School of Rock Students Return From 2600 Mile Tour

The 2nd annual SCHOOL OF ROCK MN SUMMER TOUR just returned home after 10 days on the road, performing eight concerts in six cities spanning 2600 miles.

The School of Rock is the world leader in performance-based music education. In keeping with the philosophy that the best way to learn to do something is by actually doing it, they rented the tour bus, booked the venues and hit the road performing at music festivals from Summerfest in Milwaukee to the 34th Annual American Music Festival in Chicago; at venues as far away as Wildwood New Jersey and included a special appearance at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland OH.

The seventeen kids who performed on this tour represent some of the hardest working music students from School of Rock Eden Prairie and School of Rock St. Paul. Selected from a rigorous audition process in February, they rehearsed throughout the Spring in preparation of the tour which departed St. Paul June 25 and returned July 5. Joining the Minnesota School of Rock students on this tour were 20 students from School of Rock Australia.

Co-directing the group was Twin Cities musician Adam Azra’el and Australia’s Damon Lesnie.

“Taking lessons is great, but if kids don’t get to actually play, after a while there’s no point to the lessons,” said Minnesota Franchise Owner, Stacey Marmolejo. “And then the kids who do perform need to take their music education to the next level in order to remain excited about it. And that’s where tour comes in,” she added.

“Going on this tour is the equivalent of an internship in being a professional musician,” explained Azra’el. “After 10 days on the road, with 4am wake up calls on some days, they discover it isn’t as glamourous as it looks on TV. When we arrive home, kids get off the bus knowing whether they want to be a professional musician or a hobby musician,” said Azra’el. “And that is quite liberating at such an early age.”

Dubbed the “Shore Tour” because five of the six cities they performed in reside along a body of water, the students performed:

June 24 – St. Paul MN – Minnesota Music Cafe

June 25 – Milwaukee WI – Horny Goat

June 26 – Milwaukee WI- Summerfest Music Festival

June 27 - Milwaukee WI- Summerfest Music Festival

June 29 – Cleveland OH – Rock n Roll Hall of Fame

July 1 – Wildwood NJ – Isle of Wild Festival

July 2 – Cranberry Township PA – Summer Outdoor Concert Series

July 4 – Chicago IL – 34th Annual American Music Festival

And as with any great rock tour, some students were invited into the local radio station for a live interview.

Planning is now underway for 2016 Tours. Interested musicians must be enrolled in School of Rock to audition for tour participation.

School of Rock is fostering the next generation of great artists and redefining music education. Through a unique performance-based approach, students are guided from the lesson room to the stage where they play real shows at authentic venues with their peers. School of Rock’s collaborative environment inspires students to learn and excel and instills a confidence they carry with them for the rest of their lives. With more than 150 locations in nine countries, School of Rock inspires the world to rock on stage and in life. For more information about Eden Prairie School of Rock, visit www.SchoolOfRock.com