School of Rock Madison
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(203) 350-0345(203) 350-0345

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What's Going on at School of Rock Madison

Contact Information, Hours and Basic Information for School of Rock Madison

About School of Rock Madison

Welcome to School of Rock Madison—a haven for aspiring musicians who love rock n’ roll. We believe live performance is the most fun and effective way to teach an instrument, which is why we get kids playing on stage as quickly as possible. Our classes are tailored to all age groups and levels of proficiency, and instructors are passionate about creating a legacy of music by helping students succeed in music and beyond.

We also believe that music is more than a solo act. That’s why School of Rock Madison teaches kids to play alone and as part of a team. This approach promotes accountability, speeds up the learning process, and fosters an inclusive community of rockers in Madison. Students are not only learning an instrument—they’re making friends, building confidence, and becoming better people.

Want to know more? Visit School of Rock Madison to get a feel for our methods and community.

Contact Information

School of Rock Madison
845 Boston Post Road
Madison, CT 06443
US
Main Number
(203) 350-0345(203) 350-0345
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Hours of Operation

Day of the WeekHours
Monday - Friday12:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Saturday10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
SundayClosed

Programs

  • At School of Rock Madison, our Performance Program puts our students front-and-center on a real stage for real performances. Students get to show off their killer music skills while learning serious teamwork as they and their bandmates refine their abilities through some of rock and roll’s greatest hits.

    Madison students will blow your mind with advanced performances chock-full of hits by famous artists such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Frank Zappa, Queen, and many, many more! For our students, real performances breed real skill, and real fun.

    All students in Madison’s Performance Program can expect:

    • Weekly private music lessons on guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, and/or vocals
    • Weekly band rehearsal to get students prepared for real shows
    • The experience of performing on stage with their band at real venues
    • Key learning in fundamental areas such as stage performance, harmonies, musicianship, and more
    • Fun, music, and education wrapped into one all-inclusive experience!

  • School of Rock Madison’s Rock 101 Program encourages fun and success for our younger students as they begin their journey. The days of traditional instruction with piles of sheet music are over. At School of Rock Madison, we believe that playing real music is the only path to proficiency and a true appreciation for music.

    In Rock 101, students select one instrument to study, and we begin teaching fundamentals: scales, chords, notes, time signatures, and all the rest. Our unique approach to music instruction teaches our students vital fundamentals through songs they know and love, not rote memorization. With real musical context in a fun environment, we give all of our students the knowledge they need to really pursue their passion for music.

    All students in Madison’s Rock 101 Program can expect:

    • Weekly private music lessons on guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, and/or vocals
    • Weekly group rehearsals to reinforce the fundamentals in a team environment
    • A firm grasp of the basics of music theory and technique
    • An understanding of what it means to play solo and in a group
    • Real knowledge gained through real fun!

  • Our top performers can audition for School of Rock Madison’s most prestigious honor: a spot in our AllStars program! School of Rock’s AllStars represent the best of the best from School of Rock’s global network of schools and students. Equipped with incredible musical abilities, killer work ethics and leadership skills, our AllStars have the talent and drive to grow into the next generation of musical greats.

    Every summer, our AllStars embark on an authentic concert tour for a one-of-a-kind experience. Our Madison musicians perform with All Star bands in multiple live shows at high-profile venues across the country, including Red Rocks, Lollapalooza, Hangout Music Fest, NAMM, Gathering of the Vibes, and countless others. AllStars also get to share the stage and learn from music legends like Alice Cooper, Eddie Vedder, and Slash, to name a few. The AllStars experience gives aspiring musicians the best glimpse of what a professional music career is like.

    AllStars selected from School of Rock Madison can expect:

    • Real-world performances where they can master their skills on guitar, bass, drums, keyboard and/or vocals
    • An authentic tour experience with multiple live shows in various cities
    • Taking the stage with the best of the best from School of Rock’s global community
    • A chance to perform at legendary events and venues, side-by-side with top artists
    • A truly epic rock experience like no other!

