School of Rock expanding to Fayetteville

Photo: Courtesy, School of Rock

The future of the local music scene just got more promising.

That’s because renowned music school School of Rock this week announced plans to open a location in Fayetteville.

Local musician and School of Rock general manager Chase Davidson told us that the school has found a location at 2857 N. College Ave. (next to Shake’s), and the buildout for the project has already begun.

For those who aren’t familiar, School of Rock is a best known for its unique approach to music education that combines individual instruction with real-life rehearsal settings to keep kids engaged and help them to learn faster.

“Each kid will get about 30 or 45 minutes per week of individual instruction, and then we’ll split them into bands,” Davidson said of their approach. “It brings accountability into play. It keeps them playing longer, and it’s just a lot more fun.”

The students learn entire sets of songs together as a band, in a regular rehearsal schedule. After that, every three months or so, the students will book a gig at a local venue and show off their skills.

Davidson, who also helped to open the School of Rock in Rogers, said he expects to teach about 250-300 students at a time at the new school.

As a local musician and supporter of live music himself, he said he’s most excited about what having the school in Fayetteville will do for the local music scene.

“I like to think 10 years down the line,” he said. “It’s really cool when you see the students start to get good, and you think, ‘Man, these kids are going to make a lot of great music.'”

Davidson said he is currently seeking experienced musicians to serve as teachers at the school.

If all goes well, School of Rock will open in early February, with a grand opening planned on Feb. 20.