How To Teach Rock N’ Roll at House of Music

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared as an Expertise column on Orland Park Patch. Each Expertise column offers a real-life how-to guide for some of life's greatest challenges, as told by those who teach. Do you like the idea of an Expertise column? Do you have a suggestion for an Oak Forest business to feature? Email editor Lauren Traut at lauren.traut@patch.com. 

Rock n’ roll doesn’t seem to fit with discipline.

But for the last two years, a music school in Orland Hills found a way to bridge the gap. takes students learning instruments in individual lessons and matches them with other students to create bands.

The Rock Band program isn’t just for fun. These bands are booked to play shows in the area, when they have a full list of songs ready. A past performance, brought several hundred people to to see the bands play.

With song lists that include the White Stripes, Adele and the Rolling Stones, the program takes time and effort to get the tunes right. But the Tabors, a family of musicians who own and operate House of Music, found ways to keep their students focused.

“You find ways to make it fun,” said Tony Tabor. “We give them guidance and show them different techniques and skills, but we leave them enough room to learn on their own too.”

Tony Tabor, who also plays drums in the band Safe Haven, has found that the Rock Band experience can help both the students and their parents.

“Kids that come in here, the troubled teens having problems with their parents, music lessons and getting to know another adult who’s not their parent usually helps them a little bit and helps them relax and be themselves,” Tony Tabor said. “I have a lot of moms and dads call me for weird random things outside of music lessons. They just ask how their kid is doing. ‘Was he OK? Was he upset?’ You end up becoming a friend and somewhat of a counselor for them.”