  • At School of Rock Madison, we know how to bring the world of music, and the fun that comes with it, to adults. We get our students playing and learning at rapid-fire speeds through real performances of their favorite songs, instead of your old traditional music instruction programs with piles of sheet music and hours of rote memorization. At School of Rock Madison, the stage can be yours at any age.

    Our adult students learn the fundamentals of music, including scales, chords, notes, progressions, and more, from real-world instruction through some of the most iconic songs and sounds in music history. Whatever your musical taste may be, our instructors know how to create a program just for you. Whether you’re seeking basic proficiency, a standing gig as the resident guitar player at parties, or future rock star status, School of Rock Madison works with you to help you reach your goals.

    Students in School of Rock Madison’s Adult Program can expect:

    • Fast-paced instruction on the instrument of your choice: guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, and/or vocals
    • Weekly private instruction catered to your goals and level of proficiency
    • All-adult rehearsals to prepare for real performances in local venues
    • A firm grasp of music theory and technique fundamentals, taught through your favorite music genre
    • Fun, instruction, and great progression of practical skills wrapped all into one!

At School of Rock Madison, our Performance Program puts our students front-and-center on a real stage for real performances. Students get to show off their killer music skills while learning serious teamwork as they and their bandmates refine their abilities through some of rock and roll’s greatest hits.

Madison students will blow your mind with advanced performances chock-full of hits by famous artists such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Frank Zappa, Queen, and many, many more! For our students, real performances breed real skill, and real fun.

All students in Madison’s Performance Program can expect:

• Weekly private music lessons on guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, and/or vocals
• Weekly band rehearsal to get students prepared for real shows
• The experience of performing on stage with their band at real venues
• Key learning in fundamental areas such as stage performance, harmonies, musicianship, and more
• Fun, music, and education wrapped into one all-inclusive experience!

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Take a tour of School of Rock to see how our approach to music education teaches kids to rock their worlds.

Staff

    • Photo of Our Talented SoR Instructors!
      Our Talented SoR Instructors!
      Click View All To See More!
      Our instructors live to play, and play to live! Real, gigging musicians , with education on the road or in the classroom. They employ the best techniques to get their students playing faster in a c...
      Our instructors live to play, and play to live! Real, gigging musicians , with education on the road or in the classroom. They employ the best techniques to get their students playing faster in a collaborative band environment.

      Passionate, experienced, and student focused, these musicians understand the power of mastering instruments through the group experience.

      Most of our instructors are multi-instrumentalists, which helps them excel in private lessons and managing shows.
    • Photo of Matt Alling
      Matt Alling
      Drum Instructor/Show Director
      Matt is a Drum Instructor at School of Rock in Madison. He is the owner of Connecticut Pro Percussion/Charter Oak Drums – He builds and restores drums and also does restorations and consultations...
      Matt is a Drum Instructor at School of Rock in Madison. He is the owner of Connecticut Pro Percussion/Charter Oak Drums – He builds and restores drums and also does restorations and consultations for several museums and high end collectors, as well as some VERY well known drummers. He is the curator for the drum collection at the Company of Fifers and Drummers Museum in Ivoryton, Connecticut. He started playing drums at the age of 2! Since that time has played in the following styles: Classical, musical theater, opera, jazz, rock, funk, Irish Folk, pipe bands, drum and bugle corps, fife and drum core.

      He has studied music at the University of Bridgeport and Southern Connecticut State University.
      Toured with the following acts: Queensrych, Stained, Sevendust, Motograter, John Caferty and the Beaver Brown Band, Dick Dale, The Hellecasters, Transatlantic, Blue Oyster Cult, Reverend Horton Heat, The Goo Goo Dolls, Sleepy LaBeef.

