May 21, 2021 | Featured, Franchise News
The first school in Madrid, Spain, officially opened mid May 2021, the first entry into Europe for the franchise. Paulo Portela, School of Rock’s master franchisee in Brazil, Spain and Portugal will open 28 schools throughout Spain and Portugal over the next 10 years.
“We are thrilled for School of Rock to have a presence in Europe and help support the next generation of artists,” said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock. “Paulo Portela has already made such a positive impact on students in Brazil, and with his devotion to the School of Rock brand, he is the ideal person to lead this expansion across Spain and Portugal.”
The new school, located in Pozuelo de Alarcón, will be owned by Luigi Lubelli, his wife Cristina Fernández and her brothers Ángel, Marcos and Alfonso. “This is the first of 20 Schools planned to be opening soon in Spain. We’re excited with the impact School of Rock will have in Spain and Europe families,” says Fernando Augusto, CEO of School of Rock Spain and partner in the Brazil, Spain and Portugal Holding.
“We chose to launch School of Rock because it offers the opportunity to both run an attractive business and truly make a difference in the lives of children and adults,” said Luigi Lubelli. “We are elated to bring this fun performance-based music-education curriculum to Spain.”
The Madrid school’s launch marks the 15th country open or in development for School of Rock. There are currently 291 existing School of Rock locations open and operating across 11 countries including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, South Africa, Australia, Philippines, Paraguay, and Spain. School of Rock will be opening locations in Taiwan, Ireland, Colombia and Portugal later this year.
Apr 30, 2021 | Featured, Franchise News
“We are very honored as this industry award further reinforces that School of Rock’s music-education program is of universal importance,” said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock. “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we kept the music alive by fostering strong connections and community-building with our franchisees and students. As we continue to grow our global brand footprint, I can’t wait to make the world more vibrant through music.”
As the only awards of their kind that focus solely on international franchising, the Global Franchise Awards, now in its fourth year, seek to honor the most exceptional franchise brands representing all categories according to analysis of their overseas ambition, strong franchisee support, a strong marketing campaign and an overall willingness to advance the cause of franchising itself.
With the multi-award-winning brand emerging stronger than ever in 2021, School of Rock has been extremely proactive in cultivating its global music-franchise community via recent expansion plans into Spain, Ireland, Taiwan, and Colombia. The company’s extensive growth includes a projected total of 37 school openings in 2021, 27 domestically and 10 internationally. The music-education program’s worldwide reach won’t stop there as School of Rock keeps its franchising crescendo going with additional global expansion plans through the end of the year.
School of Rock, the revolutionary music school helping aspiring musicians master skills, unleash creativity, and develop tools they need to thrive in life has also won the Global Award for Best Franchisor in Children’s Services and Education.
BEYOND THE FILM, AN EXPANDING GLOBAL BRAND: The first question people ask about School of Rock is which came first, the school itself or the 2003 Jack Black movie. Originally launched as a single location in Philadelphia in the late ‘90s, School of Rock has developed into a trademarked brand and global phenomenon, operating and franchising after-school music instruction schools in over 12 countries.
In 2020, School of Rock kept the music going, fostering connection and community to students around the world with loud success during the global pandemic. By adapting its business model to offer virtual one-on-one music lessons, delivering exclusive access to some of the world’s most famous musicians, new curriculum updates, virtual concerts and more and expanding into Taiwan and Ireland, alongside 17 school openings, the brand ended the year on a trajectory of continued growth and global expansion.
“School of Rock defied the constraints of the pandemic to unlock breakthroughs that have strengthened our concept, competitive advantage, and our culture,” said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock. “Our community has sustained momentum through innovation and an unyielding commitment to enriching lives.”
A PATENTED, REVOLUTIONARY EDUCATION APPROACH: Innovation has been key to School of Rock’s success, beginning with its core music-education approach, The School of Rock Method™, which earlier this year, was awarded a U.S. Patent validating it as an exclusive concept and practice. The groundbreaking School of Rock Method builds musical proficiency through its proprietary Method App™, Method Book™ collection, SongFirst® approach, Method Engine™, and performance-based music curriculum.
Students start their musical journey by learning to play songs that inspire them. Classic songs like AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” are used to teach technique and theory. And while local flair is certainly included in the School of Rock curriculum, some legends transcend borders: The Beatles, David Bowie, and Bruce Springsteen are heard at every location, taught by veterans of the industry.
