Newtown
School of Rock

Explore School of Rock

Newtown

Map
School of Rock Newtown
2852 S Eagle Road
Newtown, PA 18940
(215) 968-7700

Location Specifics

We are located in the Village at Newtown Shopping Center in between the Hand and Stone and Norman's Hallmark store.

Get Directions
Hours
  • Monday: 3:30 PM - 9:30 PM
  • Tuesday: 3:30 PM - 11 PM
  • Wednesday: 3:30 PM - 9:30 PM
  • Thursday: 3:30 PM - 9:30 PM
  • Friday: 3:30 PM - 8 PM
  • Saturday: 10 AM - 4 PM
  • Sunday: Closed

Music programs at School of Rock Newtown combine one-on-one lessons with group band practices

Programs we offer

Rock 101 music program in Newtown for kids and beginners
Rock 101
Ages 8-13

Rock 101 is one of School of Rock Newtown's top programs for kids and beginners. Students have one weekly group rehearsal where they learn to play classic rock songs that have been simplified for beginner musicians. Additionally, Rock 101 students in Newtown have a weekly private music lesson with an instructor who helps them learn the concepts and skills behind their performance songs.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY PRIVATE LESSON
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP REHEARSAL

The Path to Take the Stage

Our music programs for kids in Newtown are designed to get students on stage performing, with the goal of building strong musical proficiency. Younger students at School of Rock Newtown who have participated in the Rookies program can move to our Rock 101 music program once they’re ready. Additionally, students (typically ages 8 to 13-years-old) can begin Rock 101 without any prior experience. The goal of this rock program is to quickly develop a basic competence on students’ chosen instruments before moving on to our famous Performance Program.

Performance music program for teens in Newtown
Performance
Ages 8-18

The Performance Program at School of Rock Newtown is our hallmark music program, where tens of thousands of students enroll each year. It consists of a weekly group rehearsal where kids and teens learn by playing rock music's most iconic songs with a band composed of their peers. Students are assigned songs and parts that are tailored to them based on their age, experience and ability to learn new skills and concepts. Students then work through their parts in weekly private music lessons, refining the skills and concepts that those songs introduce. The goal of this curriculum is to prepare kids and teens for live performances. Every few months, School of Rock Newtown Performance Program students take the stage and play at local Newtown music venues in front of a live audience.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY PRIVATE LESSON
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP REHEARSAL

The Path to Take the Stage

School of Rock Newtown's music programs for kids and teens are designed to inspire by getting students on stage and performing. All of our other music education programs focus on readying students for our famous Performance Program. This is where students develop incredible musical skills. Performance Program students have often gone through our Rock 101 program first or have some previous basic music experience. These young musicians will have custom development plans outlined by their instructors with key concepts reinforced during private lessons and group rehearsals, all with the goal of performing live at a Newtown music venue.

Rookies music program for children in Newtown
Rookies
Ages 6-7

At School of Rock Newtown, our music program for children with no previous musical experience (typically ages 6 to 7-years-old) is called Rookies. Rookies students have one weekly group music lesson where they learn fundamentals like chords, rhythm and song structure. Kids get to learn and experiment with multiple instruments so they can later decide which one they ultimately want to continue pursuing in Rock 101.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP LESSON
  • USE OF SIMPLIFIED ROCK INSTRUMENTS TO TEACH KIDS TO PLAY MUSIC

The Path to Take the Stage

All of our music programs are designed to inspire students to learn and develop a strong musical proficiency. At School of Rock Newtown, younger students who are not ready for a more comprehensive program like Rock 101 can start in Rookies. Additionally, students who have completed the Little Wing program will progress into the Rookies music program. No prior musical experience is needed for Rookies. Once your child is ready for private music lessons (typically older than first or second graders), they will graduate into our Rock 101 program.

Songwriting
Age 12 and over

Our Songwriting program for kids and teens teaches the fundamentals of songwriting, arrangement and music theory, and helps students compose original works.  At School of Rock Newtown, songwriting students receive one weekly private lesson where they learn concepts, technique and theory on an instrument of their choice. These principles are then applied in a weekly group lesson where students work together on songwriting exercises and lyrical workshops.  Every few months, Songwriting students take the stage to perform or band together to record their original songs.