      He is performing locally with Dynamojo and The John Spignesi Band and has also performed with: The Grateful Friends, Travis Moody, Andy Grey and the Rebels, The Falling Stickmen, Accelerate to Zero, Archimedes Frisbee, Ian Charles, Gone Native, Swillbilly Deluxe, The Mercuries, One Way Ticket, MTMX, The Yale Gilbert and Sulivan Society, Mad Haleen, Scotch on the Rocks, Taggart Pipes and Drums, New Haven Gaelic Pipe Band, The Milford Volunteers Fife and Drum Corps, The Ancient Mariners Fife and Drum Corps, Connecticut Classics Drum and Bugle Corps, Milford IHS Pipe Band. He has instructed the drum-line for Hamden High, Branford High, and Jonathan Law. He's performed with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Eugene Freisen, and John Rutter and has performed at Woolsey Hall, Carnegie Hall and several festivals over the years to various crowd sizes. Not to mention 2 years as the percussionist at the New London Barn Playhouse, New London New Hampshire.
    • Photo of Michael Cassineri
      Michael Cassineri
      Music Director, Guitar/Bass Instructor, Program Coordinator
      Michael started playing guitar at the age of 11. At the age of 16 Michael began to work on his vocals and joined his first band his junior year of high school. As his love for music grew Michael ...
      Michael started playing guitar at the age of 11. At the age of 16 Michael began to work on his vocals and joined his first band his junior year of high school. As his love for music grew Michael decided to take his education in music to the next level and attended Lyndon State College and studied music with Joe Gittleman; (bassist and manager of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones) as well as other professionals in the Industry. At Lyndon Michael earned a degree in Music Business and Industry as well as a minor in Marketing. Michael played in several different bands while in college and also played solo as a singer-songwriter. After college he took a job in corporate marketing, but decided he wanted to go back to what he loved…Music.
    • Photo of Grace Denegre
      Grace Denegre
      Guitar/Vocal/Piano/Bass Instructor/Program Coordinator
      Ever since she can remember, Grace has been absolutely fascinated with music and the art of sound. She was 13 when she first taught herself guitar. Since then, she has been writing music of all dif...
      Ever since she can remember, Grace has been absolutely fascinated with music and the art of sound. She was 13 when she first taught herself guitar. Since then, she has been writing music of all different kinds and has learned many different instruments.

      Soon after graduating high school, Grace pursued a B.A. in Music Composition, Minor in Astronomy, and Certificate of Recording Arts at Sonoma State University. There, she studied multiple sides of music. This included jazz piano, classical guitar, the physics of sound, ear training, and even Rock and Roll History! Grace achieved Magna Cum Laude and The Department of Distinction award for her efforts. She was also chosen to perform the premier of Sonoma State University's Alma Mater at her commencement.

      Grace especially loves to write and create music. On February 13, 2014, she won the "Artist of the Day" as a part of the Dead Covers Project, for her eclectic cover of "Ripple" by Grateful Dead. Currently, Grace is the songwriter, producer and performer for a project called Just Peachy. Just Peachy's first EPeach was released in July of 2017. Grace plans to pursue and share her passion for music because it makes her feel happy and alive! 
    • Photo of Blake Hatch
      Blake Hatch
      Guitar/Bass Instructor, Program Coordinator
      Blake started playing the guitar at the age of 13. He took lessons at Studio 85 in Stafford Springs, CT with teacher Jeff Giglio. After a year and a half of musical study Blake's hometown studio be...
      Blake started playing the guitar at the age of 13. He took lessons at Studio 85 in Stafford Springs, CT with teacher Jeff Giglio. After a year and a half of musical study Blake's hometown studio began ensemble classes much like The School of Rock. After high school, he studied Jazz guitar at CCSU with teacher Rich Goldstein.

      After two years at Central, Blake decided to get a musical business education at the University of New Haven. He studied with professors such as Susan Dodes (Warner Chappell Music Publishing, Universal Records, Sony Music) and Murray Krugman (Platinum record Producer for Blue Ouster Cult and many other major acts). There, Blake cultivated a passion for the business side of music as well as finishing with a BA in Music. Blake plays in multiple bands in the New Haven music scene and is excited to reach his goals with the help of School of Rock!
    • Photo of Brendan Galvin
      Brendan Galvin
      Drum Instructor
      Brendan is a Shoreline Connecticut native and began taking piano lessons at age 7 and started studying the drums at age 12. He has been playing ever since and has music to thank for his closest fr...
      Brendan is a Shoreline Connecticut native and began taking piano lessons at age 7 and started studying the drums at age 12. He has been playing ever since and has music to thank for his closest friends and greatest adventures. He currently performs, records and tours with several projects and is thrilled to have a chance to pass along the gift of music at the School of Rock.
    • Photo of Mike Molyneux
      Mike Molyneux
      General Manager, Guitar/Bass Instructor, Program Coordinator
      Mike is a versatile guitarist who has been playing music since he was thirteen years old. He studied sound engineering and recording at Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry New York, where he earned his Bach...
      Mike is a versatile guitarist who has been playing music since he was thirteen years old. He studied sound engineering and recording at Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry New York, where he earned his Bachelors in Science.

