New Rock Music School Likely on Its Way to Clarendon Hills

Forget violins and tubas, Clarendon Hills kids may soon have the opportunity to pick up electric guitars and drumsticks.

The Hinsdale Chamber of Commerce held a new-member orientation meeting Tuesday morning, and the small crowd of new area businesses included the owners of a local branch of School of Rock, a national rock-music school available to kids ages 7 to 18.

Mother-daughter partners Denise and Anne Dills already run one , and have an agreement to open three more in the western suburbs. The Dills said they looked at opening their second school in Hinsdale and Western Springs, but most likely the location will be in Clarendon Hills. 

School of Rock, Denise said, is a member of the Hinsdale Chamber because the communities share a school district and the Hinsdale Chamber puts on great events.

The Dills would not say where in Clarendon Hills the school would be because agreements are not finalized, but they did say they’re hoping to open up later this fall during back-to-school time.

Anne said School of Rock, which has 70 locations nationwide, is a performance-based school.

“We think the absolute best way for kids to learn is by doing,” Anne said.

Each week, School of Rock students would attend a 45-minute private lesson and a three-hour group rehearsal on separate days with a staff made up of professional musicians. Guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard are the only instruments taught regularly at School of Rock. Vocals are taught, as well. 

The school also holds various workshops and movie nights students can go to, as well. The year is divided into three “show seasons.”

“We’ll have a beginner show like AC/DC; we’ll have an intermediate show like the Rolling Stones, we’ll have an advanced show like [Led] Zeppelin or Jethro Tull,” Anne said.

According to the Naperville School of Rock website, enrollment ranges from $195 for just the private lessons to $325 for the full package.

"We teach them everything," Anne said. "It’s not just learning the instruments. If you want to be a professional musician, [we teach you] everything it takes—the practice, the dedication, the business sense."

The 70 schools nationwide are connected by an “All Stars” program that has put School of Rock bands on stage at festivals like Lollapalooza and at concerts as opening acts.

According to Anne, a lot of music students in school band or orchestra take private lessons, and then go home and practice alone in their room. They lose interest, she said because they don’t have an outlet.

“For our kids, we find, if you teach them the fundamentals and then you can immediately connect it to playing in a group—playing on stage in front of an audience, the rush you get when you perform—then they learn to love it and they’ll get through the tough beginning parts of learning.”

Denise chimed in.

“We tell the parents, you wouldn’t let your child learn soccer, be coached one on one, and never get into a game,” Denis said. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Anne, who lives in Chicago, will be running the day-to-day operations of the school; Denise, who lives in Hinsdale, said she’s in charge of finding the location, doing the school’s “build out,” and maybe sitting behind the reception desk a day or two per week. 

Denise said they also plan on joining the Clarendon Hills Chamber of Commerce once the location is set.