GLOBAL FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES: Another unique aspect of School of Rock––and a factor contributing to its immense brand expansion––is its status as a Recognized Global Children’s Franchise offering franchising opportunities throughout the world. Many successful franchisees are former or partially retired musicians or music industry execs, but others are successful entrepreneurs from other industries. There are also parents impressed by how School of Rock transformed their shy, isolated kid into a self-confident musician, finding his or her identity performing with a band onstage. All franchisees have one thing in common—an appreciation for the opportunity to improve the lives of children in their local communities through the power of music.
READ THE FULL GLOBAL FRANCHISE AWARDS MAGAZINE ISSUE
Apr 5, 2021 | Featured
As part of a growing, passionate community dedicated to enriching lives, School of Rock believes it is part of our mission to shine a light on the work and legacy of female musicians and songwriters. Female artists have had to fight to be heard alongside their male counterparts. While most are familiar with high-profile female vocalists, there have been far fewer female bands, musicians, songwriters, and producers in the spotlight.
School of Rock has curated a handful of resource articles that highlight various female musicians whose contributions may have been historically overlooked. Each made significant advances in their respective areas, often blazing a path for others to follow. There is no way to call out every important female musician, but the list featured aims to be a good start.
In addition to these articles, School of Rock will be adding new songs and performance show themes featuring female music artists to our proprietary curriculum. This will allow our students to learn more about these artists while they perform their music.
These articles were developed and co-written by a dedicated and passionate group of instructors and staff members from our very own schools.
Explore the articles here.
Feb 16, 2021 | Featured, Franchise News
Independent Survey Shows Franchise Owners Are Highly Satisfied with School of Rock’s Performance
School of Rock, the leader in performance-based music education, was recently named a Top Franchise for 2021 by Franchise Business Review. This is the 16th annual ranking of the 200 best franchise opportunities as rated by franchise business owners.
“Despite a challenging year, it is incredibly rewarding to know that franchisee satisfaction in the system is high,” said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock. “We remain steadfast in achieving our shared goal of enriching lives through music and look forward to providing continued support and resources to help our franchisees succeed.”
School of Rock was among over 300 franchise brands, representing more than 28,000 franchise owners, that participated in Franchise Business Review’s research. School of Rock’s franchisees were surveyed on 33 benchmark questions about their experience and satisfaction regarding critical areas of their franchise systems, including training and support, operations, franchisor/franchisee relations and financial opportunity.
“There are thousands of successful franchise companies operating in North America, but many of those companies do not offer a solid investment opportunity for the actual franchise owners,” said Eric Stites, CEO of Franchise Business Review. “As an independent research firm, we rate the franchise companies in the marketplace today and identify those with the highest levels of satisfaction and performance among their franchisees in order to educate potential buyers and help them choose which franchise to invest in. The companies on this year’s list are the top performing brands in the key areas critical to their franchisees’ success.”
School of Rock provides students of all ages an exciting and engaging learning environment for taking guitar lessons, drum lessons, bass lessons, keyboard lessons, and singing lessons. Drawing from all styles of rock and roll, School of Rock students learn theory and techniques via songs from legendary artists such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Frank Zappa. Thanks to the school’s patented performance-based learning approach, students around the world have gained superior instrumental skills and confidence on the big stage, with some moving on to record deals and larger platforms such as American Idol, The Voice and Broadway.
Feb 2, 2021 | Featured, Franchise News
School of Rock was recently ranked among Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500, with the brand claiming the top ranking in the children’s enrichment music category.
Over its 42 years in existence, the Franchise 500® has become both a dominant competitive measure for franchisors and a primary research tool for potential franchisees. School of Rock’s position on the ranking is a testament to its strength as a franchise opportunity.
“Topping Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 ranking in our category is an honor and validates our team’s passion and hustle when faced with unprecedented challenges,” said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock.
“THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY EXCITING TIME TO BE PART OF SCHOOL OF ROCK AS WE CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THIS MOMENTUM AND EXPAND ACROSS THE GLOBE AND FULFILL OUR MISSION TO ENRICH LIVES THROUGH MUSIC.”
In Entrepreneur’s continuing effort to best understand and evaluate the ever-changing franchise marketplace, the company’s 42-year-old ranking formula continues to evolve as well. The key factors that go into the evaluation include costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. Each franchise is given a cumulative score based on an analysis of more than 150 data points, and the 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500® in ranking order.