      After graduating, he quickly became involved with multiple projects and businesses. He has been teaching at the School Of Rock Madison since it's opening in 2013. Mike is currently managing the school and has taught multiple instruments including: advanced guitar and bass, drums, voice, piano, group ensembles, music theory/harmony, sound reinforcement, audio engineering and recording.

      Mike is currently involved in three local ensembles that are continuously developing and performing. He is the lead and rhythm guitarist in AfterEffect - a local top 40, wedding/private party/corporate events, band. AfterEffect has been around the shoreline area and New Haven county for 5 years strong. He performs in an Acoustic Solo/Duo with the lead singer from AfterEffect, Laurie Rios. He is also a guitarist and songwriter in EchoFocus - a local original project that is currently developing their latest EP.
      Learn More
    • Photo of Jillian Senczikowska
      Jillian Senczikowska
      Guitar/Vocal/Piano/Saxophone/Clarinet/Flute Instructor, Program Coordinator
      Jill is a versatile musician. She started with piano and singing at age 8, adding flute at age 9, then guitar and other woodwind instruments when she reached high school. Jill is an active musician...
      Jill is a versatile musician. She started with piano and singing at age 8, adding flute at age 9, then guitar and other woodwind instruments when she reached high school. Jill is an active musician in professional theater companies where she is often a woodwind doubler in shows such as Man of La Mancha, The Music Man, and Les Miserables to name a few.

      Jill has her Bachelors of Arts in Music, Bachelors of Science in Music Education, and a Masters of Science in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Connecticut where she was heavily involved in several music groups and ensembles. Jill is a currently the director of instrumental music at Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School in New London, CT where she doubled the student enrollment in band within her first year and added a guitar program with brand new instruments.
    • Photo of Brandon Terzakis
      Brandon Terzakis
      Guitar/Drum Instructor, Program Coordinator
      Brandon first became interested in playing the drums at the age of 10. A few years later he began studying privately and playing in bands with friends. At this point he also began to play guitar. J...
      Brandon first became interested in playing the drums at the age of 10. A few years later he began studying privately and playing in bands with friends. At this point he also began to play guitar. Jazz appealed to him relatively early on in high school, so he auditioned for the jazz ensemble and from there knew he wanted to be involved with that realm of music in some form. After graduating high school, he began studying with Tony Lombardozzi and Joe Morris, whom had a great influence on his pursuit with free improvisation. Brandon currently plays in several bands based in Boston and New Haven.
      Learn More

Promotions

  • Summer 2018 Performance Programs & Camps

    Each show season School of Rock students spend time honing their music skills while preparing to perform some of the greatest songs in rock history on live stages across the Shoreline. The Madison School of Rock Performance Programs are specifically designed for kids who want to take it to the stage. We introduce the team element to music instruction, which makes learning music not only more fun but also more beneficial to our students' overall development. Beginner to advanced vocals, drums, keys, guitar, bass, and sax students learn how to play their instrument better and faster through the unique combination of private lessons and group rehearsals, and benefit from the band dynamic and live performances at local venues.

    All students enrolled in our Performance Program will receive:
    - Weekly private music lesson.
    - Weekly three-hour band rehearsal to prepare for live rock concerts
    - Valuable development in key group dynamic and performance areas including teamwork skills, personal accountability, stage presence, confidence building, group leadership, musicianship and more.

    Season-long Performance Programs:

    “Summer Of Love”

    Rehearses Monday Nights from 5:00pm - 8:00pm starting June 4th

    Recommended for Beginner to Advanced students.

