New Student Guide
Thank you for entrusting your child’s music education to us. School of Rock is a growing, passionate community dedicated to enriching lives through performance-based music education, and we truly feel we have the best jobs in the world! Our performance-based method teaches our students to play rock music in a unique and interactive way. This document explains our policies on payment, lessons, and rehearsals and also provides information about how to contact us. Please read it carefully and keep it for future reference.
OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM
OWNER/ GENERAL MANAGER | ANDREW KARLIN
Andrew Karlin is the Owner and General Manager of School of Rock Brick. A devoted musician since the age of five, Andrew left a long and successful career as a pioneer in video and Internet technology to pursue his passion project - working with kids, music and the community to enrich lives and have fun. Andrew is a proven entrepreneur who applies the experience of three previous business start-ups to establishing School of Rock Brick in underserved Ocean County.
ASSITANT GENERAL MANAGER/ STUDIO COORDINATOR | ALLIE LAINEAllie was drawn to the piano at the age of 4 where her love of music began. A multi-instrumentalist and singer, she appeared in numerous theater productions and concerts. Allie toured the tri-state area singing in the original rock opera, “Day After Day,” which was written to raise autism awareness. She also had the honor of auditioning and being accepted into the Broadway Artists Alliance where she trained with New York’s top vocal coaches and worked alongside Broadway performers.
Allie has performed on prestigious stages such as Red Bank’s Two River Theater and New York City’s New World Stages. In addition to performing, Allie has over a decade of experience working in and managing music schools, leading up to her role as Assistant General Manager at School of Rock in Brick.
MUSIC DIRECTOR/ INSTRUCTOR | JAY OLIVERJay's passion for music started at a very young age. He has over twenty years of experience performing as a guitarist, bassist, and vocalist. Jay has been a member of several original projects through the years, starting on guitar and then transitioning to bass before transitioning into vocals. You can catch him playing the local cover band circuit with various bands and with his acoustic duo.
Jay has a master's degree in communication and believes that music is the one shared language we truly have in this world. This belief, and the transformative effect music has had on his own life, drives Jay to share this gift with our students as a guitar teacher and vocal instructor.
At School of Rock, we have an incredible team of music instructors and directors. Check out our website to read our staff bios. If you need to reach any of them for any reason, you can contact us via email or call us at the school. We will make sure your message gets to the right person! If you’re not sure who to reach, emails sent to our school’s address (Brick@schoolofrock.com) will be forwarded to the entire admin team.
INSTRUCTOR SUBSTITUTION
Our staff are working musicians who tour & perform locally (and occasionally get sick). When an instructor is out, we will do our best to provide a substitute instructor at your normal weekly lesson time. We occasionally have to make adjustments to the time or reschedule a lesson entirely. While we will do our best to keep you updated with instructor changes, we may not have the opportunity to give notice that a substitute instructor will be teaching your lesson until you arrive at the school that day. While all students have a primary instructor, it is important to remember that you are a School of Rock student, not a student of any one particular instructor. All of our teachers are background-checked and safety and curriculum-trained to the same School of Rock standards.
ADDITIONAL PERKS OF BEING A STUDENT
GLOBAL COMMUNITY
We are the most revolutionary music school in the world! You are now a part of a community of 400 schools across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Argentina, UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Germany, South Africa, Australia and the Philippines.
SCHOOL OF ROCK METHOD™
Traditional music education methods rarely teach students how to perform with other musicians. They focus on teaching music only through one-on-one lessons. The School of Rock Method™ is different. We combine one-on-one instruction with group rehearsals and live performances. This integrated approach teaches students techniques and theory while also helping them apply those skills when performing with other musicians. This method results in remarkable musical proficiency.
HOW IT WORKS
We start students on their musical journey by teaching the songs that inspire them. Through this SongFirst® approach, we use classic songs to teach technique and theory. This method helps students remain engaged with, and excited about, their educational experience.
METHOD BOOKS
Our proprietary Method Books are the roadmap for our educational approach. The books outline musical concepts and techniques, and then connect them to classic songs for students to learn and play. Students will also find tips on rehearsing and performing with a band.
THE METHOD APP
The School of Rock Method App is a revolutionary tool for home practice. All School of Rock students who take some form of one-on-one lessons have access to the app included in their monthly tuition. The app contains all of the exercises from the School of Rock Method Books, along with transcriptions to over 1,000 songs. The Method App is used by our teachers to assign exercises and songs, and to provide feedback and comments. Students can manipulate playback, tempo, and backing track audio to help them learn. The Method App is patent-pending and available exclusively to students enrolled at School of Rock.
