Ridgefield
School of Rock

Explore School of Rock

Ridgefield

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School of Rock Ridgefield
37 Danbury Road
Ridgefield, CT 06877
(203) 894-5698

Location Specifics

Across the street from Bareburger, behind the Mobil station.

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Hours
  • Monday: 1 PM - 8 PM
  • Tuesday: 1 PM - 8 PM
  • Wednesday: 1 PM - 8 PM
  • Thursday: 1 PM - 8 PM
  • Friday: 1 PM - 8 PM
  • Saturday: 9 AM - 4 PM
  • Sunday: Closed

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

School of Rock Ridgefield proudly serves Ridgefield, Wilton, North Salem, South Salem, Brookfield, and surrounding areas with quality music lessons taught by experienced, well-rounded musicians. Here, students can learn everything from piano to drums, vocals, guitar, and more. With enough practice, students can even hope to one day perform at great local venues like the Ridgefield Playhouse, which has hosted impressive acts like The Doobie Brothers, Bruce Hornsby, Gregg Allman, and more.

Programs we offer

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

The Performance Program at School of Rock Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield Performance Program students take the stage and play at local Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield'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 Ridgefield music venue.

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 Ridgefield, 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 Ridgefield is designed to create musical proficiency through the creation of original music. Students at School of Rock Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield, 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 Ridgefield for students over 18
Adult Program
Ages 18+

School of Rock Ridgefield'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 Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield.

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 Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield.

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

The School of Rock Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield's House Band. Once selected, House Band members become leaders in their School of Rock community and perform live shows at CT 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 Ridgefield and the rest of CT. 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 Ridgefield

Kid learns to play guitar at School of Rock Ridgefield

Guitar Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock Ridgefield, 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 Ridgefield is an experienced musician, and they emphasize foundational music theory and technique when teaching guitar lessons to kids. Unlike other Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield'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 Ridgefield, we teach beginner guitar lessons for adults in our Adult Program. This program gets students performing onstage at a local Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield guitar teachers will work with each student to develop a custom learning plan.

Kids learn to drum at School of Rock Ridgefield

Drum Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Drum Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield we combine private drum lessons for beginners with weekly band rehearsals—it prepares students to perform live. With years of experience teaching drums in Ridgefield, 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 Ridgefield, 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 Ridgefield. Unlike other Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield, our drum lessons are customized for each student and his or her goals. Our Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield

Singing Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Singing Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield, 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 Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield, 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 Ridgefield.

Kid learns to play bass at School of Rock Ridgefield

Bass Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Bass Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield, 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 Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield, 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 Ridgefield

Keyboard Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock we teach differently than other music schools in Ridgefield. 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 Ridgefield, 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 Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield Adult Program puts beginner keyboard students in a band. Adult Program students in the Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield, 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 Ridgefield, 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 Ridgefield’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.

General Manager, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher Adam Cirillo
Adam Cirillo
General Manager, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Adam is our General Manager and he makes School of Rock Ridgefield a fun and safe place to rock. He started with School of Rock while attending Sacred Heart University, where he earned his BA in Business, with a minor in Music. Adam has acted as a key member of multiple School of Rock locations, through teaching and management roles in Fairfield, New Canaan, and now Ridgefield, CT. Born and raised in Connecticut, Adam has been performing for over 16 years and has been teaching lessons on drums, bass, guitar, and keys for over a decade.
Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Singing Teacher Conor Andrews
Conor Andrews
Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Singing Teacher
Conor is a multi-instrumentalist, interdisciplinary artist, and writer hailing from Bethel, CT. Conor has been an active member of the underground, local, and regional arts communities throughout CT and NY for over two decades—producing, curating, and performing in creative works and events of all kinds. His journey began as a percussionist but has always included guitar, piano, voice, studio craft, and the written word—as well as more recent serious experimentations with sound design, videography, and AI.

