FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: Mike Effenberger and Nick Phaneuf talk about PMAC's Rock program

Left to Right: Chris Klaxton, Mike Effenberger, Nick Phaneuf
and Jim Dozet, all members of PMAC's Rock Faculty

Whether it's our weekly rock band program throughout the school year, or one of our week long summer camps, the Rock Program builds musicianship through the music of today.

Led by Nick Phaneuf and Mike Effenbeger, both of Tan Vampires fame, PMAC rock bands provide opportunities for students to work with music mentors in our faculty throughout the year who have first hand experience. Students learn how to run a band, work creatively and productively with their peers, and create and work towards an end goal.

PMAC rock band is not just for guitarists, bassists and drummers - we welcome wind and string instruments too! And for younger children who want to learn rock and pop in a group, we now have Junior Rock Explorers.

PMAC: What is your teaching philosophy?

Mike Effenberger: I'm most interested in getting students to learn to look for different ways to think about situations. The more aware of possible paths they are, the less likely they are to get stuck or stop looking for a way around, through, or over an obstacle.

Nick Phaneuf: If you can teach a kid to work hard at something they care about they will not only be a successful musician they will be a successful person.

PMAC: What are the benefits of participating in Rock band?

ME: Good, cleanish fun. Playing music with friends and making new ones.  Learning new music and opening to new sounds and ideas.  Learning to work on group dynamics via band situations.

NP: Playing music is predominately about connecting with other people. It is fun to be in a room with others and create something.

PMAC: What drives you to make music with others?

ME: I've learned more about life from playing music with others than just about any other way.  Everyone has very different ways of describing or approaching almost everything. Music can be a way of translating a whole worldview without saying a word, if things are working well.

NP: It feels a bit like breathing: I can elect to not do it for some amount of time but then another part of my brain takes over and forces me to resume.

PMAC: What real life skills can you learn for working in a close-knit group with your peers?

ME: Individual responsibility. It is important to me for kids to have experiences where they feel firsthand that the endeavor of playing their music works only if everybody works individually.  It's also important to me that students learn different types of conflict resolution skills when there is a disagreement.

NP: I think music can teach people personal responsibility in a way that few other things can. These bands set their own goals in terms of what songs they're going to play. They have a fixed timeline in which to accomplish that goal and there are no substitutes for each person in the band. Each student is responsible to his or her bandmates.

PMAC: What has teaching Rock Band taught you personally?

ME: Every band is a different scenario. I'm continuing to learn more and more different ways to explain concepts and approaches to music every time I work with a new student.  It's vital that we strike a balance between having a personal approach / clearly stated goals for the students and learning to adapt the message to reach each student regardless of their current perspective and experience.

NP: Rock band has taught me that teenagers think singing as a punishment until they actually do it on stage. Then it's usually difficult to get them to stop.