Youth and adults have a new place to rock in Cedar Rapids and Marion. School of Rock, 710 10th St, Marion, will celebrate their opening with a ribbon cutting on Thursday, April 8 at 4:00 pm.
The music school, which opened in March, brings students of similar age and experience together to play the songs they are learning in one-on-one lessons into a group, or band, setting. Students are welcomed by large classic rock inspired murals throughout the historic space which has been transformed into private lesson studios and small group spaces.
Programs are available for children age 3 to adult. The youngest students begin in small group classes to build appreciation of music and teach basic fundamentals in a fun, engaging way using rock music. The studio offers lessons on guitar, bass, drums, piano/keys, or vocals.
“Students are able to hear the real results of their practicing, plus make friends along the way,” said Greg Moore, owner. “Our performance-based programs will also play concerts at venues multiple times each year in front of a live audience.”
The music school is the second location for owners, Greg and Amy Moore, who first opened School of Rock in West Des Moines in 2019, the first in Iowa.
“I was visiting a friend in Chicago who took me to his son’s show at School of Rock,” said Moore. “I was completely taken aback by the way the students sounded and performed on stage. And jealous that there wasn’t a program like this in Iowa.”
Amy and Greg are passionate about music and determined to create an environment for students to find music and build a love for it in their lives. They strongly believe in creating a community of inclusiveness for all who want to share in the joy of music, regardless of a student's personal challenges or special needs.
“It's been humbling to experience the extremely warm reception the community has shown us,” said Moore. “We are excited to see healthy interest in our school, and our programs are filling up quickly!”
School of Rock is open Monday – Thursday 2pm – 9pm and Saturday Noon – 4pm. For more information visit schoolofrock.com or call 319-450-7625.