What to Expect
  • 1 weekly private lesson
  • 1 weekly group lesson

The Path to Take the Stage

Our Songwriting program for kids and teens in Newtown is designed to create musical proficiency through the creation of original music. Students at School of Rock Newtown who have completed our Rock 101 program can move to our Songwriting program once they’re ready. Additionally, new students who have prior experience with and basic knowledge of an instrument can also begin Songwriting. The program culminates with a live showcase where students perform their original compositions in bands at a local music venue. Students taking the Songwriting Program online will remotely record their original songs to produce a demo of the class's music.

Remote student playing guitar
Online
All Ages

At School of Rock Newtown, our students can take online, one-on-one music instruction from the comfort of their homes. We call this program School of Rock Remote. This online music program contains weekly one-on-one instruction conducted by our expert School of Rock instructors in a safe virtual lesson room.
 
Students will receive their training using our proprietary education program, The School of Rock Method™, which couples live video lessons with our proprietary Method App™, SongFirst Approach™ and Method Books™. 

What To Expect
  • ONE WEEKLY 1-ON-1 LESSON
  • LESSONS CONDUCTED USING SECURE VIDEO TECHNOLOGY

THE PATH TO TAKE THE STAGE

All of our music programs for kids, teens, and adults are designed to help students gain amazing musical proficiency. School of Rock’s online music lesson program is no exception. Online guitar lessons, online piano lessons, online drum lessons, online singing lessons and online bass guitar lessons are all offered through the School of Rock Remote online program.

Adult music program in Newtown for students over 18
Adult Program
Ages 18+

School of Rock Newtown's Adult Program is for students over 18 years old who are looking to either improve their musical proficiency or pick up an instrument with no prior musical experience. As with most School of Rock music programs, the Adult Program uses a performance-based music education approach. This means the curriculum focuses on learning music concepts and applying them in a live performance setting. Our Adult Music Program includes one weekly private music lesson and a weekly group rehearsal. Every student at School of Rock Newtown is placed in a band of fellow adults and then assigned specific songs as a way of learning key music concepts and skills. Adult students then take the stage to play at a live show in Newtown.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY PRIVATE LESSON
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP REHEARSAL

The Path to Take the Stage

All of our music programs are designed to inspire by getting students on stage and performing, with the goal of building strong musical proficiency along the way. The School of Rock Newtown Adult Program is open to all experience levels and each student will follow a customized learning plan developed by their instructor. Adult students will work together during rehearsal to prepare for a live performance at a real rock venue in Newtown.

House Band program for gigging at local venues in Newtown
House Band
Age 17 and Under

The School of Rock Newtown House Band music program gives students under 18 the opportunity to join a gigging band composed of fellow musicians from their school. These students perform additional live shows throughout the year. All students in the Performance Program have the opportunity to audition for a spot in School of Rock Newtown's House Band. Once selected, House Band members become leaders in their School of Rock community and perform live shows at PA rock venues throughout the year.

What To Expect
  • A GIGGING MUSICIAN'S EXPERIENCE
  • FREQUENT LIVE PERFORMANCES IN COMMUNITY

The Path to Take the Stage

Performance is the core of School of Rock's educational approach. Therefore, we create additional opportunities for students to perform on stages throughout Newtown and the rest of PA. The House Band music program allows each school's most talented students the opportunity to join a band and play routinely in front of live audiences. Once a member, students will gain real music experience associated with gigging musicians and will become leaders and mentors inside the School of Rock community.

The AllStars national tour features the best child and teen musicians
AllStars
Age 17 and Under

The School of Rock AllStars Tour takes the very best students from around the world and sends them on a nationwide summer tour across the United States. Less than 1% of School of Rock students are selected each year to represent School of Rock as an AllStar. All Performance Program students are eligible to audition for this prestigious program. The intensive audition process starts off with video submissions followed by live auditions. Once selected, AllStar students will have an authentic touring experience including traveling on a tour bus, doing tour publicity and starring in nightly performances at famous venues and festivals during a two-week tour.

