Born to Rock

Walk into School of Rock in Bend on any given weekday, and you’ll hear bands jamming to “Creep” by Radiohead, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana or “Zombie” by The Cranberries. The band members range from “still losing baby teeth” to “taking the SATs,” but they have one thing in common: They love to rock. Zander MacQueen, 9, began drumming much like many of his instructors did: as a rhythm-obsessed toddler, using whatever makeshift drumsticks he could find to tap out beats before he could even talk. “Zander was always made to drum!” said his mom, Cassie MacQueen. “I knew there was something special when we were on a camping trip and he picked up another ‘stick’ because what he was drumming with didn’t sound right.” Zander and many other young musicians have found a home at School of Rock, which offers weekly small-group classes for children as young as four, private lessons and group rehearsals starting around age eight and programs for adults, too.

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