The School of Rock Berkeley has taken my 10 year old drumming daughter’s skills to a level that seemed impossible a couple of months ago. Through the private lessons, she has been exposed to different genres of music and techniques that took her from playing basic rhythms to actual syncopation complete with fills and tempo changes. And now that she is playing with the performance band she gets to play alongside some uber-talented kids which has pushed her to be better. And to top it off, the school is located in a super cute neighborhood and the school itself is awesomely decorated inside and always kept clean and sanitized. The staff and teachers are all welcoming. Couldnt ask for more from the perspective of a parent hoping that their kid finds a lifelong love of music.
My son loves the little rookies classes.
My 4 year old son takes drum lessons here from the nicest most patient teacher, Jordan. Highly recommend!
BandWorks – Camps and Classes
Address: 150 Mitchell Blvd, San Rafael, CA 94903 , American Canyon , California , United States
My son has done camps with Jeff for a few years and is already looking forward to this summer. He even wanted Jeff as his regular instructor and thanks to his tutelage my boy is shredding at 12! 5 stars aren’t enough…
My son attended this camp for two summers and he just loved it. It was a great mix of fun, collaboration, and hard work. He even practiced nightly at home so the band would not be let down! And then there was a performance at the end that gave all us parents smiles that could not be wiped off our faces. Awesome!
BandWorks – Camps and Classes
Address: 623 3rd St, Oakland, CA 94607 , American Canyon , California , United States
I absolutely love the School of Rock in Santa Rosa! Jake is amazing with the kids and they always have a great time! Last week they made musical instruments and we “played” The limbo! His energy with kids great to watch and introducing music to kids is so important and they do it in such a fun and engaging way!
School of Rock
Address: 2645 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94306 , American Canyon , California , United States
Everyone is so kind!!! Love!!! My instructor JB is encouraging, kind, polite, patient…etc. Everyone moved me so much!
My daughter looks forward to rehearsals and lessons, and is working on great music!
Learning music in a group setting is very important. No only are my children motivated to learn their own material, but they also learn how to collaborate with their peers. The team at SOR is great.
Great folks!
My child has been taking lessons for over almost 2 years now. He started with drums and electric guitar recently.
They helped him develop genuine interest in music, and so he looks fwd to practicing at home.
A few days back spoke to a gentleman, may be not so much of a “Gentleman”, about the program, fees, and policies over all. It was a turn off. May be I caught him on a bad day. One star because I only spoke to him and the way he explained to made me think, I should find another place. Seems very inflexible place especially if you have young kids.
I am disappointed with our experience at this place. Here are the reasons why:
1. The class neglects to teach fundamental music concepts such as notes and rhythm to the kids. This lack of foundation is a significant drawback.
2. Rather than gradually introducing beginners to these basics, they immediately thrust them into rehearsals with more advanced children. This approach is demotivating for newcomers who are still learning.
3. My child expressed a clear disinterest in attending these classes, which is a testament to their dissatisfaction.
4. As parents with limited musical knowledge, we attempted to supplement at home with various apps, but it became evident that children need proper instruction and practice in the basics before tackling complex songs.
We provided this feedback to the teacher on multiple occasions, but they merely suggested that we encourage our child to practice at home, without addressing the core issues.
This dissatisfaction has persisted through the third class, and when we requested a cancellation, nobody showed any interest in understanding or rectifying the situation.
If you are seeking a beginner’s music institute for your child, I would strongly advise looking elsewhere, as this place does not meet those needs.
Love the place. Great teachers! But I am shocked by how insensitive the Eric at front desk could be. I understand that the No show policy is tough because they have to pay the teachers. Yes I get it. But the way he relays is “No matter if you die or kid dies or any one dies in the family, there is nothing we can do about it”. Shhh! Chill!!
May be don’t give him front desk duties if he can’t handle people. I feel very sorry for the owner or management of this place.
What a morbid and insensitive way to communicate.
School of Rock
Address: 711 S B St, San Mateo, CA 94401 , American Canyon , California , United States
My two boys have been taking lessons at School of Rock since last year. One takes vocals and the other drums. They both see Patrick. He is amazing and has taught them so much. My younger son is in Rock Band now performing Woodstock. It’s been a great experience overall!
My son has enjoyed getting into the program and learning the basics, but he REALLY enjoys the Rock 101 program where the kids gets together to play songs. He’s normally very shy, but after one turn behind the drum set in this class, he was all smiles for the rest of the day. It’s a cool way to experience the music lesson experience, and I’ve been impressed at how School of Rock has taught him to pick the beat out of a song – he now drums everywhere and asks when he gets to go back.
My daughters adore coming to the School of Rock. I considered other places for drums and vocals lessons but School of Rock fosters a “get on stage and play with others” spirit which is something they were looking to do more than the traditional end of year recital. Weekly private lessons combined with weekend stage practice is a huge hit and never any complaints about going. The instructors seem quite patient in working with the kids.
