The crowd roars. The percussion booms. Teenagers and adults alike sing along and clap to the beat. Suddenly, a fierce voice cuts in, drawing everyone’s attention towards the source. On the microphone is sophomore Sophia Pruyn. Behind her is a banner reading, “School of Rock.” The strobe lights focus on the stage, shades of blue and purple dancing across Pruyn’s face as she leads the audience through the song.
As a young girl, Pruyn was surrounded by music: “I didn’t grow up with the typical sport-centered family, attending soccer games every weekend. Instead, I had the privilege of coming from and growing up with incredible musicians and artists,” she says. Her passion for the arts shone through in middle and elementary school, as she danced and participated in school musicals.
Pruyn joined the School of Rock, a music education franchise that helps kids and adults develop skills in music, when she was 12 years old. Her greatest accomplishment is rising to the highest tier within the program, Houseband. “I’ve now been a member of Houseband for two years, and auditioning has been the best decision of my life,” Pruyn says. She and other students in the Houseband rank play gigs at various venues and tour parts of the country every summer.
Reaching this achievement was not an easy process for her. Pruyn says, “I started singing and playing guitar at a much older age than most of my bandmates and had to catch up quickly.”
She encourages “every single person who feels connected to music in any way to try learning any instrument as soon as possible.” Pruyn emphasizes to others who have an interest in music how important it is “finding your people,” whether it be through shared admiration of a band or a collective appeal for making music.
The School of Rock has given her special experiences. For example, Pruyn says, “Not only have I met some of the most unique and talented musicians from all over America, but I met some of the most important people in my life through School of Rock.” Because of the School of Rock, she “fell in love with being on stage. I have become the the version of myself I’ve always wanted to be.”
