Let There Be Rock School has been bestowing music knowledge to local kids for over a decade. Learn about the Delco music school here.
Patch Staff
|Updated Fri, Sep 29, 2023 at 4:13 pm ET
FOLSOM, PA — For a dozen years, John and Melissa Daley have been helping local youths learn the joy of playing music with their Let There Be Rock School in Folsom.
Located at 901 MacDade Boulevard in Folsom, Let There Be Rock School is all about young kids tapping into music of all genres and offers a safe space for kids to hang out.
John Daley was bitten by the music bug after a formative experience in the 80s when he got to hang out with Metallica lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and the band's late bassist Cliff Burton following a show at The Tower in Upper Darby.
From there, he spent time playing in bands, even landing a record deal and touring, then managing bands.
But he wanted out of that aspect of the industry after a while.
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"I felt like I needed an exit plan as the record industry started flailing," John Daley told Patch.
He'd helped a friend launch a music school in Maryland and then found a building to rent in Delaware County.
From there, he put together a plan to open his own school, left the band management world, and this Let There Be Rock School was born.
Having spend the last dozen years teaching kids about music — the school doesn't just focus on rock and roll music — Daley and his staff have a slew of young musicians who they helped pursue musical goals.
Unfortunately for the school's community, one alum suffered a brain tumor and is facing a long road to recovery.
But, Daley said, the music and school community is coming together to support their friend in his time of need.
Sean Long, played guitar in a band at the school, is battling a brain tumor and his family has encountered struggles with insurance and physical therapy.
Let There Be Rock School is hosting two benefit shows to support the Long family in October.
Daley said 40 bands from the school are set to play Oct. 14 and Oct. 15 at Tom N Jerry's sports bar, also in Folsom.
Entry to both shows is just $10 and the funds raised will be used to help the Long family in their journey.
"I know we’re a small local music school, we can't change their lives, but we're going to do everything we can," Daley said of the upcoming benefit shows.
Long's tumor put him in a coma for several months, and his parents were by his side the entire time.
Long woke up this summer, but with limited motor function.
Luckily, Daley said Long can now play video games with friends and can walk with help from his parents.
However, he is still non-verbal.
"It's horrible to see anyone go through this," Daley said.
Watching a young person who was part of his life suffer such a harrowing medical issue stings even more for Daley.
But Daley is hopeful Long will be able to attend one of the benefits, as his old bandmates from his time at the school are reuniting to honor their friend.
While Long's bandmates are in their early to mid 20s, the rest of the bands are made up of kids as young as 8 years old.
In fact, one band has the punny name "Underage Against the Machine."
Watching his students grow into talented, confident musicians has been a labor of love for Daley.
"I used to tour with Alice Cooper, now I'm telling kids not to smush cake in each other's faces," he said.
However, the rambunctiousness of his students is just an indicator of them loving the world of rock and roll.
And, the space he provides for his students offers a safe, collaborative, and educational outlet for local youths.
The school's facility in Folsom is 6,000 square feet and is "an awesome rock and roll basement."
Students can come to the school any time during its operational hours.
They hang out with a bevvy of instruments lying around, which lends to kids grabbing guitars and more, showing each other skills they've developed thanks to the school's teachers, which include a Broadway guitarist and a singer-songwriter professor from Drexel.
The space has air hockey, foosball, a TV, and even a kitchen in addition to the musical aspects
And to help the musically curious take the next step in their sonic journeys, Let There Be Rock School is hosting an open house next month.
The open house is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 22.
Guests will get to see the many lesson rooms where all genres of music are taught including rock, metal, pop, punk, country, alternative, Broadway, and many others.
The tour will take potential students upstairs to two large rooms where bands rehearse together for performances.
The upstairs space is also used for the school’s Summer Camp shows, clinics, Broadway Sings theater program rehearsals, and intimate acoustic shows, amongst others.
Alumni of the school include two popular contestants on "NBC’s The Voice."
Let There Be Rock School students have been accepted at prestigious music programs including Belmont University in Nashville, Berklee College of Music in Boston, and the excellent programs at Drexel, Temple, and University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
Daley said he hopes those curious about enrolling in the school will use the open house opportunity to experience the space itself while learning about its offerings.
"Sometimes when making a decision, being in the spot is a great way to break into it," he said of the musically curious. "[The open house] is a way to get people into the door when they've been meaning to but haven't."
And before the open house, Let There Be Rock School has shows on the docket.
Below is the schedule of upcoming shows:
Learn more about Let There Be Rock online here.
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