BETHESDA'S

BACH TO ROCK

MUSIC SCHOOL

GOES

WORLDWIDE

(ALMOST)

Bach to Rock (B2R) music school on Bethesda's St. Elmo Avenue is tuning up to conquer the globe.

After nearly five years in downtown Bethesda, and with a handful of area locations, B2R is offering franchises in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Nationally recognized for its initial success, B2R offers classes to groups of kids, adults and senior citizens. In yesterday's announcement, B2R President Brian Gross pointed to TV shows Glee and American Idol, and Guitar Hero games as societal influencers, raising demand for music instruction to "an all-time high."

As a professional musician, I can say that while great musicians have existed for centuries with traditional music education or self-teaching, the electronic and educational resources of today make it much easier and less tedious to learn. And that means the rewards of mastering an instrument will be accessible to greater numbers of people.