    Students joining the Summer Of Love show will experience blends of the blues, jazz, folk, rock n' roll with unique lyrics, and improvised guitar parts! In the summer of 1967, as many as one-hundred thousand young adults sporting hippie fashions traveled to San Francisco in what came to be known as "The Summer of Love." This young generation of flower children were an eclectic bunch. They were eager to build a brave new world for a summer, a year; maybe even a lifetime.

    Artists Include:
    The Beatles, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Van Morrison, The Doors, The Velvet Underground, The Monkeys, Janis Joplin, The Mamas and The Papas, The Grateful Dead and many more!

    PERFORMS SUNDAY THE WEEKEND OF SEPTEMBER 16TH


    “Colors Of Rock”

    Rehearses Tuesday Nights from 5:00pm-8:00pm starting May 29th

    Recommended for Beginner to Advanced students.

    The Colors of Rock Program will feature bands and artists with a color in their name. Do you like the aggressive punk sound of Green Day, or the Punk/Funk feel of The Red-Hot Chili Peppers? Maybe you like the classic rock riffs of Deep Purple or the psychedelic ballads of Pink Floyd. No matter what style of music you are into this show will include sounds that you love while at the same time exposing you to new music.

    Artists Include: Green Day, RHCP, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Blue Oyster Cult, Pearl Jam, Maroon 5, The White Stripes, The Black Keys, Black Sabbath, The Black Crowes, Macy Grey and more!

    PERFORMS SUNDAY THE WEEKEND OF SEPTEMBER 16TH


    *ROCK 101*
    School of Rock Madison’s Rock 101 Program encourages fun and success for our younger students as they begin their journey. The days of traditional instruction with piles of sheet music are over. At School of Rock Madison, we believe that playing real music is the only path to proficiency and a true appreciation for music.

    In Rock 101, students select one instrument to study, and we begin teaching fundamentals: scales, chords, notes, time signatures, and all the rest. Our unique approach to music instruction teaches our students vital fundamentals through songs they know and love, not rote memorization. With real musical context in a fun environment, we give all of our students the knowledge they need to really pursue their passion for music.

    All students in Madison’s Rock 101 Program can expect:

    • Weekly private music lessons on guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, and/or vocals
    • Weekly group rehearsals to reinforce the fundamentals in a team environment
    • A firm grasp of the basics of music theory and technique
    • An understanding of what it means to play solo and in a group

    Rock 101 Rehearsals are on Wednesdays at 5:15-6:45pm and is rolling admission. A second group will be added on Fridays at 5-6:30pm if the Wednesday Rock 101 is full.

    Summer Camps:

    Throughout the week kids go from zero to a full set of songs and a live performance at a local venue. Group rehearsal, one-on-one instruction from our all-star instructors, gear education, and band-related activities are all aimed at helping kids learn a set of songs and be totally ready to rock them by the end of the week. Whether you play drums, sing, shred guitar or bass, play keyboard or sax--you'll have a blast!

    Summer Camp weeks will be announced Winter of 2018!

    1. Rock 101 Boot Camps are suited to kids aged 6-11 who have little or no previous experience with music. 
    2. Rock Performance Boot Camps are suited to kids aged 9-18 who've had at least 3 months of previous music instruction. 

    If you are unsure of the suitability of your child for any of the camps, please don't hesitate to give us a call!

News

    • School of Rock Conquers Connecticut

      Stand outside the vintage colonial house at 845 Boston Post Road in Madison on most any weekday afternoon or evening, close your eyes, and listen. Yup, that’s classic rock-and-roll music you hear...
      Stand outside the vintage colonial house at 845 Boston Post Road in Madison on most any weekday afternoon or evening, close your eyes, and listen. Yup, that’s classic rock-and-roll music you hear, anything from Elton John to Johnny Winter, Deep Purple to Green Day, The Who to who is that? What you won’t hear, though, are all the nonmusical lessons being learned—mostly by kids, but a few baby boomers, too—inside School of Rock (SOR), the recently opened location of an ingenious franchise business where real and wannabe rockers let their freak flag fly.

