It's a Hard Rock Life: On the Road With the School of Rock All-Stars

The School of Rock All-Stars, who represent the cream of the crop at Paul Green's School of Rock, play everything from Cream and Clapton to Zappa and Zeppelin.
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The life of a touring rock group isn't all glitz and glamour, especially a group that acts as their own roadies. "We sometimes do our own lighting and we unload the equipment, smoke machines, projector, and make sure everything works. Then we rehearse and do a sound check," says guitarist and bassist Max Johnson. "And we review song structures and nuances until gig time, perform, get a few hours of sleep, and then wake up to do it all over again," adds drummer Kaleen Reading. This routine can be especially challenging when they're touring internationally during their brief spring and summer breaks from high school. Max and Kaleen (ages 18 and 15, respectively) aren't your typical rockers. Together with their band mates, they form the School of Rock All-Stars, which represent the cream of the crop at Paul Green's School of Rock. SOR is not to be confused with the 2003 movie of the same title, though some aspects are similar, these kids aren't rocking out to songs about textbooks and teachers, instead they're playing everything from Cream and Clapton to Zappa and Zeppelin. They're lead, quite fearlessly, by SOR's founder, Paul Green, who helps choose the four groups -- two groups perform based on geographical location -- of All-Stars (who range in age from 10-18) through an audition process at each school's branch. Currently, there are 41 branches of School of Rock in the U.S. When asked if the audition and rehearsal process for the All-Stars prepares the group for life on the road, Max was quick to respond, "you learn you really have to work very hard. But the actual tour experience, you figure out for yourself as you go."

While they figure out life on the road, the All-Stars can look to some of their fellow touring partners for guidance. They've opened for or played along side of such musicians as Jon Anderson of YES, Alice Cooper and Eddie Vedder. This summer finds the All-Stars touring with famed alt-group The Butthole Surfers through Amsterdam, Belgium, London and New York (to name just a few cities on their bill). While their teen counterparts spend time sizzling on the beach or standing behind cash registers, these kids are learning that real rock is serious business. "Being on tour is absolutely the greatest thing on the planet," says Reading, "but it is also the most exhausting." Having toured two times before, Kaleen is used to the routine and she wouldn't trade it for anything. "Having music be my career is 100 percent of my intention."

Booking the All-Star gigs is equally exhausting. "It's a labor of love," admits Paul Green, "emphasis on the labor." But with the recent guest stars like Jon Anderson and appearances at festivals such as Lollapalooza, more doors are opening. "It has gotten easier of late," says Green. "It's also about fishing with a big net. For every good thing that comes through, there are ten things that fall through. But most of all, I believe it is about quality ... the All-Stars are not about the novelty of kids playing rock, but rather the majesty of kids playing rock well."

And abiding by the Paul Green manifesto of hard work and practice being the keys to success only makes students like Kaleen and Max work all the more harder towards achieving their professional goals. This fall Johnson is headed to college at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary music, to pursue a teaching degree while continuing to perform with his band, The Will. "I want my future to be full of music, touring, recording, writing and teaching," he says. For her part, Reading returns to high school, which she admits is a bit of a transition from her summer of touring. But between her School of Rock classes, tours and gigs with her bands, Burnside and Queen Diamond (an all-girl King Diamond tribute band), she has her hands full.

To say Max, Kaleen and the rest of the All-Stars have talent is underestimating them. Talent is only part of their make up. Paul Green agrees, "talent is a dirty work in America these days and one I bristle at. It has the effect of taking the credit for a person's accomplishments and giving the credit to one's genetic makeup. While it is certain that talent exists and is a big factor, I have never seen anyone achieve anything without education, diligence, and perhaps most importantly, courage. [We're] giving kids utterly unique opportunities and a good shot at esteem ... not 'self esteem,' which is another dirty word in my opinion, but real actual esteem...remember that?"

Rock on.

The All-Stars will be playing with the Butthole Surfers at NYC's Webster Hall on Tuesday, July 29th. Additional All-Star events include Lollapalooza and Zappanle (in Germany) and Mid-West and West Coast tours that run through the end of July. To find out where, visit: http://www.schoolofrock.com/allstars.php

Watch Jon Anderson of YES take the All-Stars from rehearsal to performance.
Video courtesy of: Marc Brodzik & Scrapple.tv

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