Local Kids Get Transformed into Rock Stars [AUDIO]

ST. CLOUD - Over 60 local kids are getting the chance to experience what it's like to be in a rock band.

The 8th annual School of Rock is happening this week at the St. Katherine Drexel school in St. Cloud.

Spokeswoman Ruth Steffes says the first step for this summer camp is to get the bands organized.

Steffes says, during the two-week program, they work on everything from naming the band, song selection, photo shoots, rehearsals, and performance.

The program is sponsored by the Wirth Center for Performing Arts, and is run through the Sartell-St. Stephen Community Ed.

You'll be able to see and hear all of their hard work.  They have a live performance on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at the Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.

The instructors list is a who’s who of Central Minnesota musicians; Promoter/Producing/Music moguls Tommy and Jeff Vee, Bassist and producer Jeff Engholm, Slip Twister/Fabulous Armadillo’s frontman Paul (Stretch) Deithelm, Blimp/Stearn’s County Pachanga Society’s guitarist Mark (Hazzy) Hasbrouck, Rockhouse Production’s Producer/Engineer Thomas Cabot, and the multi-talented globe-hopping professional musician Mitch Johnson. Two new instructors have been added this year; Keyboardist Tom Bard, one-half of The Bill & Tom Show, frequent guest in The Fabulous Armadillos and Nashville songwriter Ashley Brown, who plays a mean fiddle and is a well-respected local music instructor. A pair of former School of Rockers have graduated to instructor as well; Tyler Kelm and Jordan Maiers will assist as junior instructors and they’ll be working together to form one band.