Inaugural Ames School of Rock - a Success Story

November 18th saw the concert, the final exam if you will, of the Ames School of Rock. Al and Melita Biela of Ames Music Studios have coordinated this event, which is Iowa's first rock school. They enlisted the help of faculty members of Randy Baumeister and Ryan Sheeler. Baumeister is the long-time director of operations for Iowa State University, bass player, and music enthusiast. Sheeler is a long-time guitar instructor and member of the Box Brothers Band as well as co-author of From Bakersfield To Beale Street: A Regional History of Rock n' Roll.

Together, they have gathered area students from ages 8 through 26 and grouped them into bands based on age and music taste. Through six weekends in October and November, they have received professional instruction in becoming a rock band: instrumentation, performing together, equipment, song selection, promotion, listening, music appreciation, and more. Each band learned 3 songs of their choosing based on a pre-determined list. All of the students were given additional homework each week, discussing such items as to how to name a band, promotion, logo design, ticket sales, and Internet resources for musicians and more. It was a full-scale rock curriculum, designed to invest in the kids and the community.

Well...the proof is in the pudding as the saying goes. On Saturday night November 18th, at the City Hall Auditorium in Ames IA, a nearly sold-out crowd of 690 (approx.) people showed up to support these kids. A full rock show was on tap, with lights, sound, and video. First up was the band 8-Hour Day comprised of the youngest students. They got right down to business with a fine set including Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" and Joan Jett's "I Love Rock n' Roll". The crowd loved these kids, and you could tell when that fact finally hit home for them. It was a magical moment, and the evening was off to a fine start.

Next up was Divided Highway who served a fine set of blues and classic rock. Cream's "Sunshine of your Love" was first, followed by an original blues number "One Way" by guitarist Jon Kaiser. The band finished their set with a rousing rendition of AC/DC's "High Voltage".

Random Nights followed with a very spirited set of old and new tunes. "Summertime Blues" by The Who (Eddie Cochran), "All The Small Things" by Blink-182, and "My Sharona" by The Knack were very well-received.

BettyBreakers followed up next with a set of classic tunes that began to get people up dancing. Hendrix's "Purple Haze" segued into "Another Brick In The Wall part 1" which cranked right up into "Birthday" by the Beatles. The crowd ate it all up, and by now it was very clear this was an evening to remember.

A Forgotten Purpose was the next band up on the bill. They served up some of the most modern tuneage of the night with Switchfoot's "Meant to Live" and Green Day's "J.A.R.".

The final student band of the evening was the uniquely named Sparkle 8 Beamshot. Their set ran the gamut of old and new from Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" to "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots" by the Flaming Lips.

Now it was the time of the evening for the faculty band to show what was behind the teaching, and if the teachers could hang with the students! The AMS School of Rock faculty band consisted of Al Biela on vocals and keyboards, his wife Melita and their 5-year old daughter Naomi on vocals, Ryan Sheeler on guitar and vocals, Randy Baumeister on bass guitar, and Jim Noxon on drums and percussion. The Faculty band went through rollicking versions of "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin, "In The Secret" by SonicFlood and "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel before bringing the students back on for an extended jam on Jonny Lang's "Anything's Possible".

The evening was a smashing success. Many of these kids had never performed on stage in front of anyone before, much less in front of a large crowd with sound, lights and video. The Ames School of Rock will teach at least two more sessions in 2007, the first one beginning in late January.