Parents and budding musicians, when you hear music today do you find that much of it lacks the emotional oomph, the effortless poetics of the rock, punk, folk rock and soul or funk classics we grew up with?

 

Well, turns out today’s kids agree: The Beatles, The Who, The Ramones, Zappa, Zeppelin, Van Morrison, Otis Redding, Bowie, Iggy, Stones, Clash, Hendrix, Buddy Holly, Talking Heads, Sly & The Family Stone, Neil Young, Radiohead, Dylan. These minstrels from the days of yore to the 90s are back, as wise men for young dudes and dudettes. They are models not only of rock star ‘tude but also musicianship, lyrical power and passionate performance. As today’s kids take up playing music themselves, many are choosing to learn from the aforementioned grand masters.

Does your kid, or do you, want to learn how to play guitar and sing in the epic manner just mentioned? If so, Bennett Stein’s your teacher, or passer of the torch, as it were.

Bennett Stein is a former front-man and lead guitarist who has worked with many a rock icon (see bio). He also has a special knack for inspiring kids. Now he’s offering classes – in Rock Star Guitar – that’ll teach kids to play a 6-string, sing, and reinterpret rock, punk rock, indie rock, soul and folk rock classics with sturdy rock star attitude.

FYI, to Bennett, “Rock Star” = a student/performer who must be reckoned with, a young artist who’s committed to doing the prep, someone to watch, an artist on the rise.

Bennett Stein is also serious about teaching each student their favorite tunes. A blend of new material with classic sturdy old school numbers that impart the fundamentals, is really the best way to go if we're interested in empowering the next generation of well-rounded troubadours with a full complement of musical chops, that is.

     Bennett Stein and The Lookouts
     headline CBGBs, late 80s.

Bennett rocks the punk / new wave     
mecca CBGBs, late 80s.     

The goal of Bennett’s classes is not just to teach kids to competently strum a six-string. But to impart what he believes is the “true mythic power of rock ‘n’ roll as a source of wisdom, philosophical perspective and expression of the soul.” Through doing so, he will help young artists build confidence, independent spirit and an enhanced sense of purpose.

Bennett believes the tunes he’ll teach are the “rock and roll equivalent of Old Testament or ancient Greek or Eastern philosophical wisdom. A good rock track is not just an anthem but a living artifact or talisman of literature of near equal stature to classics like "Hamlet," "On The Road," "Catcher In The Rye," or “The Lord Of The Rings” trilogy.

These tracks teach concentration and the heart to stand before a group or audience and sing what are essentially mantras of purpose, gratitude or connection to others. When you’ve learned to croon and play these songs, and put your own spin on them, you have a lifelong expressive outlet for coping with an often uncertain world. Simply playing and singing one of these rock n roll/punk/folk/soul anthems can stave off anxiety and reboot hope and purpose. If music be the soul of love, as the Bard of Avon freestyled, then commanding one of these anthems can be a ticket to freedom, self-respect and power.

 TESTIMONIALS

Bennett is an amazing teacher, and is able to communicate his own talent for and love of music to our children; they respond to him instinctively, from the heart and gut. It's quite a gift to be able to connect to the kids in that way. We are looking forward to him continuing teaching Rae (and our other kids when they're a bit older) for a long time to come.
--ALICE KIMM, John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects

Bennett Stein has been such a great teacher to our 8-year-old daughter – he combines the best aspects of great teachers; immense patience and a glowing positive attitude fueled by his love of music. We recommend Bennett to any parent who wishes to encourage their child to explore the world of music! Besides, HE ROCKS!"
--JOHN ENRIGHT, AIA, Griffin Enright Architects

Bennett Stein is a wonderful guitar teacher, and I wholeheartedly recommend him without reservation! We first signed up our children for guitar lessons about a year ago, having been drawn to Bennett by the catchy title of his academy, Rock Star Guitar. The kids were having so much fun, my wife bought a guitar and joined in the festivities. Before long, I caught the bug . . . and the 4 of us were all taking lessons once a week from Bennett. Bennett's enthusiastic personal style and innovative teaching methodology are at once accessible, engaging and captivating. Jumping right in to the rock-and-roll classics, with roots in rhythm and blues, we quickly learned a few basic chords that enabled us to play and sing some of our favorite songs. Over time we added chords and additional songs, slowly building a well-rounded repertoire of cool, fun music we all enjoyed working on together, with Bennett's weekly inspiration. At a recent neighborhood party, I was amazed that we knew as much as we did, as we were able to jump into the musical circle and keep up with more experienced musicians, pulling song after song from our musical quiver provided by Bennett. Best of all, perhaps, is that Bennett is simply a really nice person to work with: a passionate artist whose love of music is obvious, a committed teacher who draws students out with praise, a gentle force of nature blowing happiness into the lives of those he touches. If Bennett’s Rock Star Guitar has a motto, it's gotta be - If it ain't fun, it ain't worth doin'!
--BRIAN LINDER, real estate agent, Deasy Penner and Linder