School of Rock Macarthur students have shared a Sydney stage with Frank Zummo, the internationally acclaimed drummer known for Sum 41 and Electric Callboy, in an evening that placed young musicians at the centre of the action.
House Band students from Macarthur and Bella Vista travelled to the Australian Institute of Music (AIM) in The Rocks for the 9 September 2026 event. Before performing together, students and families heard Zummo recount pivotal moments from his career and question him directly about musicianship, touring, mental health and the discipline behind a life in rock music.
It was an experience closely aligned with School of Rock's performance-based approach: students learn music by rehearsing with others, preparing a real set and taking those skills onto the stage.
Macarthur musicians learn by performing
Rather than delivering a conventional masterclass from the front of a room, Zummo opened a conversation with the young musicians and then played alongside them.
“What these events are about is I get to perform with these upcoming, amazing musicians… We get to have this conversation that, when you come to my shows, we don't get to do.”
Zummo said the Sydney appearance was his first School of Rock event in Australia, although he has worked with the organisation internationally for years.
"This is my first time doing a School of Rock event in Australia, which is so special. I've been working with School of Rock doing these for many, many years… Crazy stuff that I'm getting to do with the kids to just inspire them.”
For the Macarthur House Band, the learning happened in real time. Performing with a musician experienced on major international stages required students to bring together technique, timing, communication and stagecraft—the same combination they develop through rehearsals and local shows.
Persistence behind an international music career
During the Q&A, Zummo traced his path from seeing Ozzy Osbourne and Mötley Crüe as a five-year-old to filling in for his drumming idol Tommy Lee. He later became known within the industry as a player who could enter high-pressure situations and deliver without extensive rehearsal.
That reputation proved important when Sum 41's Australian tour was cancelled after the band's singer became ill. Instead of allowing the setback to define the trip, Zummo looked for a way to turn it into something positive. An unexpected opportunity with Electric Callboy followed.
“Then the Electric Callboy thing happened, and it was like, ‘You've got to step up here.’ I came here to work. This is why I am a musician: to be able to say, ‘Yes, I can do this,’ as scary as it is.”
After returning to complete Sum 41's final tour, Zummo performed at the Juno Awards as the band entered the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Electric Callboy then invited him back for its festival dates, and he told students he had remained with the band since.
The story gave young performers an unvarnished look at a professional career: plans change, opportunities arrive without perfect preparation, and adaptability can matter as much as confidence.
Practical advice for emerging musicians
Asked for his advice to an upcoming musician, Zummo's first answer was direct.
“Just do it. If that's what you want to do, it's tunnel vision. It's like, ‘I'm not going to stop. There's no Plan B.’ Honestly, from five years old to this moment currently, that's been just like, ‘I'm not going to stop until it happens,’ and stay on that path.”
He then explained what that commitment looked like in practice: studying at drum school in New York City, taking jobs beyond his preferred style, performing at theme parks and on cruise ships, and developing enough versatility to keep working as a drummer.
Zummo encouraged students to make a plan, break it into steps and keep deciding what comes next. He also recognised the experience School of Rock students gain before entering the professional industry.
“Obviously you're in the right place because you're going to School of Rock to hone your skills and to do the shows and get the experience and learn all these styles of music and stuff. So you're on the right path right there.”
That advice captured the purpose of the Macarthur performance program. Individual music lessons develop technique; band rehearsals teach students to listen and respond; and live shows turn those skills into genuine performance experience.
More than playing the right notes
Zummo told students that professional musicianship also depends on human connection. A player may know every part perfectly, he explained, but touring means living and working closely with other people for extended periods.
“Playing the parts and the notes and all that stuff—yeah, that's part of it. But you want to actually have a connection, because things just have a much greater meaning. I want to connect with the audience.”
Reflecting on his transition from Sum 41 to Electric Callboy, he said musical ability by itself would not have secured a lasting place in the new touring environment.
“I could have showed up to Electric Callboy and played every part perfectly, but if we didn't get along… the talent doesn't win there. It's got to be all of the things.”
The discussion also covered wellbeing. Zummo spoke openly about breathwork, recovery and therapy, and encouraged students to seek help rather than treating mental health as a source of shame. His view of modern rock professionalism was clear: “Rock and roll now is about being a good human, being professional, being healthy.”
School of Rock Australia meets AIM Sydney
Hosting the event at the Australian Institute of Music linked youth performance-based music education with further study and professional industry pathways. AIM students opened the performance with Zummo, while former School of Rock students now studying at the institute were acknowledged during the event.
For young musicians from Campbelltown, Camden, Narellan, Gregory Hills, Oran Park, Mount Annan and the wider Macarthur region, experiences like this make the journey from local lesson room to professional venue feel tangible.
School of Rock Macarthur offers guitar, bass, drum, keyboard and singing lessons for children, teenagers and adults. As part of the wider School of Rock Sydney and School of Rock Australia community, its program combines individual instruction with band rehearsals and regular live performance.
At AIM Sydney, that model gave Macarthur students a rare opportunity: to test their preparation beside a world-class touring drummer, hear the realities behind his success and discover that a memorable performance depends on more than technical skill.
It depends on persistence, connection and the confidence to step onto the stage.