School of Rock Provides One of Kind Opportunity for Music Fans to Rock Out as Entrepreneurs

For some, the phrase “School of Rock” brings the movie blockbuster starring Jack Black to mind. But for others—currently, 27,000 students, to be exact—School of Rock is the one of a kind creative outlet that’s changing their lives.

For the past two decades, School of Rock has been revolutionizing the music education industry. Rather than teaching children how to play the chords to “Mary Had a Little Lamb” individually in their home, kids who enroll in the brand’s courses learn to rock out in a group setting that’s designed to instill confidence and promote personal growth. That’s why it’s no surprise that School of Rock is consistently ranked as a top child enrichment program by industry publications including Entrepreneur magazine. It’s also why the brand is on an upward growth trend that shows no signs of slowing down.

Leading that ongoing expansion initiative is School of Rock’s CEO Rob Price. After joining the brand’s executive team in 2017, Price wasted no time getting started. According to him, he was able to dive right in because, from day one, School of Rock was more than just a job.

“The thing about School of Rock that first drew me in was its potential for franchise growth. By coming on board as CEO, I realized that I had the unique opportunity to create a strategy and develop my own leadership approach to help this brand reach its full potential,” said Price. “But what really sold me on the brand is that I’m a deeply passionate musician. Even as a parent, music has played a central role in my parenting strategy. I am hook, line and sinker into the School of Rock Concept, and I have a deep belief in what we do. It was clear to me that I had to take on this role. It wasn’t a job—it was a calling.”

That heightened level of passion and excitement about the School of Rock brand is evident across its entire system—from corporate team members and franchisees to families and students, a passion for music and music education is at the core of everything the brand does. That’s why the brand’s business ownership opportunity stands out as one to beat. Not only is School of Rock creating a path to job consistency for professionals in the music industry, it’s also creating a positive environment and culture centered on giving back that isn’t often found in a traditional office.

“Nobody does what we do the way that we do it. Kids come to us with all of these different ideas and goals, whether they want to learn how to play guitar or learn to sing a Taylor Swift song. But even though their individual goals are different, they all come together with music. We aren’t individually teaching kids to play instruments—we’re putting them in a band environment that allows them to perform. Being a part of a group truly has an impact on kids’ lives—we have students who may be considered ‘shy’ or ‘outsiders’ going on stage and performing at Lollapalooza,” said Stacey Ryan, Vice President of Company School Operations for School of Rock. “What we do is hard work, but it’s fun and it’s life-changing. We’re creating once in a lifetime experience, and it’s really cool to be a part of this community.”

School of Rock’s community is expanding across the globe. Right now, the brand has 203 units that are open for business across nine—soon to be 10—different countries. By the end of 2018, School of Rock is planning to award 25 new territories to local owners, open 20 new schools and launch at least one new international market. Over the next three years, the brand plans to award between 75 and 100 franchises and develop a minimum of three new international markets.

To make those growth goals a reality, School of Rock will be working closely with its franchisees—both new and existing. The brand has created a system in which there’s a positive relationship between the corporate office and local owners across the globe, and it’s actively looking for new aspiring entrepreneurs to be a part of its team. Specifically, School of Rock is looking to expand in major metropolitan areas across the U.S. including Houston, Texas; San Francisco, California; San Diego, California and Seattle, Washington.

“The skill sets that we look for in franchisees include the ability to help us grow the brand by offering the distinct School of Rock methodology at their schools, understanding the concept and following best practices. And obviously, our franchisees have to meet our core requirement of passion,” said Justin Nihiser, Vice President of Franchise Operations for School of Rock. “As a franchisor, we also make sure that we meet our own requirements when it comes to setting our franchisees up for success. We offer the tools, training and support that our franchisees need in order to run their businesses effectively.”

In addition to both initial and ongoing support, School of Rock provides a long list of competitive advantages to its franchisees. From affordable startup costs that fall between $136,850 and $339,100 to exceedingly strong brand recognition, the brand’s franchisees are able to follow School of Rock’s proven system in order to reach their full potential as business owners.

“As franchisors, we have a system that works. Franchisees who join our team and follow the system are going to be set up for success. School of Rock has put in a lot of work to create a streamlined approach that provides assistance and guidance on all aspects of the business, from lead generation to event planning. By utilizing the team that we have in place, our franchisees are able to be successful in the long run,” Ryan said.

As School of Rock continues to expand in new markets both domestically and internationally, the brand is committed to staying true to its mission: indulging a passion for music while improving kids’ lives. And according to Price, it’s that different approach to music, education and franchising that will ultimately continue to set School of Rock apart.

He said, “The thing that I’m most proud of when it comes to School of Rock is that it has the power to enrich lives in so many ways. We think of it as a community—our purpose is to enrich the lives of not just our students, but also our instructors. This business model gives a lot of people in the music industry access to a steady line of work. This then creates an infrastructure for people to be able to teach—and share—the joy that comes with music. Millions of kids around the world can benefit from what we’re doing on a daily basis. We aren’t just teaching musicianship and performance skills—we’re also teaching technical abilities and self-expression. We’re looking to take this concept as broadly and deeply as possible to change the way that kids across the globe interact with society.”