School of Rock

What a remarkable, generous, gifted team of musician mentors at the San Mateo School of Rock! Pure happenstance brought us to a School of Rock summer camp program in late 2021, the flame was ignited for my seven year old (thanks to Patrick). Entry into Rock 101 brought her just the kindling she needed with the expert guidance of her instructors at weekly lessons (kudos to Chris and Ahmed), combined with the full band rehearsals (applause to Rob). The transformation of a small group of beginners to a performance-ready band (Rock on Mudbloods!) is a testament to the energy, charisma, patience and dedication of these instructors. Our experience has been exceptionally positive – in a few short months they have managed to ignite a passion for music in my child that astounds us. She has progressed at a remarkable pace due in large part to the environment they create – a place infused with energy for learning, dedication to the craft, emphasizing collaboration and enthusiasm for sharing the love of music through performance. School of Rock San Mateo...rocks!

My son LOVES Jimmy and the drum kit instructions and music recommendations he receives from Jimmy. My son has not been this enthusiastic about drumming in a few years -- it is wonderful to see!

School of Rock: it's NOT just for kids! TL;DR = Adult band is so much fun! Chris Batshon is an amazing teacher and band director! I'm an adult student and I just wanted to say that I am very happy that I chose SOR in San Mateo. I'm taking bass guitar lessons with Chris B. He's professional, knowledgeable, patient, and (most importantly) very relatable. He's always available to answer questions outside of lessons and he provides constructive feedback. I feel like I've learned a lot in a short amount of time. I'm super motivated to practice on my own at home and to take on new, more challenging songs. I also decided to join the adult band at SoR, which is a blast! Chris B stepped up to direct the adult band, after the original director had a health issue. Chris created a fresh approach to directing the adult band. He allowed each of us to pick a few songs that we wanted to learn and perform; instead of using the old, prescribed setlist. It's definitely much more fun and motivating to practice songs that you and your bandmates actually enjoy. Band practice is the highlight of my week! Also, wanted to give a shoutout to all the staff and instructors there. Everyone is so helpful, friendly, and welcoming. I live in San Francisco. Surprisingly, there is no SoR in SF. Even if a SoR were to open in SF, I'd probably still commute to San Mateo just for the people who work there.

My two boys have been taking lessons at School of Rock since last year. One takes vocals and the other drums. They both see Patrick. He is amazing and has taught them so much. My younger son is in Rock Band now performing Woodstock. It’s been a great experience overall!

My daughters adore coming to the School of Rock. I considered other places for drums and vocals lessons but School of Rock fosters a "get on stage and play with others" spirit which is something they were looking to do more than the traditional end of year recital. Weekly private lessons combined with weekend stage practice is a huge hit and never any complaints about going. The instructors seem quite patient in working with the kids.