Instruments are scattered around the room, along with their owners who casually pluck the strings on their guitar, or lightly drum their broken-in drumsticks.  Kids are laughing and talking, but most importantly, they are practicing with their momentary band mates for their upcoming performance.  

This is the setting of the jam-session rehearsal for the 7-18 year old kids who are a part of the Fairfield School of Rock music school.  

This preparation is all for one of the school’s shows, which features a medley of young musicians who practice long hours to perfect the well loved music of rock and roll legends. 

TheSchoolofRockis home to many students with a passion for learning and playing music, particularly rock and roll.  Students as young as seven take part in the unique curriculum, and learn songs from past favorite rock and roll bands such as The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles.

Frank Perrouna, The Regional Music Director of theSchoolofRock, believes that at the school, “We make sure that the kids want to come here.” According to Perrouna, what makes this music school different than others is the program’s stress of getting a “performance-based education.”

Although it is not required, most of the students take part in one of the schools shows for the instrument that they are learning.

The shows feature an assortment of bands, which are a combination of the many students in the school.  The performances are full of energy and take place in bars such asNorwalk’s The Black Bear Saloon.

“It’s a great experience to play live for an audience,” said Vidur Nair ’15, a guitarist and bass player. “ You feel like the work that you put into learning all this music actually pays off, and you have something to show for it.”

It is no simple task to prepare for these lives shows. There are 12-16 rehearsals before the final show, each one lasting three hours, according to Perrouna.  These rehearsals are in addition to the student’s usual music lessons for the instrument(s) that they play.  

Regardless of the time commitment, the students and teachers love what they do.  Staples student Annabel Porio ’15, a bass guitar player, describes the process as “very collaborative.”  Porio says that because the students ultimately play in a band with other kids for their final show, they understand that they have to work together to be their best.  

Nair agrees and believes that, “It’s nice that the performance program teaches kids how to cooperate with each other, because that’s what music is all about.”

It is not just the students who work together to put on a successful show.  The entire staff at theSchoolofRockhas worked professionally on some level, according to Perrouna. 

The instructors work hard with the students to help them improve, and everyone involved is always growing.

“The job is extremely fulfilling and enriching for everyone involved,” said Perrouna.  “We’re all each other’s biggest fans.”

Part of the reason students are always growing is because they are always put up for a challenge.  TheSchoolofRockpushes kids out of their comfort zone, which is Nair’s favorite part.  

“I found that after joining, I have been able to play music that I didn’t think I was capable of playing before, but since I had to learn it for a show, it really forced me to do my best to learn the material as perfectly as I could,” said Nair.         The School of rock is not only a successful music school, but a place for kids to exceed their boundaries, and it becomes a kind of second home as well.

Even the student’s like Bethany Fell, who is 10-years-old and has only been playing with theSchoolofRockfor about a year feel at ease, “It’s like we’re all one big family here.”