Drumroll, please: School of Rock celebrates 10-year mark
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It’s been a decade of treble and bass at the School of Rock and the music academy on Corydon Avenue is gearing up to celebrate the major milestone with an all-ages anniversary show.
After 10 years of teaching Winnipeggers, both young and old, the art of rock ’n’ roll, the school is preparing to drum up even more excitement as it marches towards another decade of helping people play music together.
The program — which takes place May 16 at Sidestage, 700 Osborne St. — features live music performed by the talented artists and bands from the school. Ticket prices are donation-based, with all proceeds going toward supporting the school house band’s upcoming Canada Fest tour in Regina.
SUPPLIED
School of Rock student Desneige Ketcheson rocks out in Assiniboine Park on Canada Day with the house band.
The school has been welcoming children as young as four, as well as youthful grown-ups in their 60s, to group and individual classes since opening its doors in 2016.
Instructor Theo Shalley, 19, has been with the school since 2019 when he joined as a student; he transitioned to his teaching role in 2024.
“Being a student here really gave me a sense of identity, but teaching gives a new sense of purpose,” he says. “If I can direct a younger generation onto a path they might not know how to get started in, or they might not know they are interested in, that’s really fulfilling.”
Shalley teaches multiple instruments, with drums as his primary focus. He runs a number of rehearsal groups where students learn to play together as a band, as well as one-on-one lessons.
“The school is a great place for you to find out who you are and if this is your calling. There’s a real sense of community; it’s a really encouraging environment,” he says.
SUPPLIED
Multi-instrumentalist Desneige Ketcheson has been attending the School of Rock since its early days.
It’s a sentiment student Desneige Ketcheson agrees with.
The 16-year-old, who uses they/them pronouns, has been attending music classes since the school’s early days. They started out playing drums and switched to bass two years later.
Ketcheson credits the school with introducing them to people they may otherwise not have encountered.
“I’ve met a bunch of people that have become my closest friends and honestly changed my life. They’ve taken me to a lot of concerts, helped me join the hardcore scene in Winnipeg, and getting to perform with them is genuinely crazy,” the musician says.
The multi-instrumentalist — Ketcheson also plays piano, saxophone, oboe, trumpet, flute, bassoon and French horn — joined the school’s house band in 2024 and has performed in most live music venues in the city.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
The School of Rock is marking its tenth anniversary with a concert showcasing the school’s talent.
The teen says the school has connected them with the music genre they most identify with.
“I learned piano when I was younger and I was mostly playing classical music. When I got to the school, I got to learn the songs I actually listen to by some of my favourite bands, like Protest the Hero, the Callous Daoboys, Pierce the Veil and Rev3rent.”
winnipegfreepress.com/avkitching
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Theo Shalley, a teacher at the School of Rock, says attending the school as a student helped him find himself.
AV Kitching is an arts and life writer at the Free Press. She has been a journalist for more than two decades and has worked across three continents writing about people, travel, food, and fashion. Read more about AV.
Every piece of reporting AV produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
event preview
School of Rock Winnipeg: 10-Year Celebration
● Sidestage, 700 Osborne St.
● Saturday, May 16, 3:30 to 7 p.m.
● Tickets at Eventbrite
AV Kitching is an arts and life writer at the Free Press. She has been a journalist for more than two decades and has worked across three continents writing about people, travel, food, and fashion. Read more about AV.
Every piece of reporting AV produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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