Arlington Heights
School of Rock

Explore School of Rock

Arlington Heights

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School of Rock Arlington Heights
17 E Campbell St
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
(847) 915-6201

Location Specifics

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Hours
  • Monday: 3 PM - 9 PM
  • Tuesday: 3 PM - 10 PM
  • Wednesday: 3 PM - 9 PM
  • Thursday: 3 PM - 10 PM
  • Friday: 3 PM - 8 PM
  • Saturday: 9 AM - 4:30 PM
  • Sunday: Closed

Upcoming Special Hours:

  • 11/28/2024 - 11/29/2024: Closed
  • 12/24/2024 - 01/01/2025: Closed

Music programs at School of Rock Arlington Heights combine one-on-one lessons with group band practices

School of Rock is happy to serve Arlington Heights and surrounding areas with quality music lessons from real, practicing musicians. We teach everything from the classics of singing to piano, bass guitar, and drums. Try your hand at first chair violin, saxophone, tuba, french horn and even a legitimate Chinese-made gong. At School of Rock, students can perform live shows and develop their skills in a supportive and encouraging learning environment. Arlington Heights is a great spot for aspiring musicians to take their career to the next level and perform at one of the local venues or expand out into the thriving Chicago music scene.

Programs we offer

Rock 101 music program in Arlington Heights for kids and beginners
Rock 101
Ages 8-13

Rock 101 is one of School of Rock Arlington Heights's top programs for kids and beginners. Students have one weekly group rehearsal where they learn to play classic rock songs that have been simplified for beginner musicians. Additionally, Rock 101 students in Arlington Heights have a weekly private music lesson with an instructor who helps them learn the concepts and skills behind their performance songs.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY PRIVATE LESSON
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP REHEARSAL

The Path to Take the Stage

Our music programs for kids in Arlington Heights are designed to get students on stage performing, with the goal of building strong musical proficiency. Younger students at School of Rock Arlington Heights who have participated in the Rookies program can move to our Rock 101 music program once they’re ready. Additionally, students (typically ages 8 to 13-years-old) can begin Rock 101 without any prior experience. The goal of this rock program is to quickly develop a basic competence on students’ chosen instruments before moving on to our famous Performance Program.

Performance music program for teens in Arlington Heights
Performance
Ages 8-18

The Performance Program at School of Rock Arlington Heights is our hallmark music program, where tens of thousands of students enroll each year. It consists of a weekly group rehearsal where kids and teens learn by playing rock music's most iconic songs with a band composed of their peers. Students are assigned songs and parts that are tailored to them based on their age, experience and ability to learn new skills and concepts. Students then work through their parts in weekly private music lessons, refining the skills and concepts that those songs introduce. The goal of this curriculum is to prepare kids and teens for live performances. Every few months, School of Rock Arlington Heights Performance Program students take the stage and play at local Arlington Heights music venues in front of a live audience.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY PRIVATE LESSON
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP REHEARSAL

The Path to Take the Stage

School of Rock Arlington Heights's music programs for kids and teens are designed to inspire by getting students on stage and performing. All of our other music education programs focus on readying students for our famous Performance Program. This is where students develop incredible musical skills. Performance Program students have often gone through our Rock 101 program first or have some previous basic music experience. These young musicians will have custom development plans outlined by their instructors with key concepts reinforced during private lessons and group rehearsals, all with the goal of performing live at a Arlington Heights music venue.

Rookies music program for children in Arlington Heights
Rookies
Ages 6-7

At School of Rock Arlington Heights, our music program for children with no previous musical experience (typically ages 6 to 7-years-old) is called Rookies. Rookies students have one weekly group music lesson where they learn fundamentals like chords, rhythm and song structure. Kids get to learn and experiment with multiple instruments so they can later decide which one they ultimately want to continue pursuing in Rock 101.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP LESSON
  • USE OF SIMPLIFIED ROCK INSTRUMENTS TO TEACH KIDS TO PLAY MUSIC

The Path to Take the Stage

All of our music programs are designed to inspire students to learn and develop a strong musical proficiency. At School of Rock Arlington Heights, younger students who are not ready for a more comprehensive program like Rock 101 can start in Rookies. Additionally, students who have completed the Little Wing program will progress into the Rookies music program. No prior musical experience is needed for Rookies. Once your child is ready for private music lessons (typically older than first or second graders), they will graduate into our Rock 101 program.