Over the years Conor has been blessed to work and collaborate with many incredibly talented and adventurous artists, as well as some notables from out of state including Becca Stevens, Kevin Scott, Louis Cato, and others. As a solo artist, he has released two self-produced LPs of original music and words inspired by William Blake, as well as three chapbooks of various metered and free verse. Conor is currently working to develop a sound and a voice that is more comprehensive, compassionate, subtle, and spontaneous. Conor started teaching bass, guitar, drums, vocals, and keys with School of Rock Ridgefield in May 2022.
Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher Mike Conklin
Mike Conklin
Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Mike started his musical journey playing guitar as a teenager. His path began when he bought a secondhand guitar from one of his guitarist friends and started taking lessons. Mike's early guitar heroes are Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and EVH, but his biggest influences were his brother Marc and friends Craig and Drew who were all just as passionate about music. He formed his first band at the age of 19 with his brother and friends.

Recently, Mike has played guitar and sung vocals in the acoustic band This n’ That at local pubs in the New Haven area. Additionally, he plays guitar and sings in the band Absofunkinlutely, formerly known as Father Time. Mike’s musical curiosity has led him to also learn to play piano, ukulele, and banjo. He has worked at the School of Rock Fairfield, New Canaan, and Greenwich locations for over 12 years, and most recently joined the Ridgefield location in October 2019. Mike teaches lessons on bass, drums, guitar, and keys.
Music Director, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Singing Teacher Darian Cunning
Darian Cunning
Music Director, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Singing Teacher
Darian is School of Rock Ridgefield’s Music Director and he teaches bass, guitar, drums, vocals, and keys. He’s a singer-songwriter, guitar phenom, and frequent special guest amongst many elites in the Northeast. He is kind-hearted, soft-spoken, and a traveling soul. Darian has worked with Stephen Kellogg, David Bottrill (Tool, Peter Gabriel), Kristin Hoffmann, David Gamson (Me'shell N'Degeocello), and Dispatch. The singer-songwriter has made his ears bigger and built an audience of colleagues and fans. His influences are far-reaching and his genres include nuevo blues, rock, jazz, folk, trance, improv, and more. Darian started with School of Rock Ridgefield in September 2017.
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Singing Teacher Jen Durkin
Jen Durkin
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Singing Teacher
Jen is one of our school’s main vocal teachers. She attended Berklee College of Music before making her debut as founder and lead singer of Deep Banana Blackout 25 years ago. In the years that followed she went on to tour nationally with legendary Parliament Funkadelic founder and keyboardist Bernie Worrell. Jen and her band, The Bomb Squad, performed at the 2003 American Music Awards after winning the Nationwide Best Unsigned Band competition beating out 1200 bands from all over the USA. Not long after that Jen was asked to join a supergroup with the Grateful Dead drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann in the Rhythm Devils. In recent years Jen has been involved in projects with some of the world's best musicians including members of The Meters, Living Colour, and Fishbone. Jen has always been surrounded by incredible musicians and in 2015 she released her 5th self-produced CD with her new band, The Business. Jen began her teaching career in 2001. Jen started with School of Ridgefield in January 2020 and teaches vocals.
Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Singing Teacher Ethan Fiske
Ethan Fiske
Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Singing Teacher
Ethan Fiske is a pop musician hailing from Middlebury, Connecticut. He is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, and utilizes an innovative, hands-on approach to creating immersive music. His take on modern pop reflects a fusion of contemporary and vintage aesthetics, making for a nostalgic, yet refreshing sound. Some influential genres include Motown-soul and ’70s/‘80s pop, while some influential artists include Bruno Mars, The Weeknd, and Michael Jackson. Ethan's passion for music is sourced from the ambition to create a fun, welcoming environment where people can celebrate together. With a mission of spreading love through his music, Ethan creates a style that people can bond to and sets forth an evocative, empathetic message. Ethan is mainly a vocalist and offers lessons on vocals, keys, drums, guitar, and bass. He started with School of Rock Ridgefield in February 2023.
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher Mike Gaboardi
Mike Gaboardi
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Mike is a Western Connecticut-based guitarist and music educator. He has been playing and performing music for his entire life and graduated from Western Connecticut State University in 2021 with a BS in Music Education. During his time there, he studied jazz guitar with Chris Morrison. He currently teaches private guitar, bass, piano lessons, and student ensembles privately and at lesson studios around the Western Connecticut area. Mike’s guitar playing is inspired by many different styles of music including jazz, jazz fusion, folk, classic rock, and funk. He has a passion for improvised music of all types and brings the philosophy of improvisation to all lessons and performances. Mike started with School of Rock Ridgefield in September 2021 and offers lessons on bass, guitar, and keys.
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Singing Teacher Grayson Hugh
Grayson Hugh
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Singing Teacher
Grayson Hugh is an internationally-acclaimed, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter whose 1988 debut release, Blind To Reason, on RCA went Gold and garnered several international radio hits. After touring the U.S. and overseas for several years, his second record, Road To Freedom, was called one of 1992's Top 10 albums by Billboard Magazine. His songs have been featured in Oscar-winning films "Thelma and Louise” and “Fried Green Tomatoes.” In the ’90s and through 2003, Grayson taught songwriting at Berklee College of Music. He is a recipient of two New England Foundation for the Arts Meet The Composer Grants for his modern dance scores and he continues to release albums and perform all over the world. In 2008, Grayson married his former backup singer, Polly Messer, and moved from Cape Cod back to his home state of Connecticut. He joined the staff of The School of Rock Ridgefield as a keyboard and voice teacher in the Fall of 2021.
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Singing Teacher Becky Kessler
Becky Kessler
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Singing Teacher
Becky is a songwriter, singer, and guitarist for the band Violent Mae, and moved to Connecticut from North Carolina to live and work on a friend’s organic farm. Becky came from a musical family and discovered her passion for songwriting through the guitar. This artistic pursuit led her to study and appreciate music as a science, eventually finding another passion for teaching music. As a seasoned private music instructor for over a decade, she returned to school, finishing her music degree with a minor in Psychology at Western Connecticut State University where she received the JUMY foundation and the Mary & Rudy Behrens music scholarships.

