Dalton Rapattoni might not be a household name, yet, but the 20 year-old singer from Sunnyvale is slated for success following a third-place finish on American Idol's 15th and final season last week. He is, of course, in good company when it comes to North Texas talent -- the hit show's first winner, Burleson's Kelly Clarkson, rose from complete obscurity to win the competition's first season in 2002 and embark on a Grammy Award winning career.
But, there's something else you might not know about the soulful Rapattoni. He's an alumnus of School of Rock Dallas, a local branch of a national, classic rock oriented school for budding young musicians. On April 15, the chain plants its 9th location in D-FW, this time in Plano, with a grand opening ceremony, freebies and chances to learn. [Update, April 15: Turns out, Rapattoni will even be making a guest appearance during Friday's grand opening, according to the owner.]
Have a musically-inclined kiddo who isn't interested in traditional lessons? School of Rock is more Led Zeppelin than Franz Liszt.
Its performance-based programming teaches guitar, bass, drums, keyboard and vocals with professional instructors, but there's a twist: "Students are placed in rock bands, and each season culminates in a real rock concert for friends, families and the community," a release says.
The grand opening takes place from 4-8 p.m. at the new facility at 1501 Preston Rd. #550 in Plano. They'll offer enrollment specials, free Ben & Jerry's ice cream, live music and raffles, including opportunities to win free swag and lessons. One winner will receive an entire month of free lessons.
Just starting out? Your little rock star doesn't have to play or bring an instrument to check out the new facility. Saturday, they'll offer an open house jam session beginning at 11 a.m., where prospective students can meet fellow musicians and learn about the programming.