Parents, Do Your Kids a Favor: Force Them to Rock

If Boston’s School of Rock existed when I was a kid, maybe I’d still be playing guitar today. Instead, I gave up after discovering that the pocket of my right brain responsible for singing and playing music at the same time was severely dysfunctional, if not altogether broken — and that I was a terrible singer, too. I blame my parents, mostly. Had they strong-armed me into committing to music lessons, I’m fairly certain I would have become the next Joan Jett. But I quit, and future musical endeavors were focused on appreciation (and the occasional musician boyfriend).

So, Boston parents, take note: The School of Rock is launching a few new classes next week that will put your young’uns on the straight track to some major music know-how. And the proof is in the pudding: I hit up a School of Rock performance a couple of years ago and was totally bowled over by how talented the kids were, and naturally, still are. What kind of classes? So glad you asked.

Epic Albums is a course that focuses on the recording process by dissecting and reproducing iconic albums like Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, Led Zeppelin’s IV, and Radiohead’s OK Computer, among others. Seriously, can I just take this class even though I can’t play an instrument? Please? Band Coaching is open to bands of all ages — basically, it’s group therapy in the form of constructive criticism and instrument-specific feedback from a pro. Project Studio hones songwriting skills and lets pupils record original material with weekly private lessons and pre-production and recording sessions.

The cost is between $150 and $325 per month per class. But churning out the next Jimmy Page? That’s priceless.

School of Rock, 120 Elm St., Watertown, 617-923-3434, schoolofrock.com.