The faint tapping of cymbals accompanied by the strumming of an electric guitar echoes down Center Street. With a feverish rhythm and a booming beat, the Rock House School of Music fills the center of Wallingford with melodies. For the past five months, the school has allowed the communal life and musical atmosphere in Wallingford to flourish.
With certified and experienced instructors, the Rock House School of Music teaches students of all ages and skill levels. The school’s music curriculum centers on “The Rock House Method,” a technique for teaching music through an applied-learning experience that emphasizes exploration.
Teachers use books, worksheets, video demonstrations, quizzes, and one-on-one lessons to provide a comprehensive learning experience. The school also holds events such as youth open mic nights, when younger students perform by themselves, and talent showcases, when students of all ages perform in an ensemble. Every year since 2015, the Rock House School of Music has been awarded the “Best Place to Take Music Lessons in CT” award from CTNow, a Hartford-based newspaper.
For students between four and seven, the school also offers its “Little Rockers” program, designed specifically for young children. This program teaches students the fundamentals of music through multi-sensory activities. Instructors use hand and foot patterns to teach students about rhythm. They also expose children to a variety of instruments to nurture their musical curiosity and creativity. Through music, the school hopes to develop their younger students’ artistic abilities and motor skills, skills applicable beyond the musical field.
Mr. John McCarthy, the founder of the Rock House School of Music, opened the school’s first location in West Haven 1991. After 28 years teaching in West Haven, Mr. McCarthy decided to build a new location in Wallingford. He hopes one day to establish locations across the United States and the world.
Mr. McCarthy had his first experience with music listening to his siblings’ albums when he was six years old. His passion for music led him to teach guitar during his teen years in the 1980s, when he developed the Rock House Method. According to Mr. McCarthy, the approach isn’t just about learning songs. It’s also about “learning the theory behind the song … and the elements needed [to become] a successful musician.”
To create the Rock House Method, Mr. McCarthy studied 10,000 number one hits from the past fifty years, and discovered that many of those songs used the same ten chord progressions. Mr. McCarthy based the foundation of the Rock House Method on the chord progressions, scales, and other musical elements commonly found in popular songs. From this foundation, he developed comprehensive curriculums for the guitar, bass, piano and keyboard, drums, ukulele, and voice.
Since inventing this method, Mr. McCarthy has written or helped write over one hundred books on learning to play music for a variety of instruments and genres, including blues, jazz, metal, and funk. He has also promoted the Rock House Method online, hoping to make learning music more accessible.
“My goal is always to bring more music to the community,” said Mr. McCarthy, adding that Choate students are welcome to a free lesson if they stop by the school and mention this article. Rock on.
