School of Rock Opening in Oak Park This May

Are you ready to rock, Oak Park? 

Resident Amy Renzuilli is bringing the School of Rock to town in May after firsthand experience with the Chicago location piqued her interest.

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.

The Oak Park location is at 219 Lake St., and there will be a grand opening from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. May 11. There will be tours, signups for free trials and a guitar smashing. Three bands will also perform, including the Chicago School of Rock show team and punk bands When Flying Feels Like Falling and Uptown Mayhem, in which Renzuilli's daughter, Abigail, plays bass.

Abigail, now 14, came to her mom at age 12 and said, "You don't understand, I need music," Renzuilli recalled.

"And my job as a parents is to expose my kids to new things," she said. "It was so magical and she was so happy."

The experience was so great that Renzuilli began looking for a building in Oak Park to open a local location. She's also bringing over music director Jennifer Malone, who spent six years at the Chicago school. Renzuilli's background is in business, but she wanted a job she could be truly passionate about and keep local. 

"For me it's about finding a business I could build and making a difference for people," she said. 

And she's seen that difference in her daughter and other children. She said School of Rock can be a positive creative outlet in kids' lives. 

"It's their home away from home," she said. "There's a whole culture around it. Sometimes this fills a niche that some kids might not have. Now they have a place to be celebrated."

The lessons here focus on what she said comprise a typical "rock" band: guitar, bass, drums, keys and vocals, but during shows many students will bust out other instruments they play. 

There are seven lesson rooms toward the front of the building, some for one-on-one lessons and others in which groups can play together. Besides the solo lessons, students have weekly rehearsals to lead up to shows. The first one the Oak Park schools puts on be will a rock classic, Pink Floyd's The Wall. 

A "little wings" room that will have rock education for 3- to 5-year-old children, with much of what they learn coming from iPads. And there's a lounge area (no parents allowed) where students can hang out or do homework before lessons. 

"The kids learn so fast because they're not just practicing by themselves at home," Renzuilli said. 

At the rear of the school is certainly the most rockin' part: a stage built out of the old loading dock, and a second stage for possible shows. 

More Information

For more information, go to the School of Rock-Oak Park website or call 708-298-0002. You can also like them on Facebook for updates.