School of Rock — Local services in Portland

I was very hesitant to sign my son up for classes as a teen with no experience. He was too old for the 101 class. Luckily I’m a little stubborn so I asked if there was another way to get started and they happily let him join in an older group, even thought he wasn’t experienced.

I love how the school calibrated his parts so that Gavin could participate at his own level. Gavin is also very introverted so I was worried about that. He declared that he would never perform.

Lo and behold, he loves his one on one lessons with Octavio! And he has performed 3 times already in his first 6 months. Two shows and one preview. No one in the family can believe it!

The progress that he has made on the keyboards to me is nothing short of amazing. He’s having a blast. He Practices on his own without needing to be pushed because he’s excited about the music he’s learning.

The teachers really inspire him. He looks up to them a lot. In return they are always kind, but they also know how to push the kids to be their very best. It’s been a transformational experience and I know will continue to be...

We decided to pursue School of Rock education for our 11 year old and I’m beyond excited that we took that leap. Growing up, we never had opportunities like this in my family, so when I asked my son what kind of extracurricular activity he’d value most (if any), he quickly replied guitar. So, we found this school and I couldn’t be any happier. We value art, community, and real world experiences, all of which are met here. The staff is awesome and my son recently got to play his first live concert. My younger sons and my oldest boys (student) friends loved watching their big brother on stage. Worth every moment and penny spent. Absolutely recommend.

For those worried about financial situation, ask them about solutions or programs. We don’t earn a lot, but we get by, so I didn’t pursue anything and knew the value was worth the cost. I just also know they may have some scholarships and...

This is the second year my son has been "enrolled " at School of Rock. He has a good time there, learning new songs, interacting with others who love music as much as he does, and then with a performance at the end of the week is like the cherry on top!

While watching the show last night, I noticed how, if a student was having a bit of trouble keeping time or forgetting the song, the teacher(s) will go kneel on the floor at the front of the stage, near that kid, helping he/she keep the beat by clapping or counting beats or whatever is needed. The teachers seem to really care about the kids not only learning but having fun at the same time.

If my son wants to go back next year, even though its a tad expensive, we will let him. Seeing him get excited to go to "school"...