Buford
School of Rock

Explore School of Rock

Buford

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School of Rock Buford
4295 Buford Dr.
Buford, GA 30518
(770) 450-4321

Location Specifics

Next to Taco Bell.

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Hours
  • Monday: 3 PM - 9 PM
  • Tuesday: 3 PM - 9 PM
  • Wednesday: 3 PM - 9 PM
  • Thursday: 3 PM - 9 PM
  • Friday: Closed
  • Saturday: 10 AM - 2 PM
  • Sunday: Closed

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

Expand your musical knowledge at School of Rock Buford and surrounding areas including Sugar Hill, Suwanee, Gainesville, Lawrenceville, and Oakwood with quality music lessons taught by real, practicing musicians. Students can learn everything from keyboard to piano, bass to songwriting, and much more in a supportive and encouraging learning environment. The city of Atlanta has a rich music history and with our revolutionary music program, students can develop their performance skills and then go on to rock out at notable venues such as The Fox Theater.

Programs we offer

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

Rock 101 is one of School of Rock Buford'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 Buford 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 Buford are designed to get students on stage performing, with the goal of building strong musical proficiency. Younger students at School of Rock Buford 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 Buford
Performance
Ages 8-18

The Performance Program at School of Rock Buford 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 Buford Performance Program students take the stage and play at local Buford 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 Buford'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 Buford music venue.

Rookies music program for children in Buford
Rookies
Ages 6-7

At School of Rock Buford, 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 Buford, 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.

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 Buford, 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 Buford is designed to create musical proficiency through the creation of original music. Students at School of Rock Buford 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 Buford, 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 Buford for students over 18
Adult Program
Ages 18+

School of Rock Buford'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 Buford 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 Buford.

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 Buford 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 Buford.

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

The School of Rock Buford 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 Buford's House Band. Once selected, House Band members become leaders in their School of Rock community and perform live shows at GA 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 Buford and the rest of GA. 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 Buford

Kid learns to play guitar at School of Rock Buford

Guitar Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock Buford, 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 Buford is an experienced musician, and they emphasize foundational music theory and technique when teaching guitar lessons to kids. Unlike other Buford 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 Buford'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 Buford, we teach beginner guitar lessons for adults in our Adult Program. This program gets students performing onstage at a local Buford 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 Buford 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 Buford guitar teachers will work with each student to develop a custom learning plan.

Kids learn to drum at School of Rock Buford

Drum Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Drum Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Buford 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 Buford we combine private drum lessons for beginners with weekly band rehearsals—it prepares students to perform live. With years of experience teaching drums in Buford, 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 Buford, 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 Buford. Unlike other Buford 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 Buford, our drum lessons are customized for each student and his or her goals. Our Buford 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 Buford

Singing Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Singing Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Buford 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 Buford, 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 Buford 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 Buford, 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 Buford.

Kid learns to play bass at School of Rock Buford

Bass Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Bass Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Buford 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 Buford 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 Buford, 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 Buford 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 Buford, 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 Buford

Keyboard Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock we teach differently than other music schools in Buford. 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 Buford, 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 Buford 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 Buford Adult Program puts beginner keyboard students in a band. Adult Program students in the Buford 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 Buford 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 Buford, 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 Buford, 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 Buford’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.

Neal Weaver Owner
Neal Weaver
Owner
Neal Weaver is a former educator in Hall County, having taught high school English for seven years. After that, he managed his own successful insurance agency for 14 years. He has also been the enthusiastic frontman, guitarist and songwriter for one of the South’s longest running rock bands. Kickin Edgar, Neal's band, has been playing venues from Florida to Louisiana, and everywhere in between, for over 35 years. His album, "Welcome to Loserville," was recorded at the historic Southern Tracks Recording Studio and features a variety of country, blues, pop and rock n' roll tracks. Wanting a change from the day-to-day of insurance led Neal to School of Rock, where he immediately realized it was the perfect combination of business and music for him. He is truly living his passion and love of music every day, and loves sharing his knowledge and experience with the next generation.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher Bambi Lynn
Bambi Lynn
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Bambi Lynn started as a classical musician, playing viola at an early age. She joined her first band as a singer while in high school, and it was as a singer that her musical career really began to take flight. Bambi picked up new instruments by adding guitar, keyboards, bass, and a variety of quirky instruments to her skill set. Having traveled the world as a performer, she is currently in multiple bands that perform everything from rock and pop to nerdgrass and children’s music. She is even in a Ramones tribute band and is signed to Genterine Records.