What To Expect
  • A MULTI-CITY, COUNTRY-WIDE MUSIC TOUR EXPERIENCE
  • PERFORMING ON SOME OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST FAMOUS STAGES IN THE WORLD

The Path to Take the Stage

Becoming an AllStar is the highest level of achievement for a School of Rock student. They play on legendary stages large and small, including The Knitting Factory, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, The Troubadour and Lollapalooza. AllStar students often go on to have accomplished careers in the music industry. Former AllStars have gone on to become touring artists, star in Broadway musicals, get signed to record deals, become finalists on talent competitions like "The Voice" and "American Idol" and have other notable roles in the music industry.

Music Lessons in Newtown

Kid learns to play guitar at School of Rock Newtown

Guitar Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock Newtown, we offer beginner guitar lessons for kids. Our expert guitar instructors guide your child from start to finish with private instruction and weekly group band rehearsals. Every instructor at School of Rock Newtown is an experienced musician, and they emphasize foundational music theory and technique when teaching guitar lessons to kids. Unlike other Newtown guitar lessons and programs, School of Rock is designed to get students performing in a band.

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Adults

It’s never too late to learn to play the guitar. Similar to our kids guitar lessons, School of Rock Newtown's beginner guitar lessons for adults utilizes a performance-based curriculum. Our experienced instructors teach adult students through popular rock songs, and teach students to play guitar in a way that’s challenging and fun. We believe the best way to learn is by doing, which is why we combine weekly private guitar lessons with group band rehearsals. At School of Rock Newtown, we teach beginner guitar lessons for adults in our Adult Program. This program gets students performing onstage at a local Newtown venue.

Key Concepts
  • Technique
  • Solos
  • Chords
  • Theory

Intermediate to Advanced Guitar Lessons

As students gain skills and experience, we move them along to more challenging programs at higher skill levels. Intermediate and advanced students take the skills they learned in beginner guitar lessons, and layer on more difficult techniques and concepts. School of Rock Newtown offers advanced guitar lessons for kids and adults that teach by playing challenging classic rock songs and emphasize playing the guitar in a real music venue. Our Newtown guitar teachers will work with each student to develop a custom learning plan.

Kids learn to drum at School of Rock Newtown

Drum Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Drum Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Newtown is the best option for anyone looking to learn the drums. Our beginner drum lessons get kids behind the drum kit and on their way to taking the stage. That’s why at School of Rock Newtown we combine private drum lessons for beginners with weekly band rehearsals—it prepares students to perform live. With years of experience teaching drums in Newtown, our drum instructors teach beginner drum students core techniques, including how to groove, play rudiments and more.

Beginner Drum Lessons for Adults

Our drum lessons for adults are designed to accommodate all skill levels. At School of Rock Newtown, our beginner drum lessons for adults are built for musicians with little to no experience. We teach adults using the same core performance-based education philosophy as our drum lessons for kids—performing with a band accelerates the learning process. Adult students will perform live at a venue in Newtown. Unlike other Newtown drum lessons for beginners, School of Rock combines private drum lessons with weekly band rehearsals so students are ready to play in front of real, live audiences.

Key Concepts
  • RUDIMENTS
  • TIME SIGNATURES
  • TECHNIQUE
  • GROOVE

Intermediate to Advanced Drum Lessons

More experienced to advanced drum students need a drum lesson curriculum that builds upon foundational skills and continues to grow musical proficiency. That’s why at School of Rock Newtown, our drum lessons are customized for each student and his or her goals. Our Newtown drum instructors integrate more complex techniques and concepts—intermediary grooves, shifts, meters and more—into a student's individual lessons and group band rehearsal, and will also select more difficult songs for his or her live performances.

 

Kid learns to sing at School of Rock Newtown

Singing Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Singing Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Newtown offers beginner singing lessons for kids. Our unique, performance-based approach develops students' musical proficiency by preparing them to perform live. At School of Rock Newtown, our vocal coaches are practicing musicians who integrate key music fundamentals—breathing, posture and more—into a curriculum based on performing with a band. Each week, beginner singing students participate in a private singing lesson and a band rehearsal.