      Step through the front door of the circa 1844 clapboard manse—originally the Dr. Daniel M. Webb House as listed by the town’s historical society, at one time a boarding house and most recently an art gallery—and enter a world of sights and sounds both modern and nostalgic that inhabit this unusual, raucous learning laboratory.

      Launched in April, the place has few remnants of its past lives, beyond low ceilings and creaking staircases. On a wall to the left, across from the reception desk, SOR brightly announces its latest incarnation with a gigantic wall piece that spells out R-O-C-K in lightbulb letters. To the right is a sort of living room, populated by a gaggle of adolescents and teens, lounging on a long couch and in arm chairs.

      They’re strumming guitars and flailing drumsticks as they chatter and chuckle. What distinguishes this from the typical family living room is the far wall, a patchwork of dozens of album covers.

      The gregarious SOR students are waiting their turns for a weekly private lesson on guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, or vocals in one of the six practice rooms or a group session in one of the two rehearsal rooms. They’re preparing for the totally awesome culmination of each 12- to 14-week cycle of the curriculum—live performances. In January, ensembles will be on stage at Stella Blues in New Haven, rocking out in either Punk vs. Grunge or Led Zeppelin vs. The Who.

      Many of the kids performed in earlier shows, British Invasion and Americana, covering such diverse rock legends as Pink Floyd, Van Halen, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Devo, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa and Queen. Last summer, groups opened for The Fix, a punk band dating back to the 1980s, at the Madison Beach Club. Some have gigged at Donahue’s Madison Beach Grille, others are readying for open-mike nights at the Madison Arts Barn.

      Gibbons saw that happen with her own two kids, then 11 and 9, when they signed up at the SOR near their home in New Canaan. “Seeing my kids in their first School of Rock performance—my daughter beaming on stage, belting out Janis Joplin’s ‘Me and Bobby McGee’ with my son on drums—was really the clincher for me.” So impressed was Gibbons, she decided to leave her marketing career behind and open a franchise of her own. “I looked in other towns in Connecticut, but chose Madison so we could be near New Haven and the robust music scene along the shoreline.”

      Herself a classic rock devotee (“Neil Young is my favorite of favorites”), she’s about to give in to one of her instructors’ needling and take up guitar. Her business is successful—with around 60 students, ages 7–18, and a handful of adults (including a longtime air guitarist whose wife gave him the real thing for his 50th birthday)—but it’s the intangibles that are the biggest return on Gibbons’ investment. “I see kids who needed a space for themselves, somewhere that’s positive for them. So many have found that here,” she says. “They’re from different schools and ages, and making friends they might not have met otherwise. They teach each other, the olders often mentoring the youngers. They communicate in a seamless way, without any words. Someone takes the lead, but they all know it’s a group thing.”
      Learn More

    • The Lefsetz Letter: School of Rock Convention Las Vegas 2015

      They’re doing God’s work. While the rest of America is dashing for cash, while wannabe musicians keep complaining about Spotify, as if they could hold back the future, as if they were owed a l...
      They’re doing God’s work.

      While the rest of America is dashing for cash, while wannabe musicians keep complaining about Spotify, as if they could hold back the future, as if they were owed a living in music, a ragtag band of musicians and entrepreneurs is birthing the next generation of rock and rollers for the sheer joy of it. I’m not saying they’re not getting paid, I’m just saying they’re not getting rich. In cash, that is.
      Greetings from Las Vegas, where it’s gray and the season is turning but it’s always the same. A place where people come to let loose and forget who they are, served by an underclass happy to have a job. When it’s 24 hour everything you can get a gig working the graveyard shift, it may not pay well, but no one’s paying attention. That’s the luxury of Vegas, what happens here no one cares about. Except if you’re rich and famous.

      But most people are not.

      The dynamo of the School of Rock is a dentist. Who’s not a player. He got infected when he saw the people his daughter was interacting with, so different from the usual suspects at her private Philadelphia school. Musicians have been the same since the dawn of time. They’re outsiders, who are about sharing and caring as opposed to dividing lines. When society pooh-poohs you, you come together.

      And there’s a surgeon who owns a couple of franchises. He may save lives on the operating table, but what really gets him off is the smiles of the young ‘uns who get up on stage and wail on the classics that soothed his youth.