“2020 was a challenging year for everyone, but it was also a year of unusual opportunity,” says Jason Feifer, Entrepreneur editor-in-chief. “Franchises were able to be nimble and innovative, serving the needs of franchisees and customers in ways that will resonate for many years to come. We believe that, when we eventually look back on this time, we’ll see it as a moment when many brands defined themselves for the future.”
To view School of Rock in the full ranking, visit www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500. Results can also be seen in the January/February 2021 issue of Entrepreneur, available on newsstands January 26th.
Jan 25, 2021 | Featured, Franchise News
School of Rock, the leader in performance-based music education, has been awarded U.S. Patent No. 10,891,872 for its revolutionary School of Rock Method™, validating it as an exclusive innovation. The School of Rock Method builds musical proficiency through its proprietary Method App™, Method Book™ collection, SongFirst® approach, Method Engine™, and performance-based music curriculum. Additional patents are pending that will build on the company’s innovative learning system.
“We are honored that School of Rock’s integrated approach to music education has been formally recognized as a breakthrough,” said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock. “Our method engages students to unlock a lifelong passion for ongoing creative discovery. The COVID pandemic has only reinforced the potency of our method, since it was quickly adaptable to remote delivery.”
Students start their musical journey at School of Rock by learning to play songs that inspire them. Through this SongFirst approach, classic songs like AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” are used to teach technique and theory. Students are also given a proprietary Method Book– the roadmap for School of Rock’s educational approach that outlines musical concepts and techniques, teaches sight reading and more.
The School of Rock Method App, powered by MatchMySound™, allows students to practice the concepts learned in the Method Book. School of Rock teachers use the app to assign songs and exercises between in-school or remote lessons and group rehearsals. Students then learn the songs and complete exercises. They can even practice playing with a band because the app provides backing tracks along with song transcriptions. Students can also manipulate playback, tempo, and backing track audio to help make learning easier.
Powering these student facing tools is the School of Rock Method Engine. This proprietary technology is a massive multi-variable database that maps shows, songs, instruments, levels, and skills. The Method Engine took two years to build and is a tool only available to the company’s schools around the world. With the Method Engine at the core, ensemble learning and performing has never been more effective.
Jan 19, 2021 | Featured, Franchise News
School of Rock, the leader in performance-based music education, kept the music going in 2020, fostering connection and community to students around the world with loud success during the global pandemic.
The music school adapted its business model to offer virtual one-on-one music lessons and delivered exclusive access to some of the world’s most famous musicians, new curriculum updates, virtual concerts and more. Expansion into Taiwan and Ireland, alongside 17 school openings, ended the year on a trajectory of continued growth and global expansion for the award-winning music franchise.
“School of Rock defied the constraints of the pandemic to unlock breakthroughs that have strengthened our concept, competitive advantage, and our culture,” said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock. “I am inspired by the creativity of our franchisees and school teams in the face of unprecedented challenges. Our community has sustained momentum through innovation and an unyielding commitment to enriching lives.”
Highlights for the year include:
- Launched School of Rock Remote, offering its students virtual one-on-one music lessons;
- Augmented remote learning with introduction of Artist Sessions providing students live access to some of the world’s most famous rock stars;
- Enhanced curriculum with Songwriting Program teaching the fundamentals of songwriting, arrangement and music theory to help students compose original works;
- Updated curriculum to feature more music created by Black artists; published on its website a series of articles and interactive content on the historical contribution of Black artists to Rock and Roll;
- In celebration of Bob Marley’s 75th birthday, debuted a video of Skip Marley performing Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” in collaboration with the School of Rock 2020 AllStars;
- Provided support to Independent Venue Week, which recognizes and celebrates all that independent venues have done for the live music scene;
- Presented the Winter of Rock Festival in partnership with Universal Music Group, Hollywood Records and Edgeout Records;
- Awarded master franchise agreement in Taiwan; franchisee to open 20 schools in Taiwan over next 10 years;
- Awarded new area development agreement in Ireland;
- Opened 27 new schools, 18 domestically, and 9 international including a new country launch in Paraguay;
- Inclusion in Entrepreneur magazine’s 2020 Franchise 500;
- Media coverage for the brand in Forbes, Entrepreneur, USA Today, Global Franchise, and more.