Beginner Singing Lessons for Adults

School of Rock Newtown teaches adults how to sing in our innovative Adult Program. Students develop vocal skills at a challenging pace designed to help you see results with every singing lesson. Adult vocalists learn how to keep tempo, stay on-key and master advanced vocal techniques for a powerful and healthy voice. Our curriculum teaches students how to sing by using popular rock songs that emphasize key concepts. Each week, Adult Program students have a private singing lesson for beginners and group band rehearsal.

Key Concepts
  • TECHNIQUE
  • HARMONY
  • POWER
  • READING

Intermediate to Advanced Singing Lessons

At School of Rock Newtown, our singing lessons for kids and adults are designed to help our students reach a high degree of musical proficiency. Intermediate and advanced singers take skills learned from previous singing lessons and layer on more difficult techniques and concepts. Our advanced singing lessons teach students to sing by performing popular rock songs that illustrate a specific vocal concept or technique. We pair weekly private singing lessons with weekly band rehearsals with the goal of getting musicians to perform live in Newtown.

Kid learns to play bass at School of Rock Newtown

Bass Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Bass Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Newtown offers beginner bass guitar lessons for kids that blend weekly private instruction with weekly band rehearsals. This performance-based approach results in a high level of musical proficiency because it engages and inspires students. Every School of Rock bass instructor is a practicing musician in Newtown and teaches bass lessons for kids that get great results. Beginners learn to play bass guitar by using popular rock songs that illustrate key concepts and techniques.

Beginner Bass Lessons for Adults

Adults looking to learn bass guitar can enroll in School of Rock’s Adult Program. No experience is necessary in our beginner bass guitar lessons for adults. At School of Rock Newtown, our experienced, local bass guitar instructors have the patience and skills to help adult students gain musical proficiency. As with all School of Rock music programs, our bass guitar lessons for adults ciriculum is performance-based, and include both weekly private instruction and weekly band rehearsals.

Key Concepts
  • GROOVE
  • TECHNIQUE
  • THEORY
  • TONE

Intermediate to Advanced Bass Lessons

Our intermediate to advanced bass guitar lessons teach Newtown students the skills they need to become the backbone of a band. Students take skills from previous bass lessons and layer on more difficult techniques and concepts. At School of Rock Newtown, our bass instructors use popular rock songs as a way of teaching students advanced concepts and techniques. We pair weekly private bass lessons with weekly band rehearsals to inspire and engage students throughout the learning process.

Kid learns to play piano at School of Rock Newtown

Keyboard Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock we teach differently than other music schools in Newtown. Our curriculum is performance-based, meaning that we prepare students to perform. Our piano lessons for beginners combine weekly private instruction with weekly band rehearsals. At School of Rock Newtown, our beginner keyboard lessons for kids take key concepts and music fundamentals—finger placement, scales, key differentiation and more—and teach them through popular rock songs. This approach inspires and engages students, which results in attaining a high level of musical proficiency. Our piano teachers have years of experience teaching music in the Newtown area, and know how to coach and motivate students of any skill level to play the keyboard.

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Adults

The School of Rock Newtown Adult Program puts beginner keyboard students in a band. Adult Program students in the Newtown area learn to play piano through a combination of weekly private beginner piano lessons and weekly band rehearsals. At School of Rock, our piano lessons give adult students the chance to perform in a band at local Newtown music venues, taking them out of the classroom and onto the stage.

Key Concepts
  • TECHNIQUE
  • TONE
  • THEORY
  • READING

Intermediate to Advanced Keyboard Lessons

At School of Rock Newtown, our keyboard lessons for kids and adults are designed to help students get results. Intermediate and advanced students take skills learned from beginner keyboard lessons and layer on more advanced piano techniques with concepts. Our local keyboard instructors are all practicing musicians in Newtown, and use popular rock songs as a way of teaching complex skills. We pair weekly private piano lessons with weekly band rehearsals to inspire and engage students throughout the learning process.

Our Experienced Music Teachers

All of School of Rock Newtown’s music teachers are experienced musicians devoted to helping students attain musical proficiency. Our instructors guide students one-on-one to personalize learning, inspire confidence and build social skills.