Little Wing music program for toddlers and preschoolers in Arlington Heights
Little Wing
Ages 4-5

At School of Rock Arlington Heights our Little Wing music program for preschoolers and toddlers teaches students foundational music skills by playing games and participating in other interactive musical activities. Little Wing students have one weekly group music lesson in which they use classic rock songs to learn about rhythm, song structure, melody and dynamics through play.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP LESSON
  • USE HAND PERCUSSION & OTHER TOOLS TO LEARN RHYTHM PATTERNS & MUSIC SYNTAX

The Path to Take the Stage

The Little Wing music program is the first step in a young musician's journey. At School of Rock Arlington Heights, toddlers and preschoolers who show an interest in music should start with Little Wing. As they get older, they will progress into the Rookies program, followed by Rock 101 and the Performance Program.

Songwriting
Age 12 and over

Our Songwriting program for kids and teens teaches the fundamentals of songwriting, arrangement and music theory, and helps students compose original works.  At School of Rock Arlington Heights, songwriting students receive one weekly private lesson where they learn concepts, technique and theory on an instrument of their choice. These principles are then applied in a weekly group lesson where students work together on songwriting exercises and lyrical workshops.  Every few months, Songwriting students take the stage to perform or band together to record their original songs.

What to Expect
  • 1 weekly private lesson
  • 1 weekly group lesson

The Path to Take the Stage

Our Songwriting program for kids and teens in Arlington Heights is designed to create musical proficiency through the creation of original music. Students at School of Rock Arlington Heights who have completed our Rock 101 program can move to our Songwriting program once they’re ready. Additionally, new students who have prior experience with and basic knowledge of an instrument can also begin Songwriting. The program culminates with a live showcase where students perform their original compositions in bands at a local music venue. Students taking the Songwriting Program online will remotely record their original songs to produce a demo of the class's music.

Remote student playing guitar
Online
All Ages

At School of Rock Arlington Heights, our students can take online, one-on-one music instruction from the comfort of their homes. We call this program School of Rock Remote. This online music program contains weekly one-on-one instruction conducted by our expert School of Rock instructors in a safe virtual lesson room.
 
Students will receive their training using our proprietary education program, The School of Rock Method™, which couples live video lessons with our proprietary Method App™, SongFirst Approach™ and Method Books™. 

What To Expect
  • ONE WEEKLY 1-ON-1 LESSON
  • LESSONS CONDUCTED USING SECURE VIDEO TECHNOLOGY

THE PATH TO TAKE THE STAGE

All of our music programs for kids, teens, and adults are designed to help students gain amazing musical proficiency. School of Rock’s online music lesson program is no exception. Online guitar lessons, online piano lessons, online drum lessons, online singing lessons and online bass guitar lessons are all offered through the School of Rock Remote online program.

Adult music program in Arlington Heights for students over 18
Adult Program
Ages 18+

School of Rock Arlington Heights's Adult Program is for students over 18 years old who are looking to either improve their musical proficiency or pick up an instrument with no prior musical experience. As with most School of Rock music programs, the Adult Program uses a performance-based music education approach. This means the curriculum focuses on learning music concepts and applying them in a live performance setting. Our Adult Music Program includes one weekly private music lesson and a weekly group rehearsal. Every student at School of Rock Arlington Heights is placed in a band of fellow adults and then assigned specific songs as a way of learning key music concepts and skills. Adult students then take the stage to play at a live show in Arlington Heights.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY PRIVATE LESSON
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP REHEARSAL

The Path to Take the Stage

All of our music programs are designed to inspire by getting students on stage and performing, with the goal of building strong musical proficiency along the way. The School of Rock Arlington Heights Adult Program is open to all experience levels and each student will follow a customized learning plan developed by their instructor. Adult students will work together during rehearsal to prepare for a live performance at a real rock venue in Arlington Heights.

