Michael Grande does not watch home search offers for luxury mansions or expensive locations. Instead, he watches them to learn more about the jobs of these millionaires.
One night, Mary Vanaro, the home buyer, really caught his eye. However, it was not her acting career that interested Grande, but the charity that she founded.
Fanaru created the OmniPeace Foundation, an organization dedicated to building music schools in Africa. Coincidentally, Grande founded Marlboro Music School Rock Out Loud and virtual music lessons company I Killed Zoom, and as soon as he heard about Fanaro’s job, he realized he needed to connect with her.
After searching the internet, Grande found Fanaro’s social media accounts and reached out to her saying he would like to help the organization in any way possible.
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Fast forward two years, and Grande and Vanaro will leave Thursday for a trip to Rwanda to pitch the idea of integrating Rock Out Loud’s teaching methods with the Rwanda Rocks music schools that OmniPeace first opened in 2016.
“The Rock Out Loud style is not about a music lesson but about the character of the child and how you can create something in which the child thrives. It is just a very different approach than teaching a curriculum,” Grande said.
Grande always knew he wanted to pursue a career in music. While he hoped to become a rock star, he decided to open a music school and teach music in a way that he found most effective. So, in 2004, Grande opened the Staten Island School of Rock, where he saw his students turn into confident musicians, and encouraged him to open a second location, this time in Marlboro under the name Rock Out Loud.
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Grande believes that teachers should not be involved in music education. Instead, it should be the coaches who teach the music to the students. why? Because it is believed that coaches work with the individual student, while teachers have to worry about teaching the curriculum.
“Teachers focus on teaching and coaches focus on students, and that’s something no one gets to,” Grandi explained.
By applying this philosophy to Rock Out Loud, Grande feels that students are able to not only learn music, but grow as individuals. Whether a child wants to learn how to play the drums or become the next big sensation, Grande does everything in his power to try and ensure that Rock Out Loud provides an encouraging environment for students to gain confidence in performing.
“You change (confidence) through music, and you change that through life,” Grande said with a smile.
Realizing that Grande could bring the teaching philosophy of Rock Out Loud to OmniPeace, Fanaro welcomed him aboard, and they’ve spent the past two years working together. But it wasn’t until last April that their goal began to become a reality.
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Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Costner hosted a fundraiser for OmniPeace in Beverly Hills on April 5. Celebrities like Rocky Downey and Billy Harris showed up at the event, where open auctions were held and many people donated jewelry and fine art, helping the foundation raise $257,000 in just three hours.
As a result of the fundraising, Grande and Vanaro are now able to travel to Kigali, Rwanda, and seek to integrate Rock Out Loud music education with Rwanda Rocks Schools of Music.
On Thursday, Grande, Fanaro and Rock Out Loud instructors will begin their introductory meeting with Rwanda’s Ministry of Education because although OmniPeace set up these schools, the institution is not responsible for the teaching methods used there. On a week-long visit, the team plans to do a four-day experiment where Grande works with teachers and students, sits through lessons and sees where they can add and improve programs.
“I think they will see that it is not so much about teaching music as it is about creating creativity and confidence in the child to help them on their journey in life,” Grande said. “It’s not so much about saying ‘Hey, that’s how you play it broadly or on a chord.'” “It’s about how you can use music to help you grow as an individual.”
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If all goes well on their initial journey, the team returns in July for 10 days during which they hope to teach 50 teachers from the Rwanda School of Music how to switch from teaching to training.
“You don’t remember what you learned. You remember how your teacher treated you, and if we can get to this point in Rwanda, we can change the life of any child affected by any coach.”
Trainee Caitlin Balasigon She is a rookie student at Ramapo College and expects to pursue degrees in journalism and photography in 2023. She is the captain of the school’s NCAA Division III swimming team. You can reach her at [email protected].