School of Rock AllStar Ball is Today in Oak Park

The School of Rock in Oak Park today will host the AllStar Ball, an event that combines rock and roll music, talented kids on their way to music careers, and two local businesses—Maya Del Sol and the School of Rock Oak Park.  

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Before playing Lollapalooza, three School of Rock AllStar teams comprised of 75 kids from across the Midwest will play the Oak Park stage at 219 Lake St.—first at a free concert for families from 1:30-4 p.m., followed by a fundraiser starting at 6:30 p.m. The event will benefit the Rock School Fund, and allow local kids who have established need to attend the School of Rock.

Oak Park's School of Rock owner Amy Renzulli said opening in Oak Park, she knew there would be kids who would want to attend the school, but wouldn't be able to afford the tuition. 

So, she puts a lot of effort into raising money to provide scholarships to kids who deserve to be in the program. 

"Almost everything we do... Where we have a chance to bring money in outside of normal tuition—I want to always look for opportunities to help fill that fund," she said. 

Since the Oak Park location opened, Renzulli said the business has seen "phenomenal" growth. 

"We're enrolling more kids than we thought we would... They come here, they enter with a smile (and) they leave with a smile," she said. "It's such a great experience, and they haven't even seen a show yet.

"To have the AllStars, come which is highest level of what you can achieve, (is) such a contrast between where we are and what's really possible."

Angie Fritz, a School of Rock teacher this summer who benefitted from the scholarship program, recalled her time with School of Rock as a "home away from home.

"I wasn't super confident in myself before I went to School of Rock, but the teachers there really pushed me to go far—beyond what I thought I could do," she said. 

This summer, Fritz is a first-time teacher who sees the potential in her older students.

"It's exciting to me when we can find a song we love to work on together... When it clicks, and they understand how to do it in a healthy way—and how good they sound... It's awesome for me to see it," she said. 

Without the scholarship program, she said, "I'm sure I would have turned out to be a completely different person had I not gone to school of rock."

The School of Rock will also host a free family concert by the same Allstars from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. The second concert and fundraising party begins at 6:30 p.m.  

School of Rock is an international music school with locations in 31 states and four countries outside of the U.S. It teaches music to children, primarily ages 8-18, by preparing them for live concerts in a tuition-based program.

Tickets are $125, which includes School of Rock swag, heavy hors d'oeuvres, cocktails and a show put on by the School of Rock All-Stars, the best of the best students who tour the country and play at the likes of Lollapalooza. 

Michael Sewall contributed to this story.