Dec 7, 2020 | Featured, Franchise News
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Master franchisee to open 20 schools in Taiwan over next 10 years
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First school to open in Taichung City in March 2021
School of Rock, the leader in performance-based music education, continues to expand internationally and has awarded a new master franchise agreement in Taiwan. This marks the 15th country open or in development for School of Rock, supports a growing demand for the franchise in Asia, and signals the brand’s larger international development strategy as the premier music education brand around the world.
SOR Taiwan Company LTD, the master franchisee in Taiwan, will open 20 locations across the country over the next 10 years. The first school is set to open in Taichung City, one of the largest cities in Taiwan, in March of 2021.
“School of Rock thrives internationally because of the universal appeal of music education and personal development. We are thrilled that our global community will now extend to Taiwan – a market bursting with creative energy,” said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock. “This is an incredibly exciting time to be part of School of Rock as we accelerate international development and strive to inspire tens of thousands more aspiring musicians across the world.”
There are currently 276 School of Rock locations open and operating across 10 countries including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, South Africa, Australia, Philippines and Paraguay.
“We are excited to be bringing such a unique and fun concept to Taiwan,” said John Caraccio, the owner of SOR Taiwan Company LTD, who has 20 years of experience in developing retail stores across the island. “While most Taiwanese children learn either violin or piano, there is no system available for learning to perform with other kids, or to perform pop music and rock songs that they actually enjoy. They will soon have that opportunity as we hope to open School of Rock locations across the island.”
Dec 1, 2020 | Featured, Franchise News
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First School of Rock franchisee to be both domestic operator and international Master Licensee
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Franchisee to open four schools
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First school to open by summer 2021 in Dublin
School of Rock, the leader in performance-based music education, continues to expand internationally and has awarded a new area development agreement in Ireland.
Stephen Kennedy and Lloyd Gerry, franchise owners of School of Rock in Greenwich, CT, will open four locations across Ireland over the next four years. The first school is set to open in Dublin in early summer of 2021.
“Opening in Ireland is incredibly meaningful, as we both have roots in Ireland,” said Kennedy. “We see School of Rock not just as a business opportunity, but as a way to truly make a difference in both kids and adult lives.”
This marks the 15th country open or in development for School of Rock. There are currently 276 School of Rock locations open and operating across 10 countries including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, South Africa, Australia, Philippines and Paraguay.
“Ireland has such an incredible rock history, giving us such stars as U2 and Thin Lizzy among others, and we are thrilled for School of Rock to have a presence in this country and help support the next generation of artists,” said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock. “Steve and Lloyd have already made such a positive impact on students in the Greenwich community, and with their Irish roots and devotion to the School of Rock brand, they are the ideal candidates to lead this expansion.”
Oct 9, 2020 | Featured, Franchise News
School of Rock, the leader in performance-based music education, is enhancing its proprietary curriculum to feature more music created by Black artists. The goal is to further educate students on the Black community’s history and central contributions to the development of Rock and Roll.
To start, School of Rock has added new feature shows to its performance-based curriculum. Each of these programs encompass 20-25 songs from Black artists. As part of the curriculum, students will learn to perform these songs and discover important lessons about the complex experience of marginalized communities. New shows include “Roots of the British Invasion,” “The Music of Memphis,” and “The Music of New Orleans.”
“We teach musical proficiency through rock because contemporary songs offer an effective toolkit, particularly in group performance. Just as importantly, popular music opens a door to history. We have an obligation to honor those Black artists without whom there would be no Rock and Roll, and by extension no School of Rock,” said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock.
Additionally, utilizing the collective knowledge of the talented instructors across the School of Rock system, the company has published on its website a series of articles and interactive content on the historical contribution of Black artists to Rock and Roll. Early Rock artists featured include Etta James, Ray Charles, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, in addition to more recent innovators like Prince, Tracy Chapman, and Gary Clark Jr.
“This project has been energizing, and it inspires us to better understand and teach the stories of other groups’ contributions to the art form,” continues Price. “We also hope that by better understanding our musical past, we can contribute to a more harmonious future.”
School of Rock provides students of all ages an exciting and engaging learning environment for taking guitar lessons, drum lessons, bass lessons, keyboard lessons, and singing lessons. Drawing from all styles of rock and roll, School of Rock students learn theory and techniques via songs from legendary artists such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, and Frank Zappa. Thanks to the school’s performance-based approach, students around the world have gained superior instrumental skills and confidence on the big stage, with some moving on to record deals and larger platforms such as American Idol, The Voice and Broadway.
For more information visit https://www.schoolofrock.com/celebrating-black-artists
