School of Rock opens in Ridgefield

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RIDGEFIELD — School of Rock is about music, specifically rock ’n’ roll, but it’s also about friendship, taking risks and confidence.

“This is life-changing for some people. When you first meet them, they can’t even look you in the eye. Suddenly they are playing in front of hundreds of people,” franchise owner Mariola Camacho said. “Many towns around here are very sports-oriented. Some kids need another outlet.”

Camacho opened her second location, at 37 Danbury Road in Ridgefield, last month. She also owns the New Canaan location. The Ridgefield location will hold a grand opening from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, with live music, free lessons and a ceremonial guitar smashing. School of Rock will also be visited Wednesday as part of the Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce’s Welcome Wednesday program.

School of Rock is a performance-based music school offering guitar, drum, keyboard, bass and vocal lessons. Students from the Ridgefield School of Rock will perform during the Sunday, Sept. 25, Concert Across America to End Gun Violence at Ridgefield High School.

“Ridgefield was a natural step for a second location. It’s close to New Canaan but did not overlap with the students who were taking lessons there,” Camacho said. “We play at Ridgefield Playhouse frequently so I know the town and know it values the arts.”

A Bach to Rock music school location also recently opened in Ridgefield at 15 Danbury Road. While School of Rock focuses strictly on rock ‘n’ roll, Bach to Rock teaches a wider variety of music and has a different set of program offerings.

“It’s a different approach,” Camacho said. “We each have a market.”

School of Rock teaches musicians of all levels from age seven to adult. All participants are encouraged to perform live in front of audiences. Beginning musicians get easier rolls to play, such as rhythm guitar, for the performances, Camacho said.

“The kids are so talented and motivated,” Camacho said. “They push each other to get better. It’s good team-building. There are on-going life skills learned here, not just how to play an instrument.”

Camacho knows firsthand the confidence School of Rock can instill in musicians of all ages. Her son has been involved with the New Canaan location since it opened and she took lessons and became a part of a “mom band” that stayed together for a few years and played at local bars.

She likes the performance-based nature of the School of Rock concept.

“The students just love doing it, more so than taking regular lessons. They advance quicker and eventually we teach more music theory,” Camacho said. “You don’t teach kids how to read when they don’t know how to talk. That’s the way we do it here.”

Camacho, who has an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, formerly worked at MasterCard and had her own consulting business. She jumped at the chance to take over the New Canaan School of Rock franchise. Now that she has two locations, a third is in the back of her mind.

“The idea is to have three, but we don’t have a location pinned down yet. I would like it to be in Connecticut, but now I’m just thinking of Ridgefield and getting this going,” she said. “I just love what we do and have from day one.”