Students Begin Crash Course At School Of Rock

(KNSI) – For teens about to rock, we salute you.

Jack Black has nothing on the students in central Minnesota’s local School of Rock. They’re hard at work prepping for their annual show at the Paramount Center for the Arts next Thursday. It’s organized by the Wirth Center. Executive Director James Newman told KSNI News it is a “great” program. He explains how it works.

“We get about 50 to 60-plus kids every year that sign up, and it’s a six-day camp. Ten local professional musicians will take part and each one of those professionals will work with a group of kids to form a band and rehearse a couple of songs.”

Newman says when the Wirth Center started, it specialized in piano. It now incorporates a range of instruments and genres. Soon hip hop and rap will get their own courses. Newman says he would like to add songwriting to their offerings too.

Newman believes the crash course is an intense bonding experience that creates connections that tend to turn into their first-ever amateur group. “A lot of the kids make great lifelong connections and stay in touch for years after the program, as well, and occasionally collaborate.”

School of Rock alums play several local venues, even opening for the Joetown Rocks concert in 2023. See this year’s class before they make it big. Get your tickets for the show here.

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