Grant Amps Up School of Rock's Equipment

The Montville School of Rock has been awarded a grant by the Montville Education Foundation for new equipment that will allow students to “sound like the bands they listen to on the radio,” School of Rock adviser Anthony Sia said in a news release about the award.

The School of Rock grant application was successful partly because of testimony from alumni of the program, which was created by Sia in 2005.

“The outstanding component of Mr. Sia’s application was the interview,” MEF President Michael Abramson said. “We had asked that he come prepared to explain how the grant would satisfy student’s educational needs.

"He brought several alumni with him who shared their experiences and explained why and how the group’s sound needed to change.”

MEF Trustee Kerry Laurito said the students' stories were a pleasure to listen to, and were a testament to Sia as a teacher and person.

"We appreciated the opportunity to help out,” Laurito said.

Among the alumni who participated in the interview was Amanda Lustbader, who now has a successful musical career under the stage name Alus.

“The Montville School of Rock teaches students to use technology in their performances, the way professionals do... they also learn how to build and develop their own acts as solo artists or as part of a team,” she said.    

Other alumni who spoke on behalf of the program included Taralyn Martinez who played keyboards and sang lead vocals in 2011, Anthony Williams who played keyboards in 2006, and Robert Tancer, a past president of the Montville School of Rock and the band’s first “roadie.”

“I feel fortunate to have worked with such talented students and even more fortunate to call them my friends,” Sia said of the alumni. “Music has always helped people to make sense of their feelings; that won’t change. But today’s listeners are used to hearing music delivered by a different set of tools. This grant represents a wonderful opportunity for our program to evolve.” 

For more information about The Montville School of Rock visit www.msorrocks.com. The MEF is a nonprofit that uses 100 percent of the funds it raises to fulfill grant applications from teachers and administrators. For more information visit www.mefgrants.com.