House Band program for gigging at local venues in Arlington Heights
House Band
Age 17 and Under

The School of Rock Arlington Heights House Band music program gives students under 18 the opportunity to join a gigging band composed of fellow musicians from their school. These students perform additional live shows throughout the year. All students in the Performance Program have the opportunity to audition for a spot in School of Rock Arlington Heights's House Band. Once selected, House Band members become leaders in their School of Rock community and perform live shows at IL rock venues throughout the year.

What To Expect
  • A GIGGING MUSICIAN'S EXPERIENCE
  • FREQUENT LIVE PERFORMANCES IN COMMUNITY

The Path to Take the Stage

Performance is the core of School of Rock's educational approach. Therefore, we create additional opportunities for students to perform on stages throughout Arlington Heights and the rest of IL. The House Band music program allows each school's most talented students the opportunity to join a band and play routinely in front of live audiences. Once a member, students will gain real music experience associated with gigging musicians and will become leaders and mentors inside the School of Rock community.

The AllStars national tour features the best child and teen musicians
AllStars
Age 17 and Under

The School of Rock AllStars Tour takes the very best students from around the world and sends them on a nationwide summer tour across the United States. Less than 1% of School of Rock students are selected each year to represent School of Rock as an AllStar. All Performance Program students are eligible to audition for this prestigious program. The intensive audition process starts off with video submissions followed by live auditions. Once selected, AllStar students will have an authentic touring experience including traveling on a tour bus, doing tour publicity and starring in nightly performances at famous venues and festivals during a two-week tour.

What To Expect
  • A MULTI-CITY, COUNTRY-WIDE MUSIC TOUR EXPERIENCE
  • PERFORMING ON SOME OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST FAMOUS STAGES IN THE WORLD

The Path to Take the Stage

Becoming an AllStar is the highest level of achievement for a School of Rock student. They play on legendary stages large and small, including The Knitting Factory, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, The Troubadour and Lollapalooza. AllStar students often go on to have accomplished careers in the music industry. Former AllStars have gone on to become touring artists, star in Broadway musicals, get signed to record deals, become finalists on talent competitions like "The Voice" and "American Idol" and have other notable roles in the music industry.

Music Lessons in Arlington Heights

Kid learns to play guitar at School of Rock Arlington Heights

Guitar Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock Arlington Heights, we offer beginner guitar lessons for kids. Our expert guitar instructors guide your child from start to finish with private instruction and weekly group band rehearsals. Every instructor at School of Rock Arlington Heights is an experienced musician, and they emphasize foundational music theory and technique when teaching guitar lessons to kids. Unlike other Arlington Heights guitar lessons and programs, School of Rock is designed to get students performing in a band.

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Adults

It’s never too late to learn to play the guitar. Similar to our kids guitar lessons, School of Rock Arlington Heights's beginner guitar lessons for adults utilizes a performance-based curriculum. Our experienced instructors teach adult students through popular rock songs, and teach students to play guitar in a way that’s challenging and fun. We believe the best way to learn is by doing, which is why we combine weekly private guitar lessons with group band rehearsals. At School of Rock Arlington Heights, we teach beginner guitar lessons for adults in our Adult Program. This program gets students performing onstage at a local Arlington Heights venue.

Key Concepts
  • Technique
  • Solos
  • Chords
  • Theory

Intermediate to Advanced Guitar Lessons

As students gain skills and experience, we move them along to more challenging programs at higher skill levels. Intermediate and advanced students take the skills they learned in beginner guitar lessons, and layer on more difficult techniques and concepts. School of Rock Arlington Heights offers advanced guitar lessons for kids and adults that teach by playing challenging classic rock songs and emphasize playing the guitar in a real music venue. Our Arlington Heights guitar teachers will work with each student to develop a custom learning plan.