      That’s right, music used to be different. Before the whole world changed, before it was us versus them and those with the money didn’t want to part with it and those left behind kept complaining that someone stole their cheese. We were all in it together, and what kept us together, was the music.

      Read the rest here: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/index.php/archives/2015/10/17/school-of-rock-convention/
      Learn More

    • Students, adults alike hone music skills at Madison’s School of Rock

      A Madison school is helping shoreline residents’ rock out, regardless of age. At the School of Rock in Madison students can hone their rocking skills. Manager Kevin Hanley said although individu...
      A Madison school is helping shoreline residents’ rock out, regardless of age.

      At the School of Rock in Madison students can hone their rocking skills. Manager Kevin Hanley said although individual lessons are offered, the crown jewel of the school is its group performance programs.

      Each performance group has about 10-15 kids and the school has about 100 students. He said they learn songs from the 70s, 80s, 90s and modern songs.

      “It’s definitely learn by doing,” Hanley said. “There’s some theory involved but it’s definitely trying to keep the kids excited while they’re playing.”

      School seasons are three months long and are available for children ages 6-17, according to Hanley. He said they also have an adult program for anyone 18 and older, as well as a Rock 101 course for children who want to learn music basics.

      “How to tune your guitar, how to play cords, how to learn scales and the drummers learn rudimentary rhythms, how to identify the drum set and the right form for playing correctly,” Hanley said.

      So far, the rock curriculum has been working.

      “This is like a second home now,” said Ruby DeGoursey, a fifth-grader at Baldwin Middle School in Guilford. “I know so many new people and have learned so much.”

      She said she’s been going to the School of Rock for a year. Her father, Robert, said she’s always had musical talent, but was shy.

      “We thought coming here would open her up a little bit. When she started drumming and seeing other kids singing, she wanted to start singing and now she’s doing everything,” Robert DeGoursey said.

      Ruby said she’s taking the group performance program and they are learning music from the 90s.

      “I was born in 2005 so I’m mostly exposed to music from the 21st century,” Ruby said. “So now, I’m learning music from when my Dad was a kid and the 90s.”

      Towards the end of the season, Ruby and her classmates will play a concert performing the songs they’ve been working on during the season, according to Hanley. Ruby said she can’t wait for another concert.

      “My first one I was really nervous but they’ve all been super fun,” Ruby said.

      As for the adults, Hanley said they play concerts more often. He said they get to pick the songs they’d like to work on in class. He said they often get adults who have different skill levels, but sometimes they get people who are good enough to be in their own band.

      “We had one lady with this awesome voice and she was singing Janice Joplin and sounded just like her. You could tell she had been singing her whole life,” Hanley said.

      Hanley has been playing in a band since his college days at Central Connecticut State University. He said his band, Inosoul, will be playing at Toad’s Place in New Haven on April 8 and all of the instructors at the school play professionally.

      “Everybody’s been playing for a long time. We definitely have the experience and knowledge to spread to the kids here,” Hanley said.

      And the adults, too.

      Hanley said people can attend the school by logging onto madison.schoolofrock.com or by calling him at the front desk at 203-350-0345. The school is open Monday through Friday from noon to 8 p.m.
      Learn More

Testimonials

  • “It is hard to articulate the pride you feel as a parent when you see your kid perform onstage. As a music teacher for fifteen years, it is easy to say that choosing the Madison School of Rock for our fifteen yearold son, was indeed, the best parenting decision we have made yet.”
    - Susan B., parent, Madison, CT
  • “When we decided to send our daughter to SOR, we never imagined what a positive impact that one decision would have on her life. She transformed from a shy, quiet kid to a confident, incredible musician, with an active social life and many close friends she considers her second family. The amazing memories she'll always have are just icing on the cake.”
    - Karla D., parent, Madison, CT
  • “I wish I had School of Rock when I was growing up.”
    - Nearly Every Parent Who Walks Through Our Doors
  • “School of Rock has been a great community for these kids. It is an alternative to extracurricular activities that a lot of these kids can really fit into where they might feel out of place in other arenas.”
    - Andrew, parent, Guilford, CT