Major Success with Bach to Rock
New In Town
Bach to Rock, which opened in Port in January, already has over 250 students, ages 3 to a woman in her 80’s. Owners Glenn Fleischman and Alan Goodstadt created the school with the intention of becoming the “center of the recreational music community,” Fleischman said. “We really offer something to everybody. Not only lessons for children and adults, but the recording studio, the rehearsal studio, the open jam nights, and we sponsor local events around town.”
Fleischman described their school as “Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory for musicians.” Along with several rooms for individual and group lessons, there is a performance room, which was “built with the intention to simulate a small club,” said Goodstadt. “We like to give the kids the full rock star experience.” The school has a full professional recording studio, which is used for birthday parties as well as local bands and students. “Part of the curriculum for the student bands is to get a professional recording done, which is a real bonus,” said Fleischman.
The Bach to Rock school offers a curriculum which gives teachers structured guidelines as well as allowing students to experience music from different genres. “The books we use provide structure to help keep the teacher and the student focused,” said Goodstadt. Each level has certain skills and methods that students must learn before moving up a level, like karate belt style.
Their staff includes a very talented group of hand picked teachers. “They’re all active, gigging, touring musicians,” said Goodstadt. “That gives them an experience that they can pass on to the kids that a lot of teachers can’t.”
Back to Rock also provides a music therapy program. “It uses music to teach and help life skills. For example, it teaches children on the autism spectrum eye contact, social cues, how to better engage in dialogue and improve speech through music,” Fleischman explained. The music therapist they have on site is board certified with a master’s degree in music therapy as well as being a talented musician in her own right.
Following with the theme of being the “center of the recreational music community,” Bach to Rock also offers adult Jam Night on a monthly basis. Fleischman said it’s “for people who play an instrument, you don’t have play it well, or who like to sing in the shower,” and it gets them going in a band. Fleischman hinted that they were looking to get a mom band together by the end of the year as well. To get involved with Jam Night, you can Like Bach to Rock’s Facebook page or sign up for their mailing list.
Fleischman and Goodstadt designed their facility to be comfortable for people of all ages. “We want it to be a place where anyone who likes music will want to hang out,” said Fleischman. It certainly lives up to that hope, decorated in album covers and posters of iconic musicians old and new, inviting people of all ages to step inside and take lessons or watch a student band perform.