In order to access the School of Rock Method App, you will first need to claim your Pike13 account. This will activate the student within the Method App’s database. After you’ve done this, head over to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to find and download the School of Rock Method App. You can also access the School of Rock Method App from your laptop or desktop computer. Use this link to get started from any device: https://rocki.ng/methodapp. When logging in, you will use the same credentials (email and password) that you used to create your Pike13 account, as the two are connected.
GEARSELECT: PURCHASING INSTRUMENTS & MUSIC GEAR
GearSelect is an exclusive program where students can buy new musical instruments and music gear directly from School of Rock to help them achieve the best sound quality possible. School of Rock is the one-stop-shop for every student’s musical needs by offering music gear such as drums, keyboards, microphones, recording equipment, amplifiers, effects pedals, accessories, guitars, bass guitars, and more. We’ve partnered with some of the music industry’s biggest brands to compile an incredible selection of musical gear for our hard-working students. Whether you’ve just scheduled your first lesson or are an advanced-level player, shop School of Rock GearSelect to find the gear you need to become the next world-famous musician.
SCHOOL OF ROCK ONLINE:
School of Rock Online offers a virtual alternative to traditional in-person lessons. Lessons through School of Rock Online take place within the Method App, and are a great option for anyone unable to attend lessons in person.
PROGRAM OFFERINGS
PERFORMANCE PROGRAM
Our Performance Program is our flagship program started in 1998. Students receive a weekly private lesson and attend a weekly group rehearsal. Students in this program dive deep into a genre or artists and are exposed to a wide variety of musical concepts while learning specific songs in a band setting. This program culminates in a real rock performance at a music venue.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Weekly Private Lesson & Band Rehearsal
SEASONAL SHOW FEE: $125
2 LIVE PERFORMANCES PER SEASON (6 PER YEAR!)
ROCK 101
Rock 101 is our program for our beginner students who are typically between 8 and 13 years of age. Students have one weekly group rehearsal where they learn classic rock songs that have been simplified specifically for beginner musicians. These rehearsals get young musicians to learn the fundamentals of their instrument while playing with a band in a positive and fun atmosphere. Students also have a weekly private music lesson with an instructor who will help them rehearse performance songs while teaching them foundational music skills and concepts.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Weekly Private Lesson & Band Rehearsal
LIVE PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES!
ROOKIES
Rookies is our introductory program for 6 and 7-year-olds. Rookies students have one weekly group music lesson where they learn music fundamentals like chords, rhythm and song structure. Kids get to learn and experiment with multiple instruments so they are then able to decide which one they ultimately want to continue pursuing in Rock 101.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Weekly 60-minute group class
ADULT PROGRAM
Why let the kids have all the fun? Our School of Rock Adult Program takes the same group collaborative approach as our Performance Program and applies it to the adult learner. Students receive a weekly private lesson and attend a weekly group rehearsal which culminates into a live show.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Weekly Private Lesson & Band Rehearsal
LIVE PERFORMANCES A SEASON!
CAMPS AND WORKSHOPSSchool of Rock offers a variety of Camps and Workshops throughout the year. Our Summer Camps are geared to a variety of ages, abilities, and focus on a wide range of themes. Our Summer Camps are a great way to accelerate a student’s learning and keep their musical minds sharp. Each location may also offer various full-day, half-day or shorter workshops focusing on different topics throughout the school year. Talk to your local school about our camps and workshops.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
5-day Camps with a Live Performance!
1-4 Day Workshops
HOUSE BAND
Each School of Rock has a House Band which represents the most dedicated students at each location. All students in the Performance Program have the opportunity to audition for a spot in House Band. House Band students must be intermediate to advanced music students, be able to get up to speed on new music quickly, be exemplary and dependable band members, and be willing and able to perform on short notice. House Band musicians attend special rehearsals in addition to the regularly scheduled season show rehearsals, and they learn additional songs. These opportunities can include opening for touring bands, performing at local events or festivals, or appearing on local television and radio stations. Talk to you local school for more information.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Additionally Weekly 90-minute Band Rehearsal
Regular Live Performance Opportunities & Potential Tours
ALLSTARSThe School of Rock AllStars Tour takes the very best students from around the world and sends them on a country-wide 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, 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. Additional fees may apply. Check out the School of Rock Allstars Tour Documentary to learn more about this unforgettable experience. Talk to your local school for more information.