Becky won best singer-songwriter in the first annual CT music awards and with her bandmate/producer, Floyd Kellogg, has since received praise from Paste, Mother Jones, Sub Pop, and NPR. Violent Mae recorded and produced two LPs and their music is featured on multiple TV series including Hulu's Shrill, CW's Nancy Drew, and Canada's Wynonna Earp. Violent Mae songs are licensed in a Monster drink ad featuring Olympic skier, Sarah Hoefflin, and select pro snowboard/ski videos, including films by Teton Gravity, an extreme sports media company. Violent Mae has toured and performed at CMJ, NXNE, Mustang Music Festival, Daytrotter, and Converse Rubber Tracks. Becky has been teaching primarily vocals and guitar as well as bass and keys since August 2019 with School of Rock Ridgefield.
Drum Teacher Tyger MacNeal
Tyger MacNeal
Drum Teacher
Tyger is and has been an in-demand studio and touring drummer for the past three decades. As a result, he has worked with some of the most established names in the music business such as the Four Tops, Fifth Dimension, and Rosemary Clooney, to name a few. Tyger also toured and recorded with the funk group, The Average White Band, and was a mainstay with Grammy Award-winning guitar legend Jose Feliciano for 25 years. During that time he was also one of the first call drummers on the Broadway hit Mamma Mia! as well as maintaining a busy freelance and teaching schedule. Tyger has been teaching drums with School of Rock Ridgefield since August 2020.
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Singing Teacher Jackson Pryor-Bennett
Jackson Pryor-Bennett
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Singing Teacher
Jackson is a bassist, guitarist, pianist, vocalist, and more. He has experience across many genres of music, including but not limited to rock, jazz, funk, blues, metal, folk, classical, R&B, punk, pop, salsa, bluegrass, choral music, and even video game soundtracks, film scores, experimental music, and a lot more. While being primarily, or entirely, self-taught on most instruments, Jackson holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Western Connecticut State University where he honed his skills further, rigorously practicing upright and electric bass and jazz voice. Jackson is a musical artist, teacher, and performer who writes, produces, arranges, records, and releases original music (and content) to help uplift and inspire others and help other musicians reach their goals as he strives toward his own. You can find Jackson’s music on most streaming platforms. Jackson has been teaching bass, guitar, keys, and vocals with School of Rock Ridgefield since March 2018.
Drum Teacher Rick Quintanal
Rick Quintanal
Drum Teacher
Rick majored in music at the University of California at San Jose, studying drums with Maestro Eugene Graves, as well as Anthony Cirone, who was the principal percussionist with the San Francisco Symphony, and Chuck Brown, a leading San Francisco Bay area teacher whose students included Terry Bozzio and David Garibaldi. He was an assistant teacher in Chuck Brown's studio for five years.