Kids learn to drum at School of Rock Arlington Heights

Drum Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Drum Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Arlington Heights is the best option for anyone looking to learn the drums. Our beginner drum lessons get kids behind the drum kit and on their way to taking the stage. That’s why at School of Rock Arlington Heights we combine private drum lessons for beginners with weekly band rehearsals—it prepares students to perform live. With years of experience teaching drums in Arlington Heights, our drum instructors teach beginner drum students core techniques, including how to groove, play rudiments and more.

Beginner Drum Lessons for Adults

Our drum lessons for adults are designed to accommodate all skill levels. At School of Rock Arlington Heights, our beginner drum lessons for adults are built for musicians with little to no experience. We teach adults using the same core performance-based education philosophy as our drum lessons for kids—performing with a band accelerates the learning process. Adult students will perform live at a venue in Arlington Heights. Unlike other Arlington Heights drum lessons for beginners, School of Rock combines private drum lessons with weekly band rehearsals so students are ready to play in front of real, live audiences.

Key Concepts
  • RUDIMENTS
  • TIME SIGNATURES
  • TECHNIQUE
  • GROOVE

Intermediate to Advanced Drum Lessons

More experienced to advanced drum students need a drum lesson curriculum that builds upon foundational skills and continues to grow musical proficiency. That’s why at School of Rock Arlington Heights, our drum lessons are customized for each student and his or her goals. Our Arlington Heights drum instructors integrate more complex techniques and concepts—intermediary grooves, shifts, meters and more—into a student's individual lessons and group band rehearsal, and will also select more difficult songs for his or her live performances.

 

Kid learns to sing at School of Rock Arlington Heights

Singing Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Singing Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Arlington Heights offers beginner singing lessons for kids. Our unique, performance-based approach develops students' musical proficiency by preparing them to perform live. At School of Rock Arlington Heights, our vocal coaches are practicing musicians who integrate key music fundamentals—breathing, posture and more—into a curriculum based on performing with a band. Each week, beginner singing students participate in a private singing lesson and a band rehearsal.

Beginner Singing Lessons for Adults

School of Rock Arlington Heights teaches adults how to sing in our innovative Adult Program. Students develop vocal skills at a challenging pace designed to help you see results with every singing lesson. Adult vocalists learn how to keep tempo, stay on-key and master advanced vocal techniques for a powerful and healthy voice. Our curriculum teaches students how to sing by using popular rock songs that emphasize key concepts. Each week, Adult Program students have a private singing lesson for beginners and group band rehearsal.

Key Concepts
  • TECHNIQUE
  • HARMONY
  • POWER
  • READING

Intermediate to Advanced Singing Lessons

At School of Rock Arlington Heights, our singing lessons for kids and adults are designed to help our students reach a high degree of musical proficiency. Intermediate and advanced singers take skills learned from previous singing lessons and layer on more difficult techniques and concepts. Our advanced singing lessons teach students to sing by performing popular rock songs that illustrate a specific vocal concept or technique. We pair weekly private singing lessons with weekly band rehearsals with the goal of getting musicians to perform live in Arlington Heights.

Kid learns to play bass at School of Rock Arlington Heights

Bass Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Bass Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Arlington Heights offers beginner bass guitar lessons for kids that blend weekly private instruction with weekly band rehearsals. This performance-based approach results in a high level of musical proficiency because it engages and inspires students. Every School of Rock bass instructor is a practicing musician in Arlington Heights and teaches bass lessons for kids that get great results. Beginners learn to play bass guitar by using popular rock songs that illustrate key concepts and techniques.

Beginner Bass Lessons for Adults

Adults looking to learn bass guitar can enroll in School of Rock’s Adult Program. No experience is necessary in our beginner bass guitar lessons for adults. At School of Rock Arlington Heights, our experienced, local bass guitar instructors have the patience and skills to help adult students gain musical proficiency. As with all School of Rock music programs, our bass guitar lessons for adults ciriculum is performance-based, and include both weekly private instruction and weekly band rehearsals.

