Editor's Note:
BSD would like to welcome the Paul Green School of Rock in San Diego to our online community. Our daughter has started the program and we are going to document and share our experience. We think their school is a great asset for San Diego's young musicians.

We also added a School of Rock section to our Bulletin Board and we invite you to participate!

A Parent's Commentary by Krista Nielsen
This is my on-going experience as a parent of an 8-year-old attendee (we'll call her M for the time being)...and future rocker!

6.16.9
M Sits in a Jam / Works In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida at Band Practice
Over the weekend, we jammed with a drummer-friend, and Maya sat in for about 10 minutes on the set while he played some heavier guitar. At first, she was a bit intimidated to play in front of a drummer (besides her teacher), but after a bit, jumped on the set and started right up with confidence. Our friend was super amazed that she was playing the whole set, including the left foot on the highhat.

She's been working on fills and changing up the beats back and forth between four-counts, while keeping closer than ever in tempo. From the last few lessons, she's picked up on double bass drum hits, as well moving from the highhat (open and shut) to the ride and back.

At her band practice Sunday, we caught the last 20 minutes of the kids working on In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida...M on drums. The changes are distinct and their instructor Steve was intent on having the drums be on! M sounded challenged (stopping and starting a few times), but got the hits in the right spots after a few tries. Steve was not going to let her slide by, explaining when she missed the hits. M told us with a proud smile that she is the 'backbone of the band, if the drums mess up, everyone else does too!' Its seems she really enjoys that responsibility and therefore tries her best for the band! I was impressed.

We downloaded the songs the band is working on, and plan to play them out loud in the garage while she practices. I think the better M knows the songs, the easier the changes will be. Though practicing alone is not her favorite, she has been ok about getting out to the set and playing about 15 minutes every other day. We don't want to push her or make it no fun, so for now, that's the amount of time she's interested in giving.

5.24.9
Band Practice and Musical Influence
M was the only drummer at her 1 1/2 hour band practice today, and I caught their last song, Nirvana's Smells LIke Teen Spirit. The band was hanging on, making the changes, and M was moving right along with them. Tyler was encouraging, giving the kids supportive call outs through the song. Another kid in the band (don't know their names yet, but I'm sure I'll learn!) was singing Cobain, though at least 2 octaves higher. At this point, they're just trying to make it from verse to chorus to solo and back, not really feeling the song or showing emotion. I know that'll come once they know the song and don't need to concentrate on counting measures.

At home, M asked to check to hear the original version of Teen Spirit...so I pulled it up in lala and then the video in youtube. She asked how old they were, and I had to explain one, Cobain is no longer alive, and two, the drummer and bassist are actually older than me...gasp! She then requested to hear Pink Floyd, Beastie Boys, the Beatles, and Bob Marley! Ok, my kid is getting to be a pretty steady drummer...but this kind of influence for an 8-year old is priceless. Like I said in a previous post, she has not been interested in 'my music' and seriously has put up her hand to anything I would have wanted to play for her. Now she actually wants to log into MY lala account and check out what I have in there! She's also not snubbing music by artists that are much older than her (or even dead now!)...this was certainly not true a month ago.

5.16.9
Home Practice with Jam!
M and dad on bass jammed this morning together, and it sounded really great! M held the same beat she's been working on, and then mixed it up with other drum beats in between. She keeps the highhat steady while dad widdles around on the bass, and I was super impressed!

Another thing M likes to do while practicing, is sing into the boom mic, making up words. She's got a good voice, so I'm glad she's learning to sing and drum at the same time right from the start. If only I had started singing at the beginning of my bass playing, I wouldn't have the insecurities that I have today! Great going, M!

5.9.9
The School of Rock booth at The Children’s Book Festival in La Jolla

5.9.9
M and I are going to The Children’s Book Festival in La Jolla
We'll be at the school's booth today, speaking to other interested parents. As I was going through my reasons why this opportunity is so valuable for M, I remembered a big one that should be posted here.

