School of Rock, the leader in performance-based music education, kept the music going in 2020, fostering connection and community to students around the world with loud success during the global pandemic.
The music school adapted its business model to offer virtual one-on-one music lessons and delivered exclusive access to some of the world's most famous musicians, new curriculum updates, virtual concerts and more. Expansion into Taiwan and Ireland, alongside 17 school openings, ended the year on a trajectory of continued growth and global expansion for the award-winning music franchise.
"School of Rock defied the constraints of the pandemic to unlock breakthroughs that have strengthened our concept, competitive advantage, and our culture," said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock. "I am inspired by the creativity of our franchisees and school teams in the face of unprecedented challenges. Our community has sustained momentum through innovation and an unyielding commitment to enriching lives."
Highlights for the year include:
- Launched School of Rock Remote, offering its students virtual one-on-one music lessons;
- Augmented remote learning with introduction of Artist Sessions providing students live access to some of the world's most famous rock stars;
- Enhanced curriculum with Songwriting Program teaching the fundamentals of songwriting, arrangement and music theory to help students compose original works;
- Updated curriculum to feature more music created by Black artists; published on its website a series of articles and interactive content on the historical contribution of Black artists to Rock and Roll;
- In celebration of Bob Marley's 75th birthday, debuted a video of Skip Marley performing Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" in collaboration with the School of Rock 2020 AllStars;
- Provided support to Independent Venue Week, which recognizes and celebrates all that independent venues have done for the live music scene;
- Presented the Winter of Rock Festival in partnership with Universal Music Group, Hollywood Records and Edgeout Records;
- Awarded master franchise agreement in Taiwan; franchisee to open 20 schools in Taiwan over next 10 years;
- Awarded new area development agreement in Ireland;
- Opened 27 new schools, 18 domestically, and 9 international including a new country launch in Paraguay;
- Inclusion in Entrepreneur magazine's 2020 Franchise 500;
- Media coverage for the brand in Forbes, Entrepreneur, USA Today, Global Franchise, and more.