Key Concepts
  • GROOVE
  • TECHNIQUE
  • THEORY
  • TONE

Intermediate to Advanced Bass Lessons

Our intermediate to advanced bass guitar lessons teach Arlington Heights students the skills they need to become the backbone of a band. Students take skills from previous bass lessons and layer on more difficult techniques and concepts. At School of Rock Arlington Heights, our bass instructors use popular rock songs as a way of teaching students advanced concepts and techniques. We pair weekly private bass lessons with weekly band rehearsals to inspire and engage students throughout the learning process.

Kid learns to play piano at School of Rock Arlington Heights

Keyboard Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock we teach differently than other music schools in Arlington Heights. Our curriculum is performance-based, meaning that we prepare students to perform. Our piano lessons for beginners combine weekly private instruction with weekly band rehearsals. At School of Rock Arlington Heights, our beginner keyboard lessons for kids take key concepts and music fundamentals—finger placement, scales, key differentiation and more—and teach them through popular rock songs. This approach inspires and engages students, which results in attaining a high level of musical proficiency. Our piano teachers have years of experience teaching music in the Arlington Heights area, and know how to coach and motivate students of any skill level to play the keyboard.

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Adults

The School of Rock Arlington Heights Adult Program puts beginner keyboard students in a band. Adult Program students in the Arlington Heights area learn to play piano through a combination of weekly private beginner piano lessons and weekly band rehearsals. At School of Rock, our piano lessons give adult students the chance to perform in a band at local Arlington Heights music venues, taking them out of the classroom and onto the stage.

Key Concepts
  • TECHNIQUE
  • TONE
  • THEORY
  • READING

Intermediate to Advanced Keyboard Lessons

At School of Rock Arlington Heights, our keyboard lessons for kids and adults are designed to help students get results. Intermediate and advanced students take skills learned from beginner keyboard lessons and layer on more advanced piano techniques with concepts. Our local keyboard instructors are all practicing musicians in Arlington Heights, and use popular rock songs as a way of teaching complex skills. We pair weekly private piano lessons with weekly band rehearsals to inspire and engage students throughout the learning process.

Our Experienced Music Teachers

All of School of Rock Arlington Heights’s music teachers are experienced musicians devoted to helping students attain musical proficiency. Our instructors guide students one-on-one to personalize learning, inspire confidence and build social skills.

General Manager, Band Director, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher Jesse Christenson
Jesse Christenson
General Manager, Band Director, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Jesse Christenson is the general manager, a band director, and a guitar, drums, bass, keyboard, and vocal teacher at School of Rock Arlington Heights. He also specializes in songwriting and production at the school.

Jesse has been playing and composing music since he was 5 years old when he started on keyboards. He was recording himself by age 10, then moved to drums, guitar, and bass, then learned to produce and mix. Jesse has been teaching music to all ages on all instruments for over a decade. He takes great joy in supporting musicians as they reach their goals, fostering confidence, resilience, and a sense of creative wonder.
Drum Teacher Joe Doto, Drum Teacher, Band Director, House Band Co-Director, Rock 101 Teacher Joe Doto
Joe Doto
Drum Teacher, Band Director, House Band Co-Director, Rock 101 Teacher
Joe Doto is a drum teacher and instructs the Performance and Rock 101 programs at the School of Rock in Arlington Heights. Joe has been playing drums for over a decade and was a heavily involved School of Rock student from a young age, graduating from this location in 2019. Since then, Joe received a music industry degree from the University of New Haven.

Outside of School of Rock, Joe is a music producer and has worked in Connecticut as a percussion director for the West Haven High School Marching Band. With a diverse music taste ranging from death metal to indie pop—and having been a part of several bands over the years—Joe has experience playing most genres. He loves paying forward all of the wonderful experiences he had as a prior School of Rock student.
Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Band Director, Rock 101 Teacher, Rookies Teacher, Little Wing Teacher Annalise Panken
Annalise Panken
Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Band Director, Rock 101 Teacher, Rookies Teacher, Little Wing Teacher
Annalise Panken is a voice instructor and teaches Rookies and Little Wing at the School of Rock in Arlington Heights. She has studied voice, guitar, and bass for several years and is a former student of School of Rock Arlington Heights!

