thomasondrums: My opinion of "Rock Schools"

Photo above: thomasondrums – where I began my live performing, with School of Rock at age ten

Photo above: Behind my drums at the Yost Theater, Santa Ana, CA for a live show LRRS soundcheck. This was the first show that I used my own drums vs. the drums from the school, or, house drums for a live show. I tuned them, and buffed them out to be show ready, and attached the Los Rios Rock School bass drum head too. This is my Pearl Decade Maple kit, in pearly white, with Zildjian cymbals all around.

I played my last gig with Los Rios Rock School at the Coach House on January 27th. I had spent two years there (age 12-14), where I played live shows in their Advanced (Red Group) Performance Group, their “Classic Album, Van Halen” show band, as well as being their one and only Metal Band and Elite Showcase Band drummer. I played with some very talented musicians there, and made great friends for life. But, I got busy with other bands, and it was time for new challenges, and some very exciting projects were ahead for me.

thomasondrums: My opinion of “Rock Schools”

Somebody asked for my opinion recently about my four years spent playing drum set in live performance/show bands at both the ‘School of Rock’ (age 10-12), and at ‘Los Rios Rock School’ (age 12-14). They were curious if I felt it was worth the time that I spent playing drum set there? My opinion is that it was a great experience for a young drummer.

Photo above: thomasondrums with the School of Rock, Advanced Performance Group. I was age 10-12 there, playing with high-school-aged musicians. Here, I was dressed up as the legend, Peter Criss for a Halloween themed show at the “Totally 80’s Bar & Grill” in Anaheim, CA.

I began formal drum lessons at age six, so, by the time I was 10-years old, my primary drum teacher, Rob Ferrell told my parents that I was ready to play live with a band. It is hard to find bandmates as a ten year old! My mom did the research online, and found the School of Rock in Tustin, CA. ‘School of Rock’ was a great starting point for me and live performing. I had been placed in an Advanced level show band there. I was the young kid playing drum set behind high school aged kids on stage, which was fun for while. I remember that my parents would drop me off for the 3-hour rehearsals with my lunch bag, and I would see my bandmates pull up driving their own cars. I remember clearly that once I took the stage, and played the hell out of the drums in front of a live audience, I knew that is where I wanted to be! It just came naturally for me! As time passed, I felt like I had outgrown the school.

One of my ice hockey teammates was playing guitar at another rock school closer to my house. I wanted to take a tour and see it. So, at age twelve, I took my sticks and went south to Los Rios Rock School, in San Juan Capistrano, CA. It was immediately much more fun for me there. Unlike S.O.R., where they mixed their talent pool into bands, LRRS placed me (and other musicians) with same-level, or, close to same-level talent and ability together to form their show bands. As a result of playing with much more talented musicians, the quality of our live shows at Los Rios were much better. I mean, seriously, we rocked where ever we played! The LRRS Advanced ‘Red Group’

Photo above: Nothing better than LIVE drumming! Pic from the Coach House concert hall, in San Juan Capistrano, CA

became known as the ‘Shred Group!’

The truth is that I went into both rock schools with a personal goal, which was to become the best drummer I could be. To let my drumming and my performance in live shows speak for me. I worked hard, practiced, rehearsed and prepared before every show. Two years later, I was 14 years old. I had been playing at the same time with Oingo Boingo Dance Party, and other fun project bands with musicians from Orange County School of the Arts; so, I knew it was time to move on. I had achieved the goals I had set for myself at age ten when I first joined School of Rock. The bottom line is this: IF you are a young drummer, and want to try live performing, I recommend joining a rock school program.