Rick performed and toured with The Don Ellis Orchestra, George Duke, Kenny Rankin, and Jorge Santanas' Malo, and has worked in both the Los Angeles and San Francisco recording scene with various artists, and is currently performing in Connecticut with Crystal Cymbalogy, Otis and the Hurricanes, and Terra Coda. Rick has been teaching for over 40 years and started with School of Rock Ridgefield teaching drums in January 2019.
Studio Coordinator Robin Rockwell
Robin Rockwell
Studio Coordinator
Robin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Western Connecticut State University with a concentration in clarinet and a secondary in bassoon. She has performed in various pit orchestras in the area including the WCSU Theatre and Opera Departments, Torrington High School, Newbury Musical Theatre Company, NewArts, and Musicals at Richter for shows such as Mozart’s The Magic Flute, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Newsies, Roald Dahl’s Matilda, Beauty & the Beast, Mary Poppins, West Side Story, and Oklahoma.

Robin started her career in arts administration as Orchestra Contractor and Assistant to the Music Director at NewArts. She held the position of Clarinet & Saxophone instructor and Administrative Assistant at Music Learning Center in Danbury for the 2021-2022 school year and has been a Control Board Operator at WMNR Fine Arts Radio since September 2020. Robin joined the School of Rock Ridgefield team in November 2022 as Studio Coordinator.
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher Aidhan Roque
Aidhan Roque
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Aidhan is a guitar player currently based in the CT area where he teaches, gigs, and produces music. He studied at Western Connecticut State University, earning a Bachelor of Music in Music and Audio Production with a focus in jazz guitar. Aidhan is skilled in a variety of musical genres, including rock, blues, soul, funk, pop, and jazz to list a few. He is trained and able to teach different guitar and bass techniques, as well as music theory and jazz theory. Aidhan joined School of Rock Ridgefield in June 2022 and offers lessons on guitar and bass.
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

What I like about the program is that my kids LOVE it!

This is so different from the music lessons that existed when I was a kid. These kids are actually making music and learning to play as a band. The performances are so impressive, and watching the kids gain confidence and express themselves on stage is priceless.

The structure around how kids learn is amazing.

Taking lessons to learn an instrument is one thing, but learning how to be a part of a band is on another level. These kids are learning how to communicate, respect people and their opinions, and how to be accountable for themselves. It’s more than just music here.

It's the best music program in the city.

Dedicated instructors and staff, vibrant atmosphere, and most importantly, it's fun! My 8-year-old has grown leaps and bounds in skill and personal confidence. If you're thinking about checking it out, don't wait, just do it!

The kids have a great time while learning to play.

Lifelong skills and relationships are born here. The staff shares their passion for music and are very professional and accommodating. Wish I had this type of exposure to music when I was growing up!