Both Eric and I have diverse taste in music, though neither kid has picked up on anything from us...probably the thinking, "Not my parent's music!!" Therefore, M's favorites when asked are influenced by either the Disney Channel (Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana, Demi Lovato, etc.), American Idol (David Archuleta), or the occasional suggestions by the other kids around her: sometimes a touch of rap or hip-hop...but nothing substantial.

The School of Rock introduces a ton of great classic rock/pop and punk as well contemporary music that otherwise would be ignored or missed altogether. As M plays Nirvana or Pink Floyd or Presidents of the United States or the Beatles, she's exposed to important song-writing and players...and she'll be much more receptive to accept these bands since its from the school and not her mom!!

5.8.9
Practicing at home
M has been practicing for at least 15 minutes per night, and her playing really surprises me.! She plays the full beat Steve taught her on Monday: 4/4 cymbal hits with alternating hits on the snare and bass drum. At this point, she'll keep a steady beat for about 3 or 4 measures, and then either speeds up and stops or stops altogether.

A few days ago, I plugged my bass in and tried to jam to her playing. She's still quite new and stopped every time she felt she had messed up. Made for tough jamming, but I can definitely see that she'll get it some day soon. Especially as she really wants it!!

I've played in bands for years, and even though a bassist, I never trusted that I could actually sit at a set and play a steady beat. Watching M has not only inspired me to play bass more (I've been terribly lacking over the past many years) and ever sit at the drums and play a few of her practice beats. Granted, she's not using her left foot yet in the mix, but hey, those simple beats could fit into a ton of songs heard on the radio or on M's shows.

5.3.9
First 101 class
Today was M's first 101 band practice led by Tyler, who orchestrated six kids between the ages of eight and (I'm guessing here) fourteen or fifteen. The band consisted of two drummers (M as 1), two bassists, and two guitarists...Tyler led with his own guitar and vocals.

The kids played something like 6 or 7 songs during the 90 minute practice/lesson ...including The Presidents of the United States, Nirvana, and The Cars. A few of the kids have been in the school for quite some time...though some only a few months. Nonetheless, the songs really sounded good! They were getting the changes, the tempo was pretty darn on, and not too terribly out of tune!

4.27.9
First lesson
M selected the drums as her instrument and had her first one-on-one with Steve last week. From the parent's waiting room, the lesson sounded great...I was amazed that she actually started playing some simple beats on the full set. She was playing the snare, high hat and bass drum right off the start. Steve seemed to be totally fun and have a ton of patience as after the hour, M told me she had a blast.

While sitting in the waiting area, I super enjoyed listening to the lesson, but also liked chatting with the other parents. I'm still new and had a ton of questions for the veterans...who were more than willing to offer up their thoughts. Also met a new mom whose young daughter was trying out the school for the first time. We were both digging the vibe and exchanging reasons why such a place was so great for kids...silently wishing the School of Rock was around when we were kids.

4.20.9
Introduction ~ Our daughter will be joining the School of Rock in San Diego
The School of Rock...sure the idea was made most popular from the Jack Black movie...but Paul Green's School of Rock has been teaching kids from 8-18 since 1998! My husband and I completely love the idea of our kids playing music, both school-related and not so, especially since we're both musicians.

I started playing bass when I was 18, inspired by Kim Gorden of Sonic Youth, and actually moved to San Diego to join in the conception of one of the extremely few all-female bands in this town, Chinchilla. We played live, toured, and made some albums...it was super empowering and unforgettable.

My husband Eric has been in the San Diego music scene since 1984, with a long rap sheet of bands including Blueberry Jam and Shag from the earlier days, to Loraine and Maquiladora, and more recently Buzz or Howl and High Mountain Tempel.

Though we are rocker parents, we want the type of music our kids play be their decision, not ours. The first kid selected concert, jazz, and drum corps...and we couldn't be more proud. The second was still deciding when we happened upon the School of Rock. Above will be my on-going experience as a parent of an 8-year-old attendee...we'll call her M for the time being.