitar, piano, drums, bass - really any instrument he can get his hands on. From Beethoven to Black Sabbath, Elijah loves all varieties of music. He is studying psychology at Lansing Community College, and in the time he does not spend studying, you can be sure you will find an instrument in his hand. He also has a dog and two cats and loves animals as much as he loves music.
Guitar Teacher Joey Lindstrom
Joey Lindstrom
Guitar Teacher
Joey has been playing guitar since the age of 15. He has since learned to play the bass guitar and continues to learn other instruments such as piano and drums.

He enjoys playing all genres of music. Joey has toured and performed across the nation with multiple bands and artists, including country groups with David Shelby, and Adam Calvert. Also hip-hop group Mikeyy Austin and The Happy Medium.
Music Director, Studio Coordinator Kaitlyn Riel
Kaitlyn Riel
Music Director, Studio Coordinator
Kaitlyn is a graduate of Central Michigan University with degrees in music education and musical theatre. She hails from the Lansing area but has recently returned from New York City, after performing in Bridging the Gap Cabaret series at 54 Below in Manhattan. She has previously performed at Midland Center for the arts as Edwin Drood (The Mystery of Edwin Drood) and Bay City Players as Reno Sweeney (Anything Goes), and is excited to be Music Director and Studio Coordinator here at School of Rock!
Mandy Waltz
Drum Teacher
Mandy Waltz is a drum teacher at School of Rock East Lansing. Mandy started drumming when she was 10 years old, and did drum line, jazz band and orchestral band throughout high school, but had the most fun when playing with her friends in rock bands. In 2014, she graduated from Central Michigan University with a degree in Writing and Communication, again finding she had the most fun playing in rock bands with her friends. Since then she has toured all over the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK and continental Europe, and is looking to do even more with her main band, Rodeo Boys.
Maura Drinkert Singing Teacher
Maura Drinkert
Vocal Teacher
Maura Drinkert is a singing teacher at School of Rock East Lansing, with additional experience in classical percussion, piano, bass, ukulele, composition/music production, and songwriting. She is currently a junior at Michigan State studying music education and composition. Based in Fowlerville, MI, Maura has aspirations to become an elementary music teacher, as well as a successful composer and producer. She is currently recognized under ASCAP and sells her own sheet music on J.W. Pepper! Maura is honored to have worked with many talented musicians, including the world-renowned Sō Percussion. Her work has been premiered at the Michigan Music Conference and in the beautiful venues of the MSU College of Music.

Maura is excited to work with the brilliant students at School of Rock! She believes that music, of any genre or setting, brings people together; it offers students a chance to express themselves in a safe environment and community that they might not have anywhere else.
Michael Pierce
Guitar Teacher
Michael Pierce is a guitar teacher at School of Rock East Lansing. He has been playing guitar from a young age, and has been actively performing and teaching since 2012. Michael graduated from Aquinas College in 2017 with a degree in Classical Guitar Performance, and he has studied with many world-class guitarists. Michael currently performs and tours with the rock band Conrad Shock and The Noise, and soul-pop band August. He also plays solo classical guitar for weddings, corporate parties and private events all around West Michigan.
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher Michelle Drake
Michelle Drake
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Michelle is a Michigan native who just can't seem to stop singing. While earning her degree in vocal performance from Indiana Wesleyan University, Michelle sang with the IWU Chorale and toured the US as well as Mexico and Italy. Though she started her singing journey in musical theater and opera, she is eagerly expanding her musical knowledge as a vocal instructor at School of Rock East Lansing.

Michelle found out about School of Rock while directing music for School of Rock: The Musical in East Lansing, which partnered with the school for the use of their talented young musicians. Working with these amazing students has been inspiring to Michelle's musical journey, and she is excited to help each student find their voice, put on a show, and grow as a musician.
Nick Mills
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Nick Mills is a Lansing-based musician and educator who has been writing and performing music since the 2000s. He is a voice teacher, piano instructor, drum teacher, and bass guitar teacher at School of Rock. Nick began playing the piano at 7 years old and spent his teens learning drums, bass, production, and music theory. He has since written and recorded over 300 original songs across a wide variety of styles, and written and performed original scores for two short films. Nick earned his bachelor's degree in Music Education from Central Michigan University with an emphasis on vocal music, and he is excited to help students to grow their passion for music, express themselves, and work as a team through the power of rock.
Nikki Westphal Piano Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Teacher, Singing Teacher
Nikki Westphal
Piano Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Nikki Westphal is a piano, guitar, bass, and voice teacher. She started playing piano at 8 years old and later picked up guitar at 13. Nikki began to realize her love for rock music when she joined a summer camp at School of Rock in her hometown. She later went into house band where they did lots of local gigs and went on tour. After moving to Michigan, Nikki joined the Triumph Music Academy performing gigs throughout Grand Rapids and is now pursuing a psychology degree at Michigan State University. Nikki loves all styles of music, especially rock music, and is excited to be a teacher at School of Rock!
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher Steve Petrinko
Steve Petrinko
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Steve Petrinko is a producer, audio engineer, composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist. He plays guitar, bass, drums, keys, saxophone, steel pan, vibraphone, and world percussion. Steve currently teaches guitar and bass at School of Rock East Lansing!

Steve has composed, produced, sung, and played guitar, drums, and keys for most of his childhood and all of his adult life. He is a 30-year choir veteran and enjoys arranging and singing four-part harmony. Additionally, he has studied saxophone for the past decade. Steve has written, arranged, performed all parts, produced, and released well over 100 original songs. He has performed deep-dive studies and self-produced tribute albums to both Elvis Presley and the Bee Gees.

Steve has performed live as a lead singer, guitarist, and drummer in many multi-year rock, pop, and folk bands. His crowning award achievement was winning both first place (drumming) and second place (guitar/lead vocals) at the Bay City Battle of the Bands. Steve loves all genres of music. He has a special affinity for British invasion groups, '80s pop and rock, '90s alternative, and 2000-to-present independent hip-hop, pop, rock, country, and J-pop.
Tommy McCord
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Tommy McCord is a Lansing-based musician with nearly two decades of performing, recording and touring experience. At School of Rock East Lansing Tommy is a guitar teacher and bass guitar teacher. Tommy has toured the continental US, Mexico and Canada multiple times as a guitarist and singer in the bands The Plurals and Drinking Mercury, and has overseen over 100 independent music releases as a co-founder of the record label GTG Records. Tommy also has experience as both a live sound and recording engineer and can be found behind the mixing desk at venues like Mac's Bar, The Avenue Cafe and the studio space for GTG Records.
School of Rock is where music and learning come together

For over twenty years, our amazing instructors have transformed hundreds of thousands of students across the world into skilled musicians. Become a musician at School of Rock.

Reviews

What I like about the program is that my kids LOVE it!

This is so different from the music lessons that existed when I was a kid. These kids are actually making music and learning to play as a band. The performances are so impressive, and watching the kids gain confidence and express themselves on stage is priceless.

The structure around how kids learn is amazing.

Taking lessons to learn an instrument is one thing, but learning how to be a part of a band is on another level. These kids are learning how to communicate, respect people and their opinions, and how to be accountable for themselves. It’s more than just music here.

It's the best music program in the city.

Dedicated instructors and staff, vibrant atmosphere, and most importantly, it's fun! My 8-year-old has grown leaps and bounds in skill and personal confidence. If you're thinking about checking it out, don't wait, just do it!

The kids have a great time while learning to play.

Lifelong skills and relationships are born here. The staff shares their passion for music and are very professional and accommodating. Wish I had this type of exposure to music when I was growing up!

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