Fort Oglethorpe’s Rock Skool student Jack Moran, 10, holding his Les Paul Guitar, waits in the Student Lounge area with his father Mike. In the background, “School of Rock” plays on the TV. The Student Lounge also features artwork created by Rock Skool students.Mark Ferguson was so inspired by the movie “School of Rock” that he opened his own.
He opened School of Rock of Chattanooga, affectionately shortened by Ferguson to “Rock Skool,” three years ago in Fort Oglethorpe. His dream is to expand into Chattanooga-proper by opening a second location in the near future. He is looking for a few more teachers and new students.
The music school currently enrolls 30 students ranging from age 7 to 17. Ferguson said the instructors want to branch out to begin teaching adults too.
“The ‘School of Rock’ movie inspired me to do this,” said Ferguson, who plays the movie on repeat in the Rock Skool Student Lounge. “I teach guitar, bass and drums, myself. We have another guitar and bass teacher. We have an award-winning piano player and a graduate of Rock Skool that teaches keyboard here. We also have a drum instructor.”
Rock Skool students have performed twice at Riverbend, the Hamilton County Fair, Chickamauga Down Home Days and once at The Colonnade, he said.
One student is rising to the top quickly. His name is Jack Moran, who is just 10 but already playing really well-known rock songs, said Ferguson. Jack began taking lessons at Rock Skool a year and a half ago. He brings his Les Paul electric guitar to his weekly lessons. His favorite tunes to play at rehearsals are Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid,” Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” and “Nothin’ But A Good Time” by Poison.
“I probably would not have learned this many songs at another school in a year and a half,” Jack said. “I come here once a week. I played at The Colonnade [with fellow Rock Skool students]. At that show, I played Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid,’ the Beatles’ ‘Day Tripper,’ ‘TNT’ by AC/DC, ‘Rock and Roll All Nite,’ by KISS, and Chuck Berry’s ‘Johnny B. Goode.'”
The school has three practice studios which hold a variety of instruments – various size keyboards, drum sets and a variety of guitars.
“Here, our students learn how to play music,” Ferguson said, adding, “In the first month, students learn how to play a song all the way through. We teach the fundamentals of music. I play the drums, keyboard and guitar. We’ve got a curriculum and a plan. We are serious about music.”
The school also rents out and repairs music equipment and sells “Rock Skool” CDs featuring student performances. The CD includes the following songs: “Rock and Roll,” “Nothing But A Good Time,” “Living on a Prayer,” “Back in Black,” “About A Girl,” “Paranoid” and “Rock and Roll All Nite.”
To learn more, visit rockskoolchattanooga.com or facebook.com/rockskool.chattanooga.
Rock Skool is at 71 White St. and can be reached at 423-240-6827. A free trial lesson is available to students just starting out. Beginner to advanced private lessons, group rehearsals and large concerts all come with the music lessons.