Today we’d like to introduce you to John Zebell.
John, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
We were lucky in many ways. We got a franchise with the School of Rock for Libertyville, and then we had the good fortune to find the best property imaginable. It’s a house zoned for business right on Hwy 176, the main drag into town. It provides us with a great vibe and a great place to hold rehearsals and lessons. The attraction of the place and the School of Rock name enabled us to recruit some fantastic gigging musicians and eager students for them and the magic was borne.
The School of Rock is a franchise system started in Philadelphia by the guy who became the basis for the movie of the same name. He was an interesting character who believed kids learned music best when they played the songs they love in bands together. And he was right.
Has it been a smooth road?
There are plenty of struggles. We’re not inexpensive, but things are tight and there’s not a lot of financial wiggle room. So, for many months, we were just writing checks to staff and suppliers and watching our start-up reserve money shrink. When you start up, you have to do everything seemingly all at once. One minute you’re approving $100,000 in building upgrades and in the next, you’re vacuuming the carpeting. And, with a new business, you make every mistake in the book — some that set you back and others that just embarrass you.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the School of Rock Libertyville story. Tell us more about the business.
We are a music school with a focus on teaching kids and adults to play rock music. We have lesson rooms and rehearsal rooms fully geared up for full-volume rock and roll. The students develop music skills and theoretical understanding through learning songs they love to hear and play. They learn their parts on the songs and then regularly get together and rehearse together. When they are ready, they hit the stage at local venues and play to some rather nice sized audiences.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Rock and roll is here to stay and people are always interested in learning to play music. This is an evergreen concept that can evolve with music tastes and keep its roots. Parents and adults are interested in developing skills and having experiences that are real and fun. That’s us.
Contact Info:
- Address: 225 East Park Avenue
- Website: https://locations.schoolofrock.com/libertyville/our-school
- Phone: 847-497-0219
- Email: libertyville@schoolofrock.com
- Instagram: School of Rock Libertyville
- Facebook: School of Rock Libertyville
- Twitter: School of Rock Libertyville
- Yelp: School of Rock Libertyville
- Other: School of Rock Libertyville
Image Credit:
John Zebell
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