Learning a new skill isn’t always easy, and that’s especially true when it comes to music, which can be overwhelming when all you really want to do is belt out a tune.
One Clifton Park music studio aims to take a different approach. The Modern Day Music’s Rock School Music Academy attempts to take away some of that overwhelming feeling by getting away from the traditional music lesson.
Modern Day Music opened in May of 2011, has about 250 students and is still growing. According to owner Stan Denis, there will be more locations opening in the coming months.
Modern Day Music teaches a song-based approach to learning not only rock ‘n’ roll, but other types of music as well. They still teach chords and scales, just in a different way.
“We opened the school to empower students, not just kids but all students, to be able to come in and learn to play the music that they love. We only teach the instruments that occur in most music: guitar, bass, drums, keyboard and singing,” said Denis.
Denis owns the school with managing partner Paul Benedetti. Denis, a businessman, was inspired to open the school by watching his 11-year-old daughter Talia attempt to pursue her dream of becoming a pop star.
“I got a chance to watch my daughter want to be a performer at a very young age, and we tried to find music teachers that would assist her with what she wanted to do,” said Denis.
The first teachers had suggested songs from Disney movies, but Talia wanted to sing pieces by Peter Gabriel and Adele. She went along with more classical lessons for a while before trying to tailor lessons to meet what she was looking for.
Well, they did and through simplifying some of the songs she wanted to learn it worked out to be a much more positive experience.
Benedetti had the same experience with his son who wanted to learn drums, and since the two had already been business partners in the past it made sense to embark on a new adventure that would benefit their children and others who were also passionate but discouraged about learning music.
“We use what we call a song-based approach. What that means is that we’ll have a student come in who wants to play guitar. The very first thing we ask them is, ‘Who is your favorite artist?’ A lot of the girls will want to learn something by Taylor Swift so we’ll teach them a very simplified version of a Taylor Swift song,” said Denis.
Not only are students learning theory and scales within those songs, but they’re playing the music they love. It’s the context that the lessons are presented in that make the difference, Denis said. He calls it an applied method. For instance, if a student is having a tough time going from one chord to another within a song, there is a practice scale that can make it easier.
Denis says that for most people to stay involved with music it has to be rewarding, and that is what Modern Day Music is all about. Feedback he gets from parents and students alike is very positive.
Maura Clough’s daughter Ann, a seventh grader, had taken piano lessons for years, but started losing interest in learning the standards through school. After starting lessons at Modern Day Music though, she has learned to read and play music.
“She wanted to learn the songs she was hearing on the radio. We went to Modern Day Music’s open house and she signed up for lessons the very next week and has absolutely loved it. She takes one on one coaching instruction and is now part of the newly formed rock school band. …She learned how to personalize a song, it’s been a totally different experience,” said Clough.
Tunes from Lady Ga Ga and Adele are popular with Ann and her band at the moment.
“There’s a lot more freedom, I can learn whatever I want and everyone is going to help me learn how to play it,” said Ann.
She added that learning music helps her to concentrate in school as well. She spends about three hours a week practicing outside of her Modern Day Music lessons.
Rob Fish’s daughter Lizzy, 13, has been singing in talent shows since kindergarten and sang “The National Anthem” at last year’s Shell Strong Stroll, which was held in honor of Jacob Strong, who was fighting cancer. From there, she wanted to take lessons and learn how to sing. Fish discovered Modern Day Music through Denis and for the past year Lizzy has been a student.
“We felt that it gave Lizzy the opportunity to get out and perform, which is what she really wanted to do. We really like their approach of grouping kids with like abilities together to learn and form bands, which is where we are now. They’re attempting to learn ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ by Journey,” said Fish.
Modern Day Music’s bands will be holding a free concert on Saturday, April 21, at 7 p.m. at Spare Time Bowling Center and Sports Lounge Stage in Clifton Park. For more information about Modern Day Music or the concert, visit rockschoolmusic.com.
