the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Moto GP motorcycle race weekend in August. Members, from left, are Lauren Konkoli, Jason Pells on drums, Brittny Kasprzyk of Fishers on vocals and Justin Blanner of Fishers on guitar. (Submitted photo)
By Holly Demaree
School of Rock Carmel has done it again. Its house band, consisting of student musicians from the Indianapolis area including two from Fishers, will perform Nov. 14-16 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland.
School of Rock Carmel, which helps aspiring young musicians of all levels better their craft, opened in March 2012. The School of Rock franchise, from which the Jack Black movie of the same name is based, began in Philadelphia in 1998.
“Students usually come in to School of Rock Carmel wanting to learn an instrument for the first time, to grow as a musician on the instrument they’re already learning or to get a chance to work with other musicians and to perform,” said Elyse Causey general manager for School of Rock Carmel. “But a lot of times what they end up learning has more to do with life lessons than just music.”
School of Rock Carmel is not just about the music; it also teaches students confidence, teamwork, responsibility and punctuality, in a fun way. Not all of the students attend the same school and find a sense of community when playing or practicing with others at School of Rock Carmel.
“The other great thing that happens due to the group rehearsals and the way we structure them is that students really get to plug in to a community here,” said Causey. “We’ve seen so many times students who come in either not knowing anyone or knowing very few people in the group they’re part of, but by the end of the season, they’ve made great friends with these kids who may be different ages and go to different schools, but whom they have a lot in common with.”
School of Rock Carmel’s house band will play at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Two members of the house band are Fishers residents: Brittny Kasprzyk is a vocalist and Justin Blanner is a guitarist. The student musicians in the house band are part of the intermediate or advanced group and are allowed to audition to join the house band. The house band is made up of eight musicians and performs locally and regionally, including the Milwaukee Summerfest, a popular summer festival in Wisconsin.
Causey believes the upcoming Cleveland performance will help the students grow as musicians by watching and performing with students from School of Rock locations in Cleveland and Cincinnati.
“Some of the best lessons these kids have learned is through their peers,” said Causey. “For instance, not coming to a rehearsal prepared and having one of the other students hold them accountable – (is) a positive peer pressure. Our students always play better for other School of Rock students, whether it’s at their end-of-season performance at local venues when students from other shows come and stand right up front cheering them on.”
