Music School Owner

In 2003, after decades as an accomplished musician and songwriter, Dave Simon began his career in music education by opening Dave Simon’s Rock School. At his Rock School, teens and pre-teens were learning music by playing and performing in rock bands. Having fun playing music with kids their own age. As their love for music and abilities developed, they’d play concerts in performance venues in front of family and friends. Further building confidence each step of the way. Building their love for music by playing music. Leading them to the next phase of wanting to hone their craft further through private lessons.

As Dave Simon’s Rock School grew with hundreds of kids enrolled throughout the year, Simon saw a gap. He saw younger siblings sitting in the waiting room while their older brothers and sisters were playing music. He talked to the kids. He talked to the parents. He knew they had an interest in music programs but he also knew many of them were too young to play full-sized instruments and jumping right into private lessons might not be the best path for many of them.

Simon set out to develop a unique curriculum for children ranging in age from 4-11. He knew kids this age learn by playing. By doing things. By trying things. By experiencing them. And repeating the experience. Ultimately kids master new skills without ever even knowing they were learning or developing. These are the same methods used in play-based pre-schools as well as youth sports.

In 2010, Simon worked with a group of children and began developing new programs. From modifying instruments to writing age appropriate songs for the students to learn, Simon rigorously and methodically honed the programs over the course of four years for younger kids before offering it in his Rock School.

Simon introduced the new programs in his school in 2011 so children four and up can play in a rock band experience, with instruments, music and instructors, all methodically honed for their age and level of musical development. All to foster an environment that helps kids build their love of music, sense of exploration and the positive self-esteem that comes from it. Playing to learn rather than learning to play.

These two new programs, Kidzrock (4-7) and Jr. Rockerz (7-11) have helped Simon further expand his music school by appealing to yet another audience that had previously been under-served. The addition of these programs has fueled double-digit increases in enrollment and revenues at Dave Simon’s Rock School.

And now, Dave Simon’s Music Enterprise is offering these two programs, Kidzrock (4-7) and Jr. Rockerz (7-11) to music schools across the country and around the world so they can make the rock band experience accessible to a whole new age group.