Kids want to play rock 'n' roll. Rock school wants to help 'em out. Now in it's third session, Rock School is a nine-week program offered at Music Royale music store in Powell. Young musicians, most between the ages of 11 and 16, are grouped into bands, who, with the help of store staff, select and rehearse a short set of songs and play them live in a Rock School Showcase at the program's end.

"It's hard to find other people to play with, so we make the connections and make it a class," Owner Jesse McNamara explained. He said the students are required to be actively taking lessons; most were already studying privately at Music Royale. Staffers Scottt Edwards and Dan Hange serve as coaches, McNamara said, allowing students to take control of the bands but providing direction and keeping lines of communication open. "We want to make the musical experence a lot easier than ours was," McNamara said. "They make the decisions themselves," Edwards said. "But it has to be stuff they can learn in nine weeks."

Repertoire runs the gamut of contemporary rock from Blink-183 to Marilyn Manson. McNamara said one group has developed a more jazz/blues emphasis.

The students The Beat spoke with had primarily a common reason for signing up for Rock School - it's more fun than playing by yourself or along with your ipod. "I wanted to get experience playing with other people and learn what it's like to be in a band," said 13-year-old Emily Long of Lewis Center, who plays guitar and sings in her band. "It's cool to play with different people, learn songs and play live," echoed Sean Pugh, a 12-year-old drummer from Powell.

"You learn things working together in a band, not just music but about relying on each other," McNamara said. Parents, McNamara and the students agreed, have been very supportive. "The interest (from the kids), as far as the amount or practice, skyrockets," McNamara said, "as the teachers integrate Rock School stuff into theri lessons. It's good for all involved."

Rock School ends with a Showcase evernt, at which each band - this session, there are six - presents a short set of songs they've learned. "It's fun because you get to play in front of a lot of people," said Kelsey Hjelm, a 15-year-old guitarist from Dublin. "To get to hear what it sounds like on stage, it's a big payoff," added Ain Kelly ofPowell, an 11-year-old guitarist. The Showcase is recorded, and eash student receives a CD of the concert, McNamara said.