Annalise has been an active performer throughout the northwest suburbs in youth theater productions. She loves seeing her students experience the joy of growing in their musical abilities and helping them meet their goals.
Spencer Lent
Keyboard and Vocal Teacher
Spencer is a Vocal and Keys Instructor at School of Rock Arlington Heights. He has been teaching and performing in the Chicago area since 2006. Spencer's philosophy of teaching is that the experience of music is accessible to everyone.

Spencer is also the general music teacher at Lincoln Elementary School in Bellwood. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife Vanessa and daughter Sabrina. He also enjoys reading, cooking, watching the Packers and the Cubs, and obviously, singing.

Spencer attended Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Music Education. In addition to singing in choirs such as the esteemed University Choir, he was also a member of a vocal jazz ensemble, the Tudor Voices early music ensemble, and the Multicultural Voices of Praise gospel choir, which he also directed. He has been teaching and performing in the Chicago area since 2006. Spencer's philosophy of teaching is that the experience of music is accessible to everyone.
Guitar Teacher Nathan Yi
Nathan Yi
Guitar Teacher
Nathan Yi is a guitar instructor at School of Rock Arlington Heights. Through this journey of playing guitar, Nathan has met so many creative and awesome people with whom he has been able to create unforgettable experiences! While he enjoys playing with other people, Nathan found that what he enjoys most was teaching and helping others. He says, "Watching others continuously grow as musicians is an indescribable feeling! Learning an instrument has taught him so many things about life including patience, dedication, and to always learn from your mistakes!"

He is also working with us as a Studio Coordinator helping us at the Front of our House as well!
Drum Teacher Konstantin Derjnendjier
Konstantin Derjnendjier
Drum Teacher
Konstantin Derjnendjier is a drummer with over two decades of experience, specializing in extreme metal drumming. Konstantin is a drum teacher at School of Rock Arlington Heights. His limb control, stamina, and creative coordination allow him to perform intricate rudiment variations at extreme tempos.

Having toured Europe and the U.S. on multiple occasions, Konstantin has garnered all the experience necessary to instruct students on both the playing aspect of being a drummer and the more practical and business sides of professional musicianship. Having taught at multiple live clinics and private lessons, Konstantin has developed in-depth teaching techniques that would serve both expert drummers as well as absolute novices.
Drum Teacher Julian Rocha
Julian Rocha
Drum Teacher
Julian (Jay) Rocha is a talented drum teacher who has been teaching at School of Rock Arlington Heights for over four years.

Julian graduated from Northeastern Illinois University where he studied history and music. He loves teaching and giving back to the musician community by teaching young artists. Julian is in high demand as a practicing drummer and executes his craft in bands and musical experiences throughout Chicago and its suburbs.
Jeremy Graff
Guitar Teacher
Jeremy Graff is a lifelong guitarist with extensive experience in recording and touring with professional bands, and even holds a gold record. Jeremy gets great pleasure out of sharing his knowledge of the music industry
and guitar playing with music enthusiasts of all ages. Jeremy is a guitar teacher at School of Rock Arlington Heights and is happy to tailor his lessons to the specific areas of interest, needs and ability of beginners to long-time players.
School of Rock is where music and learning come together

For over twenty years, our amazing instructors have transformed hundreds of thousands of students across the world into skilled musicians. Become a musician at School of Rock.

Reviews

Awesome Music Program!

We were fortunate to find School of Rock for our son. He has really stuck with it and looks forward to lessons and rehearsals every week. He’s learning so much musically but he’s also come so far personally!

More than Music Lessons!

My daughter truly feels so confident and self-assured the minute she walks through the front door. As we watch her confidence soar, we also watch her talent emerge and shine!

Such an important program.

"My 11-year-old has been going for almost a year now and it is amazing how quickly his drum skills have progressed! All the lessons and performance rehearsals are definitely worth the price.

My Little Rocker is So Happy!

Great teachers! Group band lessons are fun and kids start playing popular music on day one. It's the best way to learn.

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