Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristin Kidd.
Hi Kristin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In 2007, my boyfriend and I were ready to find our career. We interviewed together for a brand new School of Rock opening in North Dallas. This concept was fairly new, 9 years old, and only just started expanding with about 25+ schools total. Under our guidance this new school in Frisco, TX would become one of the largest in the nation. The next 8 years we oversaw 27 schools across the country from California to Vegas to Philadelphia to Kansas City and all over Texas. During that time, we married. We bought a house. We quit our full-time bands. And we developed hundreds of students and teachers in this incredible, life-saving program.
You might be thinking: Isn’t School of Rock a movie with Jack Black? Yes! But did you know it was based on the original school in Philly in 1998? That’s right, the school came first.
This concept makes so much sense when you lay it out like this: If you want to learn baseball, you don’t just practice batting until you’re super good at hitting home runs, and then one day you join a team. Instead, you practice AND you play the game. You learn as you play, and you get better through practice and games.
Music is the same! For too long we’ve assumed learning music was a one-on-one discipline with recitals every year. What we do at School of Rock is revolutionary in that you take your private lesson weekly and you also join a band from day one. You learn how to work and grow and fail and succeed as a band and as a team. You learn how to practice and develop your skills so that in your band you can be a better teammate. And you perform on stage and learn how to deal with pressure, successes, and failures in an uplifting and exciting environment.
School of Rock has been our passion for 13 years now. There are over 300 schools worldwide, and we are proud to own 2 of our very own here in Texas: One here in Bryan/College Station, and one in The Colony.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
We are the crazy people who opened a second location in 2021; the middle of a global pandemic. That’s how strongly we believe in this community. And of course, this is after our school in College Station opened 6 months before the start of the pandemic. It has been nothing but a challenge! But the community we create and provide for our students makes everything worth it. Honestly, the amount of times that parents tell us finding this community helped their child find a home, is overwhelming.
We like to refer to ourselves as the Island of Misfit Toys. What we mean is that we are all artists and creatives. We know what it’s like to not fit in. And school is hard enough as it is! If you’re not the most athletic, but you want a place to find your tribe, to find a place to shine, that is what we offer. A place where no matter your age, gender, ability, you are home. You are here to learn music. But more than that, you are here to fit in. Music just happens to be the method to our madness.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a musician at my core, and so is my husband. Both of us have been in bands, made records, toured the nation and achieved successes. But our hearts are in education. And so bragging about those achievements and trying to chase fame is not who we are. We’d rather develop talent in our staff with a fulfilling job. We’d rather see our students grow up to be great people. If they become good musicians that’s just a cherry on top. And don’t get me wrong, we have kids who are signed recording musicians. Who went to prestigious music schools. Who tour the world with their bands. Who have become public school teachers, industry professionals, etc. But most importantly, whom we are proud of, at our core, for the people they’ve become. And that extends to former colleagues. We have so many former instructors who have become business owners of their own and who are continuing the legacy. We are just so proud!
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Our School of Rock method app is available to enrolled students, and I have to say it’s pretty cool. It’s a revolutionary app that allows students to track homework, play along to assigned songs, read music, record, and submit homework to their teacher. It has been developed by our network of professional musicians worldwide, and is only available as a student at School of Rock. It’s extremely cool!
Contact Info:
- Email: bcs@schoolofrock.com
- Website: www.SchoolofRock.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schoolofrockbcs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SchoolOfRockBryanCollegeStation/
Image Credits
Tay Huggins (outdoor photos)