Bambi teaches guitar, voice, and keyboards at the School of Rock in Buford, Georgia. She has been known to pull people onstage at her shows to show them how to play. Her students are in good company, as she has performed with many famous artists. Bambi is excited to be at School of Rock!
Ricky Zero Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
Ricky Zero
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
Ricky is a musician who has performed over 2,000 shows across the USA and Europe. He has been featured on over 50 albums, performed on television more times than he can remember, recorded music for cartoons, commercials, and movie soundtracks, and has been a character in comic books, cartoons, and a video game. Ricky has been playing since high school when he got his first bass guitar, and he enjoys sharing his passion, knowledge, and talent for music with others. At School of Rock, Ricky teaches bass, guitar, drums, Rock 101, and Adult classes with fun and personality.
Guitar Teacher Eric Roberts
Eric Roberts
Guitar Teacher
Eric Roberts is a professional musician from Hall County, GA. He began playing guitar at an early age, drawing inspiration from his father who was also a musician. He received a degree in music & technology from The Atlanta Institute of Music and Media with an instrumental focus on guitar. Eric serves in church bands and has played in several other bands in both the Atlanta and Athens areas. He is excited to share his knowledge of the guitar with the next generation of rockers.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Teacher, Drum Teacher, Singing Teacher Blade Hudson
Blade Hudson
Guitar Teacher, Bass Teacher, Drum Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Born in Greenville, Mississippi and growing up on the Delta Blues circuit, Blade Hudson picked up playing guitar, drums, and bass at an early age. He's the grandson of Chicago bluesman "Little Addison." Blade is also the great-nephew of saxophonist Eddie Shaw (Howlin' Wolf). A former understudy of BB King's late drummer Caleb Emphrey Jr., Blade has worked in studios and with many artists in Mississippi and Memphis. He is currently based in Atlanta playing with several different bands in the area.
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Singing Teacher Michael Dirse
Michael Dirse
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Michael is an accomplished keyboardist having studied Music Theory at Florida International University. He continued his music profession as a performer in rock groups that toured both nationally and abroad. In addition, Michael spent many years as a freelance studio player and assistant producer recording in major studios from New York to Los Angeles.

Michael also enjoyed an extensive tenure with Sony Music Entertainment in Santa Monica, CA in an administrative role before relocating to the Ohio area where he taught songwriting as a form of music therapy for young adults with special needs. Now located in North Georgia, Michael's new music endeavors include writing, recording, teaching, and performing throughout the area.
Guido Hrovat Show Director, Drum Teacher
Guido Hrovat
Show Director, Drum Teacher
Guido has been playing drums for over 25 years. He plays in several different bands including A Few Good Losers, Control the Devastator, Beast Mode, Triangle Fire, and Murder Van. Guido loves watching his students improve and seeing the joy on their faces when they perform at School of Rock's end-of-season concerts.
Judaea Peters Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Judaea Peters
Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Judaea has been playing piano for over 12 years. In 2019, her piano instructor encouraged her to attend the University of Georgia's Community School Music Program. Her goal is to score music for Film and TV. Judaea loves the atmosphere at School of Rock and enjoys seeing students gain a love for music.
Drum Teacher Mark Whitmore
Mark Whitmore
Drum Teacher
Mark has been playing drums for over 30 years. He currently plays in The Chillbillz and The House.

Mark loves seeing students "get it." Those light bulb moments in a beginning player's musical journey are real magic.
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

What I like about the program is that my kids LOVE it!

This is so different from the music lessons that existed when I was a kid. These kids are actually making music and learning to play as a band. The performances are so impressive, and watching the kids gain confidence and express themselves on stage is priceless.

The structure around how kids learn is amazing.

Taking lessons to learn an instrument is one thing, but learning how to be a part of a band is on another level. These kids are learning how to communicate, respect people and their opinions, and how to be accountable for themselves. It’s more than just music here.

It's the best music program in the city.

Dedicated instructors and staff, vibrant atmosphere, and most importantly, it's fun! My 8-year-old has grown leaps and bounds in skill and personal confidence. If you're thinking about checking it out, don't wait, just do it!

The kids have a great time while learning to play.

Lifelong skills and relationships are born here. The staff shares their passion for music and are very professional and accommodating. Wish I had this type of exposure to music when I was growing up!

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