Changing lives through music

North Idaho Rock School is hitting all the right notes.

“Our goal is to create community with the students, and it's been incredible," said owner Jacob Burrows.

Since its inception in January 2021, the school already has about 200 students, 14 instructors and four administrators, and it is expanding with a campus in Rathdrum and plans for more.

"It's been really, really neat to see the growth, the expansion," Burrows said. "I think people catch on to the vision of what we do and why we do it."

North Idaho Rock School celebrated Sept. 10 with a party in front of its second home at 7897 Main St. in Rathdrum with a ribbon-cutting, barbecue, games and of course, music.

From its Coeur d'Alene site on Appleway Avenue, the school teaches kids and adults how to rock. On guitar. On drums. On piano.

Even if they have zero idea about how to strum a guitar or beat on a drum, they'll get their chance to take the stage.

"Even with our rock band classes, students can come in on the first day, not know anything, and I'll show them where to put their fingers, the rhythm at which they're going to play," he said. "So they don't need to know anything coming in."

Burrows has been playing guitar since he was kid growing up in California, starting with rock and roll.

"Music was a really important thing for my development as a young person, going through a lot of family challenges," he said.

In high school, he played in churches before moving to North Idaho in 2009.

"I really felt like I was going to be doing church, youth ministry and all that," he said.

But a move to Atlanta set him in a new direction. There, he learned about teaching music and loved it.

He returned to North Idaho, began teaching guitar lessons out of his low-income apartment to supplement income and provide for his family.

"I did this on the side for years while also holding a full time job but there was always a deeper passion inside me to change many people’s lives through music," he wrote.

When COVID-19 hit, he lost his job, but his waiting list for guitar lessons grew.

It was time to take the chance of his life.

"I decided to jump in with both feet and just open up the whole music school," he said.

North Idaho Rock School quickly grew and in September 2021, it relocated to Coeur d'Alene.

The the goals never changed: It was about introducing kids to the power of music, and giving them opportunities they might not otherwise have.

Burrows reflects on his own experience as a guide.

"For me, when I was in high school, I had this opportunity to play...in church situations," he said.

But what about the students not involved in church?

"Let's give them an opportunity to be rock stars up on a stage," Burrows said. "And so that's kind of the vision and the passion that I have is to give awesome opportunities for youth to jump up on stage and learn something, play something and change their lives."

Changing lives through music. That's the motto at North Idaho Rock School.

The mental health of youth is important to Burrows, and he believes music offers an answer.

"I really want to make a difference in that and make music lessons accessible," he said.

Which is a reason why they developed the Rock School Foundation, which through donations provides free lessons and even instruments for kids.

They are looking for businesses and community partners "interested in raising up the next generation of musicians, to partner with us and to provide free lessons or reduced price lessons for families in need," Burrows said.

North Idaho Rock School primarily teaches guitar, drums and piano, pretty much the instruments you see on a rock band stage.

If students have instruments, great. If not, that's fine, too. They'll have one there to use.

Elizabeth Miller will be the director of the Rathdrum campus, where North Idaho Rock School will focus on group classes, while offering some private lessons.

"What's important to us is having that team atmosphere that sports has, that we can kind of do that with music as well so that students have that camaraderie and that community that they really thrive on and strive for," Burrows said.

While he loves music, he loves seeing students grow and mature even more — not just musically, but as people. Some older ones are now mentoring the younger.

"So I get to watch these guys just come from being little kids, to now growing up and maturing and be leaders in this community as well," Burrows said, "pouring into the next generation of young people."

Burrow mostly focuses on the business side of North Idaho Rock School, but still teaches when he can.

Burrows loves to hear about the influence North Idaho Rock School is having on students.

A staff ember told Burrows her son was going through difficult times in middle school and fighting depression. Then, he took up the guitar, practicing in their garage and "rocking out."

"She really believes that's kind of what saved her son, is the music," Burrows said. "He was able to get plugged into a band and now he has this this tribe of friends that he can lean on during those tough times."

While Burrows likes what's happened in the past year with North Idaho Rock School, there is more to do, more students who need guitars in their hands.

"It's just important to me that music has a presence in this community, that youth have an outlet,'" he said.

Rock on.