Rob Groden
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
This New Jersey native began playing guitar at the age of 10. Rob performed in concert, marching and jazz band all throughout school, playing clarinet, saxophone and bass guitar. He also spent many years singing in chorus and placed in District Chorus his senior year of high school. Rob has a long background in musical theater and attended West Chester University majoring in Music Education.

In 1994, he broke into the Philly cover scene with the band Mr. Greengenes. He has since provided lead guitar and vocals for Steamroller Picnic and Monkey Bus. Throughout the years Rob has shared the stage with national acts such as The Commitments, Great White, Joan Jett, The Toadies, Goldfinger, Frente, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Fuel and Dee Snyder of Twisted Sister. In 1999, he recorded a CD with the original band Lefty Lucy. Rob still performs acoustic and full band shows.

Rob has been involved with School of Rock since 2008 and started as Music Director for School of Rock Newtown in 2010. Rob loves being involved with School of Rock and sharing his experience with students.
David Hooper
Piano Teacher
Dave has been playing piano for as long as he can remember. He began taking piano lessons at the age of seven and was classically trained for over 10 years. He also studied music theory in high school and college. While in school, he played clarinet, saxophone, bassoon and piano in various orchestral and jazz groups, as well as sang in several chorus and musical theatre ensembles.

In 2004, Dave joined (then) School of Rock Bucks County as one of its first members and was part of its first show. Along with his older sister Rosalie, he attended School of Rock for seven years, performing many shows as a keyboard player, saxophone player, singer and (briefly) guitarist.

In 2005, Dave was selected to join the School of Rock AllStars at the age of 12. During his six years playing with the AllStars, he had the opportunity to perform on several tours of the US as well as at a handful of shows internationally. These performances included events such as Lollapalooza, the Zappanale music festival in Germany, Hangout Music Festival, NAMM, Gathering of the Vibes and a televised performance for VH1's "Sober House." He has also had the chance to play with musicians like Jon Anderson, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Perry Farrell, LeAnn Rimes and Adrian Belew, among others.

Dave has been teaching keyboards at School of Rock for several years and also working as a keyboard instructor at School of Rock Downingtown. He is excited to work with the team at Newtown and he is looking forward to helping students have the same experiences that made School of Rock such a life-changing program for him.
Singing Teacher Katelyn Cryan
Katelyn Cryan
Singing Teacher
Katelyn Cryan has been a very enthusiastic member of the School of Rock Newtown community since 2015. After dabbling in viola and piano as a child, she found that her true love was rock n’ roll. When she was 16 years old, Katelyn joined the performance program at School of Rock as a bass student and eventually began to study vocals as well. She secured her place on the school’s House Band within her first season. Upon graduation, Katelyn began studying music at Bucks County Community College where she performed with several jazz and classical ensembles. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with an Associate of Arts in music for bass guitar.

During Katelyn's studies at the college, she was awarded the Danny DeGennaro Memorial Foundation Scholarship, which offers mentoring, recording, and performing opportunities to aspiring musicians. With the Foundation Scholarship, she has recorded and performed with many professional players in the industry such as Steve Guyger, Lisa Bouchelle and the Gyrl Band, Paul Baroli of Steel Your Face, and Steve Shive of Hall and Oates.

Katelyn has composed and recorded original bass lines for the local band The Deal Breakers. She also performs acoustic gigs with her brother as The Cryans Acoustic Entertainment in the Bucks County area. Katelyn continues to study bass and vocals with an emphasis on opera.
School of Rock is where music and learning come together

For over twenty years, our amazing instructors have transformed hundreds of thousands of students across the world into skilled musicians. Become a musician at School of Rock.

Reviews

It's like home.

My son and two nieces have been going for many years and it's like a family. There is nothing like seeing your kid up there showing you and themselves what they can do! The instructors and musical directors are first rate.

I wish I could do School of Rock again!

I grew up at School of Rock. It felt like a family back when I was there and I loved every minute of it. I would do it over and over again if I had the chance!

School of Rock changed my life.

It's the only thing I look forward to all week. The teachers are the best, and performing gives me the best feeling. I can't wait to spend the next few years in School of Rock.

The best music school anywhere.

The idea of getting kids to not just take lessons and learn notes and chords but learn songs while playing with other young musicians and getting out on stage is so impressive.