Music has always been a big part of my life. I’ve been singing as long as I remember, and I’ve been taking piano for six years. Since we live in Austin, there are many different ways to grow your musical abilities, and my favorite way is School of Rock.

I’ve been going to School of Rock for more than a year now. Whenever I tell someone I’m in a show there, they always assume that it’s the musical, but no one knows that it’s an actual place where you can learn to play in a band. Rehearsing for my show, ‘80s Prom, is one of my favorite things to do, and I’m really lucky that I found a safe haven for playing music.

It all started when my mom was looking for summer camps two summers ago. She came across an ad for a camp at School of Rock, and I immediately said no, thinking I was too cool for summer camp. My mom never forgot about it though, and she decided to schedule a lesson there to introduce me to the Rock 101 program and to meet a teacher for voice lessons. I was extremely skeptical at first, because it all sounded boring to me. I was lazy and didn’t want to get off the couch to do things, and the thought of having to go to a voice lesson and a rehearsal twice a week sounded like torture to my pessimistic eighth grade self.

I finally agreed to go to a voice lesson in January 2016, and as soon as we walked in I had a feeling that I was going to like it. I sat in the small waiting room and felt a wave of anxiety wash over me, and I began to get nervous. What would my teacher think of me? Would anyone here like me? My thoughts were starting to rush, but were interrupted when my teacher came out. Her name is Sarah, and I followed her into one of the small lesson rooms.

When I first met Sarah I really liked her, and I thought she was really cool. I’ve been taking lessons with her longer than I’ve been in the performance program, and she knows me really well. Whenever I walk in, we always talk a little bit about my life and what’s going on with me, and then she plays her guitar or the piano while I sing the songs I’m doing for my show. She’s currently my show director which is a big plus, because it helps me learn the new material since I have private lessons with her.

I’ve been in three shows, and the current one is my fourth. My first show was directed by Sarah and included about 20 other high school-age musicians. I was super shy and too scared to talk to anyone, but once I realized how friendly everyone was, I started to open up. I used to just stand completely still while singing, feeling like everyone was judging every little move that I made. Now I feel so much more comfortable, and even though I get really nervous to move around on stage, I’ve been improving on my stage presence. Whenever I’m in a new show, it starts to feel like a big family. I always make new friends every show, and I keep the old ones too, which helps me get to know more and more people who go there.

School of Rock is a big outlet for me to express who I am as a person and a musician, and I’m so lucky that I agreed to go to that lesson one year ago. My shows always mean a lot to me, and it is always something that I have to look forward to, even when things aren’t going great. Being able to perform and sing my heart out is something that I really love to do, and I’m lucky enough to have the opportunity to sing and play in a band every week. School of Rock has a big place in my heart, and I’m grateful for everything that it’s done for me.